Oki-nami - Just when Moshi Moshi had cemented itself as one of my favourite restaurants in Brighton, I found this much better Japanese restaurant to knock it from the list! Oki-Nami is a fair way into Hove, and twice when we've been on a midweek night, only a couple of the seven or eight tables here have been occupied, in contrast to the crowds at Moshi Moshi. But it's definitely worth the extra walk to come to Oki-Nami. There's no train of sushi, but a full menu including not only sushi and sashimi but salads, noodles, udon and soba soups, and so on. Most of the vegetarian sushi is baby maki rolls, which don't thrill me, but Ted says the fish sushi is great, and I love the soba soup with vegetables. The age tofu entree is fantastic - I would get that rather than the yasai gyoza, which were quite bland. The desserts are excellent, especially the green tea icecream, and the vanilla icecream with red bean paste. 208 Church Rd Hove. 01273 773 777. Open 6 pm - 10.30 pm, 6 pm -9.30 pm Sunday, closed Tuesday. (June 2003) The Japanese restaurant above Yum Yum grocery store - I wish I could remember its name. The best soba noodle soup I've had in years, I got here one lunchtime. It was the forest vegetable one, with mushrooms, seaweed and other greens, various good things. The room is bare and the service is polite but minimalist, but the soup is one giant bowl of spiritual uplift. Rob went later and reported that the sushi was also good. 22 Sydney St, Brighton Moshi Moshi - oh finally, a cuisine to which tinned sweetcorn cannot be added! Heh, Japanese food is wonderful for so many reasons. Don't be put off by the conveyor belt of sushi, the food here is very good quality. Ted finally got his fix of raw fish, and I ordered a vegetarian selection which included inarizushi, ume and oshinko maki, egg tomago, mushroom gunkan, and futomaki. We also grabbed a seaweed and tofu salad from the train, and ordered a brilliant side dish of hot grilled aubergine with miso sauce, plus vegetarian miso soup. Ted was revolted by the bean paste balls I had for dessert, but that just shows he has some learning to do. So good - one of our best dining experiences since coming to the UK. Bartholemew Square, the Lanes, BN1 1JS. Open Sun-Wed 12-10:30, Thurs-Sat 12-11, closed Monday. (Dec 2002) |
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