Address: 4 West Smithfield, London EC1A 9JX

Telephone number: 0207 489 7033

Website: www.saki-food.com

Date of visit:  15 January 2010

Approximate cost per head: From £10 but it is more likely £30

Comments on wine list/beer: Extensive saki list. Pricy wine list. A small bottle of Kirin was £4.30 and cokes at £1.90 per glass.

Summary:

The ground floor is an emporium. There is a display of nail clippers and knives. The nail clippers were around £180 and the knives £300. There is also a cold cabinet full of saki and there were also a few packs of biscuits on another counter. I don’t know what to make of it!

Downstairs – steep staircase! – is a restaurant and a bar.

The restaurant is square shaped with an open kitchen at one end and the usual sushi counter. The tables were arranged in a U shape around the other 3 walls. In the centre was a huge table or rather 4 sushi bars lined in a square shape with bar stools and a Japanese sand pit in the middle. It was very elegantly designed but no table clothes.

We were there for lunch and by 1pm, it was nearly full with a party taking over the centre table.

There is a lunch menu with dishes starting at £10 but the bulk of it were combinations at around £20.

The a la carte menu have sushi and sashimi as well as a few interesting dishes. What captured my eyes were the two omakase menu. The first had the usual combination of meat, fish and sushi/tempura. The top version (all the courses) was priced at £65.50. To pair glasses of wine with the dishes were another £25.50 and to pair saki another £32.50.  There was also a vegetarian version (totally vegetarian) at £65.50. However when paired with premium saki was another £45. 24 hour notice is required for the vegetarian version. So take note! I am going to give it a go when I win the lotto (jackpot).

We had the rib eye set lunch  (£17.50) and the tuna and salmon mixed sushi set (£20.50) and a side order of eel nigiri at £8.90 for 3 pieces. The rib eye was sensational. It was char grilled and full of flavour. The sushi set was fine. For the set lunch, you get a freebie starter which was some sort of crab in bread crumbs – not fried. The place is Ok but its not cheap.

Most of the diners were the new exec type – suits, shirts and no ties. Probably New Media agency directors.

Eddie