Where to eat in London.... Sushi at Itsu!

Where to eat in London....

I don’t know about you, but when I go out to eat I like to have something I wouldn’t normally have at home. There’s nothing worse than paying £20 for a meal that you could have probably made better yourself! Hence, it’s no surprise that when I was given the chance to review Itsu, London’s best sushi joint, I jumped at the chance. Sorry, but there are more important things in life than spending the time to make your own sushi… and when the offer at Itsu is this good, why would you bother?!

Itsu Regent St

With over 50 stores in London, we visited the one on Regent Street on a sunny Sunday afternoon a couple of weeks ago. Going in and seeing the various choices on display, it became very difficult to decide which to go for- everything looked so fresh and appetising! The mantra behind Itsu is ‘Eat Beautiful’ - which I love. The emphasis on the nourishment, vitamins and minerals that come from good healthy food is a refreshing break from the usual 'avoidance' media.... finally, food is not the enemy!   

So, after a bit of deliberation, eventually, we decided on a few different boxes to share….

Vegetable Dumplings (£3.29)

IT Box (£4.99)

Mixed Sashimi (£9.99)

Although all were very tasty, my favourite was the tuna, a thin sashimi style slice on top of sticky white rice. Trust me, once you’ve tried this there’s no going back to tinned chunks in brine - as Joe, a previous tuna sashimi virgin, soon discovered!

To drink, I went for one of their freshly made smoothies, a great recent addition to their ‘eat beautiful’ menu. You simply take pick of the cups from the fridges - the one I choose was the ‘raw veg cleanse’, containing a mix of spinach, coriander, ginger, avocado and cucumber - then take it up to the counter, where the server adds ice and fresh apple juice, then pops it into the blender to create a deliciously thick and creamy, but very healthy, super veg smoothie!  

Beauty Smoothie (£3.99)

 Freshly mixed with ice

Best part

Definitely the choice. With 64 different dishes prepared freshly each day, you'll never be stuck to find something you like! Even for those who don't like sushi, itsu also offer protein packed salads,  delicious hot noodle soups, brown rice potsus, flavourful hot or cold dumplings, as well as snacks and frozen yoghurt for afters.

Our selection

Worst part

 It would have been good if there was some seperate sort of plate we could have used to put the food on. If you’re just going for one box (as I guess most people would!), it’s easy enough to eat it out of there, however when the offer is so tempting it’s hard to stick to just one! Joe and I therefore ended up arranging on the box lids…. which was a little tricky.....

My 'lid'

Joes 'lid'

I tried to cram as much as possible on my 'lid', whilst Joe went for a more minimal approach. Ok, so maybe his did prove to be a lot more photogenic.... but I couldn't help myself piling it high!

I was also a little surprised that, with such a healthy and varied offering, there is no brown rice sushi on the menu. Perhaps something to look into, Itsu?

Best for

With the weather hotting up to a scorching 34 degrees in London this week, Itsu is the perfect place for a light and refreshing lunch - either eat in and enjoy the air conditioning, or take to the park and enjoy the sun! 

Price

The downside to Itsu is that, for a lunch on the go, it is quite expensive. Although smaller boxes begin at just £3.29, to get a substantial meal you'd be looking at around £7. Which isn't awful, however with so many tempting sides, snacks and drinks, very rarely am I able to come out spending less than £15. Hence, for a take-away lunch (in comparison to my £3.79 boots meal deal!), it's quite pricey!

BUT, if you go 30 minutes before the store closes, everything in the fridges in HALF PRICE. Meaning I can pick up a bargain AND be rest assured that everything is made fresh daily. Win!

Joe with his coconut water

Would I go back? 

Already have! Well, kind of -  Joe popped by one night before coming round to my flat, half an hour before closing, to give this 50% off offer a shot. I'd just had a facial, so wasn't up for going out to dinner with my rather blotchy face, and this proved to be the perfect option for us to enjoy back at home in the garden.

All at 50% off!

With London finally giving us the summer weather we've been waiting for, I can see plenty more trips to Itsu in the pipeline-  perfect for a picnic in Regents Park! Equally, I'd love to try one of their two restaurants (Notting Hill and Chelsea) to see how my new favourite sushi provider translates into the more formal restaurant environment.