SushiDog – Westfield London

“SushiDog?! Cool name!” And that’s precisely how we reacted on seeing a kiosk located in Shepherd’s Bush that’s offering something quite innovative.

Nestled in between Pull&Bear and Bershka on the 1st floor of Westfield London shopping centre, SushiDog is a sushi bar that certainly stands out from the crowd with its vibrant orange logo standing against a sky blue-coloured frame.

And it was cosily set up too, with intimate seating for five at the bar. Otherwise, there’s plenty of seating here, there and thither in the largest shopping centre in Europe!

A closer look at the menu revealed that the SushiDog itself was, in actual fact, a sushi-styled burrito as opposed to something resembling a hot dog, and each filled with a single core option from a choice of either:

• Halal Chicken (Katsu)
• King Prawn (Tempura)
• Chunky (Ahi) Tuna
• Chunky Salmon
• Chunky Cooked Beetroot

This could then be filled further with a range of freshly cut vegetables of your choice (much like ordering a Subway), then squirted with a variety of sauces on offer (important Halal only options detailed below), before all being rolled upon a bed of sticky warm Sushi Rice that’s made from rice wine vinegar before being wrapped in a layer of Nori Seaweed.

But if a “Sushi Roll” isn’t taking your fancy, you can opt for a “Sushi Bowl” that’s made up of the same set of ingredients, except now topped onto a very generous bowl of Brown Rice or Quinoa.

They also have signature options of carefully crafted combinations for those unsure as to what works. We were told these are constantly being refined according to taste, feedback and quality of supply.

More importantly, SushiDog were extremely transparent re the contents of some of their sauces, which, we were shown, contain alcohol as an ingredient. However, while the percentage of alcohol was indeterminable, we decided to observe caution.

• Halal – Soy Sauce, Japanese Mayo, Sriracha Mayo, and Sriracha Sauce.
• Contains alcohol as an ingredient – Sesame Dressing, and Teriyaki Sauce.

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Prawn To Be Wild (bowl) – Prawn Tempura, Avocado, Yuzu Cucumber, Burnt Sweetcorn, Sesame Seeds, Sriracha Mayo and Soy Sauce, £7.95

O’ what a gorgeous bowl of goodness this was! Deeply satisfying in every way, with full of flavours that gave off that umami depth.

The prawn tempura was perfectly crispy and delicious. The warm brown rice on its own was delightful, but mixed with the spicy sauce and creamy avocado and other veggies, turned out to be AN ABSOLUTE MUST TRY!

Beat-it (bowl) – Beetroot, Cucumber, Burnt Sweetcorn, Sesame Salad Mix, Sesame Seeds, Spring Onions, Sriracha Sauce and Soy Sauce, £7.95

This was not as satisfying as the previous bowl. For some reason, and despite that umami depth, it lacked the killer kick needed to give this bowl its own identity.

We felt the cooked beetroot would have benefited from being pickled to achieve this. Still, a perfectly good bowl of rice for all the vegetarians reading this.

Salmon To Love (roll) – Salmon, Cucumber, Edamame Beans, Avocado, Sesame Seeds, Japanese Mayo and Soy Sauce, £6.95

A very satisfying texture. Although the Nori Seaweed was a little tough in being able to tear off easily, the salmon was fresh, soft and flavourful, and the creamy avocado again managing to bring the fillings together with each mouthful. Good stuff!

Ha-Tuna Matata (roll) – Ahi Tuna, Edamame Beans, Burnt Sweetcorn, Cucumber, Spring Onions, Sesame Seeds, Soy Sauce, £6.95

We enjoyed the tuna far more than the salmon, because of its greater depth of aroma and flavour.

But the additional fillings began to feel a tad lackluster and monotonous. We have a theory as to why as explained in our summary below. Suffice it to say, this was a roll that succeeded in delivering those classic sushi-esque flavours. Not bad!

Katsu Way I Like It (roll) – Crispy Chicken Katsu, Avocado, Cucumber, Japanese Pickles, Sesame Seeds, Japanese Mayo and Soy Sauce, £6.95

The chicken katsu was spot on! A lovely, lightly battered and crispy coated pieces of succulent sliced chicken breast. The fact that we enjoyed this nonetheless, is a sign of good quality. The soy provided its own salty seasoning, which enhanced the overall flavours therein; and for the first time, the additional ginger pickle gave it that kick we were searching for.

Our best roll of the three and a definite MUST TRY!