Wham Bam Thank You Pham
Filed under: Food in London
I happened on Pham Sushi by chance. Walking down a desolate street, tucked behind the back of the Barbican, I spied a diminutive Japanese restaurant overflowing with diners. Fed up with the generic conveyor belt style sushi bars springing up across London I ventured inside and made a reservation for the following evening.
Again the place was full. The crowds weren’t there however for the opulent surroundings or odd celebrity sighting that have become synonomous with the more upscale sushi bars. Rather they sat huddled together around cramped tables in pursuit of, what I later learnt, some of the best sushi in town.
Whilst the establishment might be modest the menu is anything but. Yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño peppers is a nod to the chef’s background and training at Nobu and the unusual yet sophisticated selection of dishes hint that this restaurant might be a cut above the rest. Hawaiian Roll (pictured above) a kind of inside out California roll, with a thick slab of salmon arranged artfully on top, was a sight to behold. Rock shrimps encased in a light,crisp,tempura batter went down well with my husband who tends to shy away from the more exotic options. The real jewel in the crown belonged however to the crunchy tuna roll, not actually listed on the menu, but something which was recommended by our amiable waiter.
Since my initial experience at Pham, almost a year ago, I have become a regular. Their delivery service which cargos their sushi within a one mile radius has become a godsend on evenings when I can’t be bothered to cook or eat out. As a result I’ve pretty much made my way through the entire menu and can honestly say that it is rare to have a dud dish. The sushi is of a consistently high quality, the fish always fresh and the rice always cooked well, something which is quite rare to find here in London without forking out loads of money. Whilst the hot dishes can’t really compete with the sushi offerings they are fine nonetheless.
I highly recommend.
Pham Sushi
155 Whitecross Street,
London
EC1Y 8J
7 Comments so far
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Hi gastrochick! Thanks, this is good news, what with Yo Sushi and such taking over–and I’ve never heard of it, I’ll be sure to give it a try when I get home.
Comment by tejal 05.09.06 @ 5:51 pmsounds lovely, and looks it too, we’re off out to our favorite little sushi place in New York. I probably wouldn’t mention it on egullit as I dont want to have to queue round the block to get in but if anyones interested here’s the citysearch link: http://newyork.citysearch.com/review/7109266 it’s quite bizarre 2 people can eat there for about 35 dollars (20 quid) and it’s so good. Favorite cheap ny restaurant.
Comment by woofy 05.09.06 @ 10:57 pmWow! Another brilliant photograph.
How I wish I could just jet to London to try it out. Your post and photo will have to sustain me.
Comment by Ivonne 05.10.06 @ 1:23 amSounds yummy. And great photo. I see you’ve very quickly mastered shooting in restaurants 
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I remember the days when you had to fly to the west coast to have the chance to eat yellowtail. If its available in London now, well I might as well just move back to Europe then!
Comment by sam 05.09.06 @ 4:53 pm