Itsu, the trendy, small (ish) chain of Sushi goodness. This colourful restaurant seems to be popping up all over the place. One day you’ll be walking down a road you’ve been walking down for years, and that place you never use to look at will all of a sudden be an Itsu! Of course that road has to be in central London, but keep your eyes on even the tiniest little gaps, because there is a new breed of Itsu, the cupboard sized boxed takeaway specie. Also, generally in high foot-flow areas, it can be hard to resist the brightly coloured, straight from Japan looking theme that surrounds the colourful and great tasting Sushi on offer.
The environment is comfortable, relaxed and all completely focused on “health and happiness” (their motto). The conveyor belts which feature in most of their restaurants tempt you continuously, as colourful plate after colourful plate sushi and other delightful dishes are whooshed under your eyes as you try to eat the thing you just picked up. A dilemma surfaces, “how do I put this in my mouth whilst grabbing that at the same time?” The forgiving staff have however, layered the conveyor belts with the same dish, so fear not my hungry friend, another will be by soon.
Beware the “mountain!” This is the mountain of plates you build up after polishing them off. One by one and sometimes without even noticing, you have finished 5 plates in 5 minutes (maybe that’s just me), and already a hill has formed. Itsu is more expensive than the other Sushi chains in London, not by much, but as the dishes mount up, so does the price. A good sitting between two is likely to cost around £35 including drinks and a fulfilling amount of plates. But the great thing about these conveyor belt systems is that you can eat as much or as little as you choose. A quick snack or a major feast, Itsu is one of the best places to do it.
- Darren Kingman
Display Photo By neilalderner123
