I’ve said before that, like a lot of girls, I have a tendency to fall for the bad boys. While nothing has changed in that respect, it has meant that I’ve been lucky enough to have a life filled with interesting, passionate people and one that has never been boring!
When I was 17, I dated a proper foodie who fell into this category. He used to manage a restaurant owned by one of the most famous and Michelin star-studded chefs of our generation. He was charming, older than me, just the right amount of arrogant, and suave. He smoked too many cigarettes and drove me around London in his Cadillac. He taught me about food. Really good food.
Things between The Foodie and I ran their course and although I very occasionally bumped into him at parties, that was the extent of it. Whilst I eventually went on to work in the world of food and booze, he left his job to go into something completely unrelated (I always thought it was a waste personally) but retained the love of all things gastronomic.
A couple of weeks ago, out of the blue, I got a phone call from him asking for my help with a project and of course I said I would. “Brilliant!” he said, “I’ll take you out to dinner so we can discuss the plan. You’ve got to choose where we go though. Anywhere you like. Just make it amazing”. Now, how could I refuse an offer like that!? Anywhere I liked…? This was going to be tough…
Someone who knows restaurants better than anyone else I know had told me earlier that week that Sumosan was hands down the best sushi in London. I’d never been there, and we both love sushi, so that’s where we went.
We walked in a bit late due to a pre dinner martini at The Luggage Room (my fault apparently), but the friendly staff didn’t seem to mind too much and sat us at a cosy table by the window. The atmosphere here is warm and lively, but classy rather than flashy. Each table feels intimate and discretion was obviously a factor when they designed the layout which is no doubt a contributor to the fact that Sumosan consistently attracts VIPs and celebrities.
After he ordered us each a glass of champagne (good boy), we studied the menu. One of my (secretly) favourite things when I’m out for dinner with a man, is if he orders for me and gets it completely right – although boys, be warned, only do this if you’re confident you absolutely will get it right. He had never got it wrong in the past, so I thought why break old habits?
We started with an avocado, prawn and crab salad with a surprising, but delicious kiwi fruit dressing. It was light, clean and the delicate flavours were superbly balanced; the absolute perfect start to the meal. Next up came a whole selection of amazingly fresh and beautifully presented sushi and sashimi. There was spicy scallop sashimi in cucumber cups and mouth-watering tender sea bass. The Foodie had ordered California rolls slightly reluctantly as apparently they’re not authentically Japanese (but are a favourite), but they were stunning so I’m glad he did. The soft shell crab was to die for and we took our time enjoying every bite while we laughed and sipped on fruity New Zealand white wine.
Our waiter took away the large plate with a few remaining sushi on it, and brought them back to us a few minutes later, neatly arranged on a smaller plate which I thought was a nice touch. With it came my absolute favourite: black cod. I’ve got to say, up until now, the best black cod I’ve tried was at Nobu, but this is definitely a close rival, if not better. The only thing that made me sad was that it was the last dish to arrive and we were so full that we couldn’t finish it. I wanted to savour every sweet, buttery mouthful, but sadly, it wasn’t to be. I suppose it serves us right for ordering half the menu…
I went to touch up my lippie and met The Foodie in the bar downstairs where I found him sipping on an espresso martini (lychee martini waiting for me) and chatting away to the manager. No surprises there to be honest…I did say he was charming. They were getting on like a house on fire, enthusiastically discussing produce and swapping ideas for the bar and the future of the restaurant. Before I knew it, we were being shown round the kitchens and being introduced to the supremely talented chefs. We eventually finished our drinks, said our goodbyes, and wandered down the road to The Scotch for a dance.
Excellent food aside, it was the personal touch from the staff and the attention to detail that really made our evening special. So good in fact was the night, that we completely forgot to discuss business. Oh well…what a great excuse to do it all again…!
[slickr-flickr tag=”Sumosan” items=”6″]
