Restaurants

It may sound like a sushi bar, but Sa Sa is an all-rounder with a varied choice of hot dishes, including, on the pricier side, black cod with miso and foie gras teriyaki (both £18). At the cheaper end of the menu, we devoured our gyoza (minced pork and chive dumplings), which were full of flavour and nicely browned – even if we expected more than four for £4.50. Our à la carte sushi pickings yielded such an appetising collection of nigiri that we couldn’t resist ordering seconds of toro (fatty tuna) and foie gras, though we could have just as happily relished more of the juicy, fresh yellowtail, succulent eel or translucent squid on shiso (perilla leaf). The smiling, courteous, Vietnamese chef rustling up these gems clearly cares about his craft; without seeming at all intrusive, he popped out from behind his counter a couple of times to check diners were happy with their choices. You might as well fully indulge any sushi cravings as the drinks and dessert lists are minimal, with ice-cream tempura the only choice beyond the usual trio of Japanese ice-cream flavours; mind you, it’s worth noting that the beer is fairly priced at £2.80 a bottle.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008