Sushi Kanesaka (*) – London, England

A part of the Dorchester collection (though not itself in The Dorchester hotel; it is but a hop, skip and a jump across the road in 45 Park Lane), Sushi Kanesaka is the one Michelin-star London outpost of Shinji Kanesaka's two-star Tokyo flagship. While the latter has been around for many years, and has held two stars consecutively since 2018, Sushi Kanesaka opened in 2023, and won a Michelin star the following year.

While Kanesaka-san is the name behind the restaurant, he doesn't seem to spend much time in London these days (fair play – given the option, I'd probably pick Tokyo as well). Though dates that he is in London are advertised on the website, with specific reservations separate to the day-to-day reservations, the running of Sushi Kanesaka is left to head chef Hirotaka Wada and sous chef Junki Kimizuka.

With a nine-seat hinoki counter (and an additional four seats in a private room), Sushi Kanesaka is subtly evocative of Tokyo sushiyas: hinoki ice chests bookend the chefs' prep area, with the sous chef (stationed to the right of Wada-san) alternately preparing pickled ginger and wasabi, and working on the otsumami, while the head chef – in the centre of the counter – prepares the sushi and desserts, and finishes the otsumami. Logistics aside, Sushi Kanesaka – at least from my visit this past week – has that quiet reverence that is in evidence at those most traditional of sushi omakases.

With a few exceptions, the food offered at Sushi Kanesaka is of a high quality, insofar as I would not be at all displeased if I was served most of these items in Japan. The marinated akami, chutoro and otoro cuts were excellent, coming today from tuna farmed in Canadian waters, with the shari of the nigiri consisting of rice from Yamagata prefecture in Japan, along with a touch of red vinegar and salt to impart slight acidity. The steamed abalone, sliced before us by Wada-san, was light, toothsome, and accompanied by a fragrant seaweed dashi. Yari-ika (spear squid) was tender and – adorned with Beluga caviar – made for one of the highlights of the meal. The Kaburamushi that followed (a dish consisting of grated turnip mixed with egg white over snapper) was clean and distinct, each of the components easily identifiable, while the Kobe beef was as tender as one could hope for. Other highlights were the botan ebi nigiri (sweet, with a little lime to cut this), saba nigiri (adorned with a small helping of kelp), and crown melon from Shizuoka prefecture (always a pleasure to see this exceptional fruit on a menu).

Those menu items that did not hit the same heights as those mentioned above I consider to be easily elevated with some minor adjustments. The hand roll of unagi (they would like to get anago, but sourcing proves too difficult, so unagi has to suffice) would benefit from less Japanese cucumber, as the crunchy texture overwhelms the fluffy softness of the unagi (which is achieved by first grilling the unagi, then steaming, and then grilling once more). The final dessert, daifuku with strawberry, has the mochi draped over the strawberry; better to enclose it fully, not only to get more of the chewy mochi in the bite, but also to aid in presentation.

These are, admittedly, minor quibbles. Larger ones would be the fish selection (it's never going to be as robust as what Japanese sushiyas can offer. No fish is imported from Japan, instead coming from Canadian waters, Ireland, the Mediterranean, Spain and Portugal. Despite none coming from Japan, the quality here is still rather good) and the price. The latter is a reason, and perhaps the main reason, for why Sushi Kanesaka isn't talked about more. When the topic of 'best sushi in the UK' comes up, Endo at the Rotunda and Sushi Tetsu are two restaurants that are commonly brought up. While I'm a fan of both, Sushi Kanesaka is – out of the three – I think the closest to a Tokyo sushiya. So why doesn't it get more fanfare? Well, probably because it's more than twice as costly as Sushi Tetsu: At £420, Sushi Kanesaka is currently the costliest sushi omakase in London, and one of the most expensive menus of any restaurant in the UK. And that's before service charge. At 15 %, what you're really looking at is £483 sans drinks. That higher barrier to entry will likely only attract people for whom money is really no object, or those with a particular interest in sushi. In addition, it's hard to justify the price when some of the best Tokyo sushiyas operate at the £200-300 range.

Still, while value for money is a consideration, if it's the primary one then I'd say we're probably in the wrong game. Sushi Kanesaka is well worth a visit for anyone who wants to try some of the best sushi in the UK currently.

Menu:

1. Agedashi tofu with kani ankake

2. Akami nigiri (pictured first)

3. Chutoro nigiri (pictured second)

4. Steamed abalone with aosa seaweed

5. Suzuki nigiri with irizake sauce

6. Yari-ika nigiri with Beluga caviar

7. Amadai Kaburamushi

8. Otoro nigiri (pictured third)

9. Hand roll of unagi kabayaki

10. Roast Kobe beef

11. Kinmedai nigiri

12. Botan ebi nigiri

13. Lobster shinjo with shiitake

14. Saba nigiri

15. Ikura gunkan

16. Miso soup with lobster

17. Roll of negi toro

18. Tamagoyaki

19. Shizuoka Crown Melon

20. Daifuku with strawberry