The best sushi spots in South Africa

Turning Japanese

Mediocrity abounds when it comes to local sushi and sashimi, but when it's good, it's very, very good. By Andrea Burgener and Jean-Pierre Rossouw.

 

I was one of the few lucky ones. The first time a piece of sushi wandered into my mouth, some 22-odd years ago, I was seated at the sushi bar of the now longgone Ohsho, a fine upstanding restaurant armed with the sort of sushi chefs you're actually scared of. Ohsho and Daruma were Johannesburg's introduction to sushi; a formal introduction, with no sushi merry-go-rounds or California rolls. Very pricey. Very good.

For a few years, sushi heaven reigned. But soon sushi moved from niche luxury treat to extremely trendy mainstream snack, and there was little love or respect in this process. By somewhere in the mid 1990s, anyone armed with a knife and a bucket of wasabi was offering food called sushi and sashimi, and things got ugly.

Dignified cucumber makis found themselves sitting next to parvenu cream-cheese fashion sandwiches; flaccid brown tuna sashimi had to present itself shamefaced to the public, knowing that its real colour - jewel-like glowing crimson - might never be known; rigid, day-old makis even popped up in supermarket fridges. Tragic. Some things just don't lend themselves to dumbing down.

No wonder there are still many who're less than impressed with the stuff . Of course, plenty of diners were initially scared of sushi due to the raw-fish factor, but in fact sushi doesn't refer to fish at all, but to the rice. Though it's true the rice was initially used as part of a fish preserving method, that was centuries ago, and the rice itself soon took centre stage.

The rice is what it's all about: a short-grain rice of which there are many varieties, seasoned with a mix of sugar, Japanese rice vinegar, salt and sometimes kombu seaweed (sushi translates roughly as "it's sour").

Though the ratio of these items may differ, the rice should have a definite and delicious sweet-sour-salt flavour on its own and, as importantly, shouldn't be too sticky, the way much of our local stuff is. It should be almost al dente and, though holding together, shouldn't feel sticky in the mouth. It should come apart once soy or saliva hits it. And sushi should never be served chilled.

As for sashimi, it hardly needs saying that the key issue (though there are others of course) is freshness. This concept, though, has not trickled down to many restaurateurs, who continue to offer some damn dodgy fish as sashimi. If the tuna in the chef's little fridge looks closer to brown than a luminous crimsony blush, walk out with much haste and never return. Ditto if there's even a trace of fishy smell about.

The quality of all the other components, from the nori (seaweed) and soy to wasabi (type of horseradish) and ginger, are all, obviously, important, in ways that could fill a tome.

Wasabi for example, has many grades and forms. Some of the top sushi and sashimi restaurants in Japan (and certain other countries too) don't use wasabi paste, which at its lowest ebb is simply dyed and flavoured mustard; instead they use the fresh root grated. This, according to the initiated, is incomparable.

With all the D-grade sushi and sashimi about us, it can be tricky to find those princes without kissing the many frogs first. Consult our shortlist of top Japanese haunts for a frog-free experience. AB

GAUTENG
YAMATO
198 Oxford Road, Illovo. Tel 011 268
0511/12. Open Tuesday to Sunday, lunch
and dinner. Price: average.

Owner and ever-present hostess Christina Sato has kept this serene and very traditional restaurant (recently moved a few steps up the drag) top notch year after year. A stickler for detail and a fine chef herself, she doesn't even use the Korean-made Kikkoman which virtually all local places splash about; she imports the far pricier and rarer Kikkoman still made in Japan.

The makis are delicately sized, the rice perfect, and the fish for sashimi always impeccably fresh. The Scottish salmon in particular - farmed though it is - is of a much better quality than the stuff you usually stumble upon. There are times when the selection seems a little thin, but as readily available sushi- and sashimigrade fish becomes ever more fraught with issues, this is perhaps unavoidable.

A portion of their remarkably minimalist wakame salad - just a little pile of raggedy green seaweed with a sublime sesame dressing - is the most perfect partner or warm-up to a meal of sushi and sashimi. Wine: Sato is something of a wine buff and her menu offers an interesting range well suited to the menu. Corkage: R50. AB

JAPA EXPRESS SUSHI BAR
Rivonia Village, 9th Avenue, Rivonia. Tel
011 807 3999. Lunch and dinner Monday
to Sunday. Price: average to expensive.

As far as Gauteng Nipponese eating-out goes, Japa is quite simply in a class of its own. And you can see it before you even pick up a chopstick: almost all your fellow diners are Japanese.

