By Alan Cooper
As a Piscean, I felt it was high time I tried sushi.
I've tasted the supermarket pre-packed variety before, but never taken the plunge and dined out at a sushi restaurant. Whether you are a devotee of the Japanese delicacies, or, like me, new to this kind of food, Nara Sushi in Southsea is a fantastic place to start.
It opened earlier this year and is already making a name for itself, adding a vibrant new colour to the spectrum of cosmopolitan dining establishments in Albert Road, the quirkily varied community hub that seems to get trendier by the minute.
Step into Nara and you find a bright, modern and stylish interior, the walls lined with Japanese prints and watercolours. There are splashes of colour everywhere, a delight to the eye, and central to it all is the conveyor belt of fresh dishes, each a small work of art, making you want to dive in and try it all.
The menu offers helpful advice on how to order. Dishes on the conveyor belt are on colour-coded plates, corresponding to a price. You can order drinks, then dip straight and pluck whatever takes your fancy from the rainbow of choice before you, all helpfully illustrated and described on the menu.
You could leave it at that, counting up the plates at the end to see what you owe, or you can treat these dishes as appetisers while you browse the menu and choose something more substantial.
Sushi is central to Nara's menu, but it takes it further with a bistro concept and a menu with an almost bewildering choice of dishes. But fear not, proprietor Wenjie Miao and his staff are on hand to offer help and advice to the growing band of eager newbies, who, like me and my son, decide to plunge into uncharted waters.
Wenjie, and his mysteriously-named Japanese sushi chef Mister M, are keen to dispel the great sushi myth that it's all about raw fish. That's just a part of it. Some dishes contain bite-sized morsels of raw fish, but just as many are hot dishes, cooked to perfection in sauces that must be tasted to be believed.
Sushi's origins can be traced back to the 8th century in China when fish which had been salted was wrapped in fermented rice. Known as Nare Zushi, this was a means of preserving fish: The fish was eaten and the rice was thrown away. Eventually this form of preserving fish reached Japan where they not only ate the fish but also the rice. This new dish became very popular in Japan and an important part of Japanese culture.The earliest known reference to sushi appeared early in the 8th century.
From the 17th to the 19th century, regional variations of sushi were developed: Ingredients, such as vegetables and dried, preserved foods and herbs were added in one form or another to impart a local character and these regional variations have been passed down through subsequent generations. During this period, what has become the most common form of sushi in present day restaurants, was introduced. Known as Nigiri-Zushi, it is essentially a small, lozenge-shaped mound of rice covered with a slice of fish. Sushi is arguably the World's first fast food, having been devised by Hanaya Yohei, (1799-1858). It could be eaten almost anywhere, even at the side of the road, using chopsticks or the fingers. Early in the 19th century, mobile food stalls began to proliferate in Japan and soon became the predominant means of buying food. As would be expected this had an effect on eating habits and led, eventually, to the popular, automated sushi restaurants that we know today.
The great thing about conveyor belt sushi is that there is no wait at all for service.
My son and I plucked a small selection of dishes from the conveyor belt (ranging in price from £.1.80 to £5). Our waitress took our orders for main courses, and we decided to try something with a taste of everything.
For this the Teishoku, or bento box, is ideal.
For £14.50, my bento box consisted of a selection that delighted the eyes and the taste buds. I had before me fresh premium tuna, salmon and sweet shrimp sashimi; tempura prawn and vegetable, nara maki; salmon and avocado California Maki; Kapa maki and salmon temaki; chicken teryaki; pickles; small unagi don, and, as if I needed it, miso soup!
Amazing explosions of intense or subtle, fresh flavours, and the chicken teryaki in particular, was a revelation - one of the finest things I have ever tasted.
My son also tried a bento box, but, being slightly wary of the fish, the main feature of his meal was crispy Japanese breaded chicken popcorn with spring rolls.
The tricky thing with sushi, the food being largely bite-sized, and the choice being so varied, is knowing when to stop. Before long we were both replete and delighted to have discovered the enjoyable delights of Nara Sushi, a unique bistro in the heart of Southsea.
Our meal for two, in total, with drinks, came in well under £40, though we had pushed the boat out, and could quite easily eaten for £10 a head.
Wenjie also offers a full takeaway service, with free delivery on orders over £15. Opening times are: Monday to Thursday 12pm to 2.30pm and 5.30pm to 11pm. Friday and Saturday 12pm to 11pm (closed Sunday)
If you know your sushi you will love Nara Sushi Bistro, and if you haven’t tried it, it’s the perfect place to start.
Nara Sushi Bistro
178-180 Albert Road
Southsea
Hampshire
PO4 0JT
Tel. 023 9283 7315
www.narasushi.co.uk