Gonbei, WC1X 9BN
- (020) 7278 0619
- 151 King's Cross Road (map of this place)
- WC1X 9BN
- Evenings only (from 6pm), closed Sundays
Unfortunately Gonbei is now closed down.
This is the place to go for good sushi. It just is. There's not much I can say about the other things we ordered, because I was very happy with the sushi. The rice was absolutely perfect; I wouldn't have minded a teeny bit more rice-to-fish in the nigiri, but that's a very minor niggle. They have things you might not get at other sushi places, like raw king prawns (not the teeny little worm-like ones, but real huge ones). And I had uni. It was too rich for me, but at least I have now had uni.
We sat at the sushi bar in the front, which has seating for seven or eight. (We'd booked a table, but they got our booking confused with someone else's.) This was good, because it meant the three of us sat round the side could watch the chef.
Sample prices: It's been known for people to spend around a hundred quid a head here. We paid £40 a head and considered that we'd got off cheaply. We did have quite a lot of stuff though. "Sushi B" — 8 sushi with rolls — looked quite reasonable at £10.50. [Prices as of June 2003]
Gonbei Tips
- If you can, sit at the bar
- Ask Nakao-san (the chef) for his recommendations
- Take your time
- Don't order a set menu
- Take me with you