TETSU 12 Jerusalem Passage, EC1
Warning. This is the oddest food review you will ever read. I was only allowed to pass the threshold of Tetsu on the basis that I don’t encourage any of my readers to try and book. (I secured 2 seats simply based on luck. Twitter-timing-luck.)
First, some basic facts: Tetsu is a sushi bar. Down an alley in Clerkenwell. With 7 seats. And it only serves sushi and sashimi. No miso. No tempura. No hot food. JUST FISH (sourced largely from Billingsgate Market).
Digging a bit deeper: The bar is owned by ex-Nobu Toru and his wife Harumi Takahashi. It is open for lunch and dinner.
Toru Takahashi preparing our lunch
Booking: is impossible. Just take a look at the site to see the issues any hungry sushi-seekers face. The 7 seats are either already booked or not available to book. Long instructions inform you of the booking policy. Read and scream.
Bookings are taken on the first and third Monday of each month for the following month. Customers who are successful on the first Monday will not be able to re-book on the third. ?On the first Monday we will take bookings up to the 15th of the following month. ?On the third Monday we will take bookings for the remaining days of the following month.
A reliable source told me that bookings for the following month sell out within an hour. The phone didn’t answer whenever I tried. Apparently it’s best to drop in…
The bit you don’t want to hear: this sushi is far superior to any I have ever tasted before. Beyond taste-explosion delicious. With rice the right side of ‘just warm’. The experience is pure, theatrical and authentic – although a little unnervingly controlled.
medium fatty tuna on a banana leaf. We were instructed to eat it whole. no chopsticks allowed. soy sauce not advised.
Bottom line: If you are a die-hard sushi fan, with relatively deep pockets and the patience of a saint – then give up your day job immediately and get on that booking line. The way I see it, there is no better sushi in London.
Now delete ALL this from your memory.
