Open Sun and Mon 11.30am–10pm; Tue and Wed 11.30am–10.30pm; Thu and Sat 11.30am–11pm
This cleverly named chain likes west London, having restaurants in Notting Hill, Kensington and Fulham – the one we went to. Eating raw fish always seems a clean and virtuous act (minus the environmental concern which we’ll come to later) and the décor seemed to reflect this. There were simple blonde pine tables and stools, plus a fish tank with inhabitants that effortlessly ghosted about gracefully as we ate (ignoring the fact that we were about to consume their brethren). One whole wall is also blue with flowers; blue represents calm passive energy in feng shui and is good for those with high levels of anxiety. So they do their best to put you in a tranquil place before you tuck in. The fish are running out of course and Feng wouldn’t want all their efforts to relax you spoilt by anxiety over this, so their menu has ‘fish2fork’ and FSC sustainable fishing logos writ large. If you’re not aware of Fish2fork.co.uk get acquainted with it – it’ll tell you if your favourite restaurant is sourcing responsibly.
Three types of Edamame (£3/£4) were served as starters and the miso version was super addictive. Superior Californian rolls (£13.25) were next, containing a luxurious cocktail of soft shell crab and white crab claw meat. If you’re the kind of person that finds you’re always still hungry after sushi, this hearty Maki is for you. Lighter in all the right ways were the sake-marinated salmon (£9), which left subtle spring onion and chilli flavours in its wake and the baby squid tempura (£8.75) – no heavy batter here and therefore a good indicator of the chef’s concentration.
So if it’s sushi you’re after, it’s all good and fine here. It’s just not wildly exciting. The restaurant is on the small side and most of the orders were dispatched out of the door and onto mopeds. It’s the kind of place you might pop into rather than have an ‘experience’ at and it’s certainly not event dining. The other thing is, it’s not cheap. Our bill came to £90 for two with drinks, not including the delightful service, which seems steep for a quick drop-in place. It’s right to pay a bit more for the sustainable option but we’re spoilt for choice in London and for that kind of cash you can take your tongue on a tasting adventure elsewhere. Nice as it was, there was nothing here that was wildly innovative but if you’re into your sushi, Feng is a dependable choice.
Meal for two, around £90.
Feng Sushi, 218 Fulham Road, London, SW10; www.fengsushi.co.uk; 020 7795 1900
