So this was my first AYCE experience - thank goodness I was in the safe hands of the Unofficial…read moreYelp Sushi Club! I'm a big fan of Japanese food, having stuck to more traditional restaurants in the past to get my fill of sashimi, one of my favourite elements of Nippon cuisine.
Imagine my delight upon understanding that I could order unlimited sashimi here (I was under the impression that certain, more expensive dishes, might be limited). The night started well with a copious selection of sushi and sashimi, ordered in conjunction with my five fellow diners.
It's AYCE, so I focus on the fish, overlooking other delicacies that I usually enjoy, such as tempura and soba noodles. The seaweed is heavily vinegared without much other flavour. The tuna sashimi has no flavour at all, while the salmon is a little more tasty, probably due to its natural oil content.
The experience is one of a feeding frenzy, without care for flavour or presentation: the sushi are fashioned expertly enough, but garlicky mayo and other California-style rolls are a bit of a turn-off.
By the end of the evening, we've over-eaten and I have the sense of having binged for the sake of it, rather than enjoying what I usually consider an exquisite ethnic choice. Obviously, the restaurant's not to blame for the piggishness of the diners, but it's a formula I don't enjoy and which seems far from the central reason of why I go out for dinner.