Miyabi
Great Eastern Hotel, London
 
I'm able to talk a little more knowledgeably about Miyabi than about most places, because I've waited till I've been there three times to write. I hope that makes my snapshot better- I rather suspect it'll just make it more complicated.

The bottom line is that Miyabi is no Sushi Yasuda, the best of the New York Sushi temples. It doesn't have fifteen kinds of toro, escalating in price and fattiness, or four kinds of miso, or exotic actually Japanese desserts of bean pastes and curds. But this is London. And one would be very foolish to expect such achievement here.

But Miyabi is not a bad restaurant at all. The sushi is fresh and reasonably good, with decent variety. The thing to do with the menu, particularly, is to order the well chosen selection of 8 pieces of sushi for 14.50 GBP, which provides a pleasant base of salmon, tuna, and their usual accompaniments to work off, and then add a few of the more exotic offerings Miyabi does manage.  The hand rolled mix of eel and avacado, for example, is really very pleasant - and their rolls are always well (but not overwhelmingly)  spiced with wasabi.

The restaurant does also do a fixed price lunch for 17.50 GBP, consisting of some tempura, a little bottom of the line sushi, and some other sundries. Frankly, I wouldn't bother - this is a sushi restaurant, and I would treat it that way - in any case, if you get the menu you'll miss out on the intriguing desserts. No, I don't normally recommend desserts at Asian restaurants, and no, sorbet isn't that original, but my raspberry, guava, and passion fruit were of real quality.  And if you're more of a chocolate lover, they do a clever "roll" of green tea cake around chocolate cream, all dipped in black and white sesame seeds. I'm not sure they're the most congruous of flavours, but it is at least interesting. One final thing to note, , incidentally, is that miso is almost never included in Britain - if you want the salty, strong, broth (and Miyabi's is good), you'll have to order, and pay for, it seperately.

My one real complaint about Miyabi is the room. The tables are pleasant and Japanese looking enough - but the whole restaurant is almost unbearably small, making long waits common and reservations difficult to come by. I think I counted 8 tables today, honestly - hardly enough for a restaurant in the middle of London. I rather suspect that their presence in the Great Eastern Hotel, and the accompanying room service orders, make up for their inhibited volume. Otherwise, I can't imagine how they stay in business. They're clearly not skimping on ingregients, and the restuarant is expensive but not extortionate.  One hopes they've found a way to stick around.