4 /5 Travelling Doc: Sushinoen is a short walk from Aldgate East tube station, tucked into a corner building with red patterns outside. You enter via a glass door, up a few steps from the pavement, and into a fairly basic interior with a maître d’ desk at the entrance.
A Japanese movie with English subtitles plays on the wall, alongside a wooden cabinet and a red kabuki-style mask. Fake pink flowers line the top of the walls, but they feel more decorative than authentic.
Seating is arranged around a central square table that looks like it could double as a chef’s station, with more tables towards the back near the sushi counter, plus additional seating upstairs.
Food
• Agedashi Tofu (V) – £6.95
Soft tofu with a nicely crisp batter and a good dashi sauce.
• Takoyaki – £6.95
Five deep-fried octopus balls with brown sauce. Well cooked, and you could clearly taste the octopus tentacle.
• Katsu Don – £15.95
Breaded pork loin on rice, topped with sweet Japanese omelette. The pork was crispy without being over-battered, and the egg was good, though there was too much rice.
The donburi overall was soft and comforting with a reasonable filling, but the ice cream dessert was average.
Drinks & Service
They offer 0% Asahi beer, and the yuzu tea was quite sweet. Service was attentive, with a 12.5% service charge added. Hiro was particularly helpful, promptly refilling water once drinks were finished.
Ambience & Comfort
The ambience is basic. There were visible stains on the walls, and the seating is very tight — so much so that Hiro had to ask diners to move so she could pass through to refill water and process payment. There’s also a noticeable lingering smell of oil on your clothes after the meal, suggesting inadequate kitchen ventilation.
Overall
Solid food and attentive service, but the cramped layout, tired décor, and ventilation issues detract from the overall experience.
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