One of the things I miss most about California and its spades of Japanese-Americans (and cuisine)…read moreis sushi. I mean fresh, wonderful, just-caught-in-the-Pacific-Ocean-that-day, melt-in-your-mouth-doesn't-taste-like-fish sushi and sashimi.
Typically, in Los Angeles, a friend and I could order so much sushi we left looking like California Rolls, for under $20. I've yet to find a suitable replacement in the UK.
But while my quest continues, I've sampled some very decent sushi, including the offerings at Shogun, a Noodle Bar and sushi restaurant in The Mailbox Centre in Birmingham.
For £10 all you can eat, Shogun's sushi offerings are not to be missed. The nice thing about sushi is that its great taste fills you up and never lets you down -- but unlike Bud Light, it actually tastes good.
If you're in Birmingham for a day of shopping, instead of paying a fortune for a sit-down dinner at a twee chain or opting for fast food, head over to The Mailbox, or Brindleyplace to either of Shogun's venues.
If you prefer the thrills of teppanyaki, there is a 10-person grill in the Japanese semi-circle style, with the Teppanyaki chef slicing, dicing and sizzling your food in front of your eyes.
Or head to the left and have a seat at the traditional ovular sushi bar, such as you'd see in Yo! Sushi or find in Japan.
The food is served up and placed on small plates and sent through from the kitchen on a round conveyor belt. It then passes scintillatingly in front of customers who grab their plates of choice and commence gobbling.
Unlike traditional sushi bars, where the plates are ordered by grade and priced accordingly, Shogun allows you to eat as many plates of yummy fishy-fish as you can without embarassing yourself in front of fellow diners.
Fare includes traditional nigiri sushi (fish placed on top of rice or seaweed), maki sushi (rice, fish and fillings inside seaweed roll), and inari (fried bean curd cases over rice or fish), but also vegetable and prawn tempura, fried rice and a few small noodle dishes.
Drinks include Asahi and Sapporo beers, the always popular with cool kids sake, and various teas and soft drinks.
The food at the all-you-can-eat sushi baris definitely passable and nothing to complain about, but also nothing to write home about.
The teppanyaki and a l carte sushi and sashimi are definitely of a higher quality, and priced accordingly.
Still, two people could expect to eat a tasty meal for under £25.
Unfortunately for Shogun, the service at their Mailbox restaurant is very poor.
The younger women who work there are very polite, and the sushi chefs are always happy and chatty. Unfortunately, there are two older women there whose manner with customers is approaching abusive. When we go in, they bark at us to "sit here please!", and if we ask to be seated elsewhere, we are scowled at.
Still, if grumpy but swift service doesn't bother you, have some tasty Japanese treats for a tenner. Your inner samurai will thank you.