The name "Express" might suggest a casual sushi bar, but Japa is quite the opposite: it's a large tranquil space with a subdued, old-school, fine-dining feel, brilliant service, and a full traditional menu which allows you to frame your sushi/ sashimi experience with dishes such as sunomono (vinegared sashimi almost-salad), soba, boxed eel and other delicacies.

Everything is quite perfect. The seaweed on the temakis (hand-rolls) is crack-crisp, the raw fish is luminously fresh, the rice is beautifully flavoured and barely sticking together.

And of course everything is presented so beautifully you want to cry. Wine: The list is almost as extensive as the menu, and Japa regularly hosts wine and food matching evenings. AB

DARUMA AT BICE
Hyde Park Southern Sun Hotel, 1st Road,
Hyde Park. Tel 011 341 8080. Monday to
Sunday lunch and dinner. Price: average.

The original Daruma is no more, but its farflung reincarnations have ensured its ongoing good reputation. The latest Daruma descendant - a sushi bar in a super-slick, half-Japanese, half-Italian hotel restaurant - adheres to the brand's strictures.

Experienced and charming head chef Goda Katsumi was brought out from Japan for the venture. Most local customers, he tells me ruefully, only order California rolls, or anything with tuna and salmon.

While the tuna is certainly lustrous, bright crimson and velvety, it's a pity they're also not going for items such as the fine pickled mackerel or the kanpyo (a soft, malty gourd skin filling hard to describe). The menu could do with a few more traditional dishes from the original Daruma: a perfect Japanese meal is made of an extensive texture and flavour experience, and miso soup and tempura alone don't quite do the trick.

Wine: A good assortment, including both local and Italian offerings, and many bubblies. AB

OTHER JOBURG OPTIONS
WILLOUGHBY'S
Hyde Park Shopping centre. Tel 325 5107.
Monday to Sunday lunch and dinner.
Price: average.

Getting your sushi from a restaurant that's also a fishmonger certainly makes sense. And the sushi and sashimi here are consistently good. Offerings are of the mainstream type, with few Japanese unusuals, but everything is fresh and delicious. AB

TSUYU
Pinelands Shopping Centre, Witkoppen
road, Fourways. Tel 011 467 2340. Lunch
and dinner Tuesday to Sunday. Price:
average.

An intimate casual eatery with charming servers and mostly good sushi (perfectly cooked rice, good quality seaweed). The problem is inconsistency. On a good day it's wonderful, but there are times when the raw fish is decidedly tired. AB

CAPE TOWN
NOBU
One&Only Hotel, V&A Waterfront. Tel
021 431 5111. Dinner nightly. Price: Expensive.

Nobuyuki Matsuhisa now has 22 restaurants around the world, making his famous "Nobu" line one of the most upmarket chains on the planet. Relative ubiquity notwithstanding, the arrival of the first African Nobu irrevocably changed the South African sushi landscape - this is the place to experience it at its best.

Whether you order à la carte or choose a set menu like the omakase ("from the heart") chef's selection, the fish is of the highest grade and the presentation true to the precise aesthetic of Japanese culture - every plate beautiful (no coloured plastic here). A South African omakase menu features only local seafoods, while the other menus showcase local and global delicacies.

But most importantly, head chef Hideki Maeda is a master of the sushi-meshi, the rice - the discernibly individual, firm-to-the-bite grains held together by a delicate magnetism, never bluntly compressed, a mark of the finest.

Wine: Sake is the preferred drink, and the choice is intriguing, from the dry Hokusetsu "devil killer" to the "aged music book" - or choose wine from a carefully selected list gleaned from the hotel's immense cellar. You can of course ask for the maze sommelier to bring his biblical list over. JPR

SAKE HOUSE
17 Old Stanhope Rd, Claremont. 021 674
7600. Lunch Mon-Sat and dinner Mon-
Sun. Price: Inexpensive to average.

Rather stuck away in an unprepossessing corner of Claremont with views of a taxi parking lot, and inhabiting a cavernous room that could pass as a conference facility, Sake House has what it takes to overcome such obstacles (which would certainly slay a lesser restaurant).

Regulars are in tune with the fantastic lunchtime specials that include "lunchbox" or bento-style meals and the reduced-price sushi, and the jazzy soundtrack and urbane service show that the team here are no beginners.

In fact, head chef Eddie is a veteran of the Cape Town sushi scene and this tenure has also resulted in good relationships with local fishermen for absolutely fresh ingredients.

The sushi menu is expansive and often boldly fusion in the modern tradition (lots of American variants and "fried" sushi for those who like their raw cooked). The adventurous chef's palette includes cheeky options like sushi "boerewors" (spicy tuna) and the "Rainbow Nation Platter" with all manner of colourful rolled sushi, or maki.

