The Open Guide to London: the free London guide - Differences between Version 5 and Version 4 of Wasabi, WC2N 6NJ

• Phone: 020 7807 9992
• Address: 34 Villiers Street, London WC2N 6NJ
• Locale: Strand
• Nearest Tube station: Charing Cross / Embankment
• Website: http://www.wasabi.uk.com/
• Opening hours: Monday--Sunday 11am--8pm

Opened early December 2002, this is a “pick and mix” sushi takeaway — the first of its kind I've ever seen, though no doubt there are others. There are two chill cabinets inside full of individually-wrapped nigiri and gunkanmaki, and wrapped-in-pairs maki. The one on the left is “two things for �1” and the one on the right is “two things for �1.50” (though they move them into a single chiller when the stock runs down in the evening).

There are four potentially-vegetarian sushi choices, three potentially vegan — egg or tofu nigiri, and cucumber or avocado maki. I didn't check whether the nori used was free of fish-based flavourings, though.

This is pretty nice sushi. The rice was good-quality to start with, and well-cooked and seasoned. The nigiri choices I tried (tuna, salmon and tofu) had just the right proportion of rice to topping. I particularly liked the tofu one; the same kind of fried, sweetened, soy-sauced tofu used in inari sushi.

They also do bento boxes from �3.80.

I discovered this place one evening while heading for a pub on the same street without having eaten properly beforehand, and liked it so much I went back for lunch two days later, even though it meant taking about an hour just to go get takeaway (I work in Holborn).