Is there really any difference between organic chicken and non-organic chicken?
MOSHI MOSHI SUSHI: WHAT IS IT?
Tucked away on the first floor of Liverpool Street Station overlooking Platform One, Moshi Moshi is possibly the best sushi restaurant in London.
It’s also one of London’s genuine hidden gems, and you’d be hard pushed to find a more authentic sushi restaurant. Founded in 1994, it was the first conveyor-belt sushi restaurant in the UK. Head chef Hong Sui Li has been at the kitchen’s helm since its started.
What’s more, the restaurant is designed to invoke a sense of calm, making it the perfect place to escape station chaos.
MOSHI MOSHI SUSHI: WHAT TO ORDER?
When it came to creating the menu, founder Caroline Bennett said, “I wanted to satiate my need for a hangover cure; for the clean, clear flavour of the sea, soy sauce and miso soup to cut through the fog.” And that sounds like something Londoners need, right?
The beautifully presented sashimi, tempura, temaki handrolls and teriyaki dishes are must-haves. We also highly recommend the prawn head crispies, which bring nose-to-tail eating to seafood – although we maybe wouldn’t recommend you try this first time on a hangover.
Other signature dishes include agedashi-tofu – deep fried organic tofu, grated ginger & spring onion, and nasudengaku – aubergine with white miso sauce. Japanese fish and chips is also on the menu – this is fried Cornish catch of the day with salt and sansho pepper, diced up so you can eat them with chopsticks.
MOSHI MOSHI SUSHI: HOW SUSTAINABLE IS IT?
Moshi Moshi’s menu is the embodiment of what it means to be a sustainable seafood restaurant. Endangered bluefin tuna has been off the menu here since 1997 when it was listed as a critically endangered species, despite it being a hugely unpopular decision with customers at the time. But trust us, you won’t miss it.
Since 2006, the restaurant has been serving in replacement of unagi freshwater eel, the more sustainable and lesser-used spotted dog fish. The meat has the same density but is less oily than eel. “Everyone loves it,” promises Bennett.
The mackerel is line-caught, the scallops are hand-dived, and the prawns are from a farm where no steroids or antibiotics are used, and they are only harvested once a year. If you’re opting for meat, the beef is from grass-fed cows and the chicken and pork are free-range, natch.
Pick when to go wisely, though. Moshi Moshi must be one of the only restaurants in Liverpool Street to still close on bank holidays, between Christmas and New Year and on weekends.
Who says you can’t have a good work-life balance in hospitality? It’s little wonder most of the team have been there from the 90s and early 00s, which is testament to a working environment that truly values its staff.
Unit 24, Liverpool Street Station, London EC2M 7QH (above platform 1).
