SUMI — Restaurant in London

A Special Dinner with a Few Service Hiccups

After seeing the Tim Burton exhibition in London, my friend and I wanted to go somewhere special for dinner. On a whim, we decided to visit Sumi, a Japanese restaurant, without a reservation.

Walking in, we were greeted by the chefs in the open kitchen with a traditional "Irasshaimase!", which immediately set the right mood. We were lucky to get a table, though we were informed we had to leave by 7:15 PM—plenty of time for a relaxed meal.

We started by ordering tap water while browsing the cocktail and sake menu. As much as I love sake, I couldn’t justify spending £60+ for a 330ml flask, so I opted for a cocktail instead. The drinks were named in Japanese numbers—Ichi, Ni, San—so I chose Ichi, which was incredibly potent with sake and Haku vodka, while my friend had San, a refreshing citrusy mango-based cocktail.

For starters, I had the scallop temaki, and my friend went for the salmon version. They also offered different grades of fatty tuna, so we shared a medium-grade (chūtoro) portion (£17 for two pieces). We also ordered a three-type sashimi selection: salmon, tuna, and sea bass.

For the main, we asked about the fish of the day, which turned out to be sea bream. My friend ordered one, and I said I'd have one too, sharing a portion of rice. The food arrived beautifully presented, made with high-quality ingredients. The temaki was served open-style, almost like a taco rather than the usual cone shape. We also received complimentary edamame beans, which was a nice touch.

However, when the sea bream arrived, only one dish was brought out. We asked about the second, and the waiter insisted we had only ordered one, which wasn’t the case. Fortunately, the second portion arrived fairly quickly, so we shared the first while waiting. The fish itself was delicious—crispy skin, perfectly cooked, and complemented by a yuzu citrus sauce.

After our mains, we decided to order another drink. My friend had never tried umeshu before, so we got a glass each (£17 per glass). It was a generous pour and absolutely delicious. At the same time, we also ordered the matcha dessert, a layered tart that was delicate and intricate—almost like the fine craftsmanship of a samurai sword. Again, however, only one dessert was delivered instead of two, so we had to wait for the second.

The Service Experience

While the food was fantastic, the lack of clarity when ordering was frustrating. The price of the fish was never mentioned, and it turned out to be £27 per portion, which felt a little steep for sea bream. Also, twice we were served only one dish when we had clearly ordered two—a simple confirmation or playback of our order could have avoided these mix-ups.

Additionally, we felt a bit pushed into ordering more drinks. The cocktails and umeshu were strong and expensive, and after two rounds, we were content. However, the same waiter kept asking if we wanted another, even after declining multiple times. It felt a little salesy, especially considering the already high service charge.

That said, by the end of the meal, the waiter loosened up and mentioned hus cat after seeing a picture of mine on my phone, which was a nice personal touch. He seemed a bit tense throughout the evening, which perhaps affected the overall service.

Final Thoughts

Would I recommend Sumi? Yes! The food was outstanding, the ingredients were fresh, and the presentation was beautiful. However, small improvements in service clarity and transparency (especially with prices) would make the experience even better.

Would I return? Possibly, but with a...

Out of all the cognitive biases we are prone to, it is the Halo Effect that makes it to our daily lives the most. We tend to see a very attractive person as more witty and smart than they really are, we expect a tryant to be brutal in their personal lives, and we see someone with a brighter light after a friendly conversation. I myself was a victim of the Halo Effect this week as I dined at Sumi...and had to soberly accept that it's not as great as my heart wished it to be.

From the outset Sumi sent all the signals of a great experience: Great location on Westborne Grove nested between Taqueria and Granger, simple yet beautiful interiors, a friendly host that made sure to accomodate the last minute reservation... And of course a raving review from the Bible of Restaurants: The Infatuation.

And the experience did start off great: a delicious sesame seeweed salad with elegant flavoring, was followed by incredibly smooth yellowtail and fatty tuna nigiris... All elevated with a crisp and fresh Albariño. With beautiful art and flowers everywhere, an atmosphere of excitement all around, and a fun bartender in front us explaining to us variances in certain cocktails and offering us some shots to illustrate his point... It was simply divine. What could go wrong?

Well the main dish went wrong. The fish (I believe a halibut) was so dry that I felt the urge to "tone it down" (Or up ?) with ginger. The suggested accompagmeent (rice, instead of vegetables) added to this dryness, which the very liquidy sauce could not fight. At the same time the cooks' alarm started going off in the kitchen every few minutes to inform them a dish was ready... Sending almost ominous signals and casting an uncomfortable shadow. The charm was broken and I woke up from the dream seeing the place for what it was: an ok restaurant, with inflated expectations.

Life would be so much easier without the Halo Effect. But I suppose it would also be devoid of dreams, hopes and...

Most of the welcome SMS was: ...Please note that your table is booked from the time your booking begins, not your arrival time. Parties arriving late will nevertheless need to adhere to the booking times. My thought: Chill! It's not a race! I am here to meet a friend and relax and enjoy great food! Not exactly a warm welcome.

The music at the first seat was so loud I asked for another table. Same issue at table 2. Table 3 was better. I do not understand why I have to listen to loud cheap pop in a classy Japanese place and scream at my friend? Our table was then with the sushi open counter to the left hand side and the bar to the right. So it felt a bit like sitting in a bee hive full of staff running around. Not quite relaxing.

I asked the staff if the tofu entrée was warm or cold? He asked me the question back.

The food can generally be improved, the mushroom Miso was not hot and the sashimi in a quality that would not allow the simplicity not to mention their price. The Tuna Temaki for 12 £ was just a red sludge with not much taste or texture. I could not really tell the fermented radish in it.

I wanted to order more main courses when I was told I had 10 minutes left. Not even thinking about desert! I quickly swallowed my Sake and ordered the bill instead.

Even though I had to use the bathroom before leaving my jacket was brought and left at my table by the female concierge herself. Message: LEAVE NOW we need to resell your table.

What a shame – Terrible, the rush! Like in a corporate company. The client and the excellence get lost on the way.

We went to a Pub and had Fish and Chips for desert instead!

At the price of one 2 bite Temaki. The place might be posh but neither excellent nor is the client...