The technique here is very good and the fish portions are generous, matched to considered presentation. And if you feel like stepping out of Japanese territories, the dim sum is some of the best in town. Wine: A good selection of Sauvignon Blanc makes it clear they know what the punters want with their seafood. No vintages are given, but the prices are extremely reasonable. JPR

OTHER CAPE TOWN
OPTIONS:
BALDUCCI'S ROYAL SUSHI
V&A Waterfront. 021 421 6002. Average
to expensive.

The fishbowl that stands outside Balducci's might not look like a contender, but don't be fooled - this is quality sushi. While the environs don't really make for a lingering meal, the vibe is fun and you are right where the action is - about a metre from the business end of a razor-sharp fish knife. Good wine list too. JPR

HONG
Stadium on Main Centre, Main Rd, Claremont.
021 683 6700. Inexpensive.

Stuck in a curious twilight-zone centre that's the opposite of the high-society Cavendish, Hong is a workaday joint with tables in and out, a TV and soft drink fridge in corner. The menu is vast and packed with unusual combinations in the modern style (though I'm not sure I care for "African Dream" sushi), all at good quality for the very fair prices. Limited wine, but cheap. JPR

MINATO
4 Buiten Str, Cape Town. 021 423 4712.
Average.

Many love this poky, gaudy spot with slow service and a diverse array of posted instructions to the patron about how to negotiate the menu and kitchen ("order all at once, then relax") - and the reason is that the sushi is good and the cuts of fish some of the most generous in town. Wine selection small but some less obvious picks for added interest. JPR

WILLOUGHBY & CO
V&A Waterfront. 021 418 6115. Average.

A perennial favourite, the action is never-ending at this pan-Asian seafood specialist and fishmonger. Sushi quality is consistent but don't expect too much care given to presentation - this is highspeed food.

The winelist was conquered by a single producer not too long ago, which is seldom a good thing: in this case there are many enjoyable options, and usefully pretty much all by the carafe. JPR

DURBAN
DARUMA
The Elangeni Hotel, Snell Parade, Durban
Beachfront. 031 337 0423. Mon-Sat lunch
and dinner, Sun dinner. Price: Average.

For a city at the sea, Durban is hardpressed for sushi options. Fortunately they do have Daruma, and appropriately it's right on the beach - though we all know what this means: a hotel ambience... and Daruma has it in spades, though with

enough of a patina of the 1970s to begin to make incursions into retro-chic (think Sean Connery's Bond and the colour of the rooms in those movies).

Piped cyclical Japanese music, carpets and room dividers are your companions, unless you're there for the displays of teppanyaki derring-do.

The sushi menu is vast and more traditional than most modern spots, even including "Old Fashion Special Sushi" like chirashizushi (scattered rice sushi) that's served in a lacquered box, as well as good-value, set-menu sushi that comes with trimmings like miso soup.

Quality is high across the board - it's one of those times that old-school is the best school. The cutting technique is spot on, the rice is really good, and presentation is perfect and precise, on lovely earthen plates.

Wine: A workable list that's not long on exotic options but rather safe and sound with a reliance on the traditional workhorses of the industry (but with Durban's typically softer prices). JPR

SUSTAINABLE SUSHI AND SASHIMI

Very few of our restaurants are informed about seafood sustainablity, and the top Japanese ones are no exception. It's really up to consumers to apply the pressure:

• Ask your restaurant if it is SASSI compliant, which means it has entered into an
official agreement with the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative never to
stock illegal species (those that cannot handle commercial fishing pressures) and
ideally does not promote threatened species. Compliance also means a commitment
to ensure traceability and knowledge of capture methods. Just because a restaurant
doesn't have certification doesn't mean it is using illegal species or untraceable
sources, but you'll have no way of knowing (and, sometimes, neither will they).
• Urge restaurants to source local, naturally raised trout or sustainably farmed
salmon. Most farmed salmon, which constitutes practically every gram used locally,
is a major environmental hazard. Though some salmon farms are far "greener" than
others, you'll only know what's what if the restaurant is committed to traceability.
• Blue-fin tuna has been officially recognised as under threat. Let the restaurant know
you're not happy supporting it if it is not acting on the issue.
• As with salmon farming, prawn farming causes major environmental damage. The
majority of our restaurant stock is Asian farmed; the remainder usually being local
"wild" but often not sustainably harvested prawns (harvest involves major damage
to the seabed and a high by-catch). Demand sustainably harvested prawns.

For details, check out the SASSI site: www.wwf.org.za/sassi/