Ebi Sushi Restaurant, 59 Abbey Street, Derby

It's Lads n Dads night, and now no.1 son is nearly 20, we're no longer forced to endure McDonalds or crap pubs with "family" rooms. It's time to take him to one of Derby's best kept secrets Ebi Sushi Restaurant on Abbey Street. "A Sushi restaurant on Abbey Street!?" I hear you saying. Honestly I was as surprised as you, when I first found out.
Named after owner and master of the knife Ebi, this brightly lit café style venue, was allegedly opened to cater for the increasing amount of homesick employees at Toyota in Burnaston.
Most nights getting a table can be difficult, but tonight wasn't a problem. Two cold glasses of Japanese Asahi beer were ceremonially ordered while I deciphered the menu.
I thought I'd go easy on the lad seeing as it was his first time. Six ornate salmon rolls to kick-off with (£4.00), raw salmon coated in sticky rice, neatly wrapped in dried seaweed, and with just a hint of the powerful wasabi (Japanese horseradish). Three pieces each, so far it's neck and neck. Next it was a large bowl of udon noodles with king prawn tempura (£7.80) to share. The clear, salty miso broth came with plenty of large slippery noodles to chase around the bowl, and topped with two large lightly battered king prawns. One a piece, so it's still neck and neck. I didn't want to hit no.1 with wave after wave of raw fish (most people think that's Japanese food in a nutshell, not at all), subsequently it was a plate of Tontatsu (£6.50), pork fillet thinly sliced, bread crumbed and deep fried, and a plate of sizzling Beef Teriyaki (£11.00), fillet steak marinated in the finger lickin Teriyaki sauce, and brought to the table spitting and sizzling. Our chopsticks clashed like swordsmen as we fought to get the slivers of sweet & savoury fillet Teriyaki into our gobs. Divine. Still neck and neck, this could be going to the wire.
No.1 pipes up "Dad, I thought we were going to have more sushi & try some raw fish?". OK, I'll show him, I order 4 pieces of sushi (£2.00 each). Consequently 2 large pieces of raw salmon and 2 plump raw scallop's turned up, each perched on a neat bundle of sticky sushi rice. They were larger than I'd expected. I darted for a salmon piece, no.1 opted for the scallop. The taste is subtle and the fish is extremely fresh, but the texture can be difficult, especially if you think about it too much. To be honest I struggled. No.1 attacks his second piece, loving it! There's one piece of scallop left, I can't face it. No.1 doesn't need to be asked twice. Drat, he piped me at the post!
A neat ceramic bottle of warm Saki rice wine (£6.40), suitable amuses no.1 and washes away any remaining fish tastes for me.
This is a great place, very authentic, but probably a bit expensive for a Thursday night bit of snap, £61.49 is more Saturday night with the missus price. Worth it though, for lovers of probably the healthiest cuisine on the planet.
Food 7/10
Service 7/10
Venue 4/10
Tel: 01332 265656

"I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so" (Turning Japanese, The Vapours, 1980)

Martin, Thursday, 14th June 2007

Food glorious food........ or is it ?

January 2007
It's a cold damp Wednesday in January, I've just come back from Zizzi pizza in Derby (a chain!) with my mum and sister. My bowl of crab, pea and lemon oil spaghetti wasn't the worst in the world, but I knew it could be better. Why do we always end up at Zizzi or Pizza Express? I've decided, enough is enough !
Why is it that there are more crap places to eat, than good places. Where the hell do you go for dinner in the week that's not Indian, pasta or Chinese & isn't a chain (i.e. not independently owned). Why does most pub-grub fall short? Why is the only noise you hear coming from the kitchen that of a microwave "ping" and not a head chef shouting "service"! On this site we're gona find, with your help, the best places in the Derby area, let's say within a 15 mile radius, to eat, drink and shop for Decent Grub (including Nottingham?).Where do you get a traditional home cooked pub lunch? Where do you go for an impromtu dinner mid-week, that's been cooked, not just re-heated, and under a tenner? Where can I get a decent Gin & Tonic? (plenty of lime and ice, in my opinion) A decent cup of coffee and a perfectly pulled pint? Where can I buy organic & local produce? and where can I eat it? (now there's a challenge!) Where can you enjoy real ale with a hearty plate of localy produced sausages & mash? And where are those potentially Michelin star rated restaurants and chef's working away to create gastronomic perfection (come on there must be a budding Heston out there somewhere) The area does have some good places to eat and drink and there are plenty of people who are trying. But Derby doesn't even have an independent delicatessen anymore, for cryin out loud, Belper does! So let's find the local champions of good food, lets shout for Decent Grub! In fact tell me all your foodie thoughts and experiences from anywhere in the UK, I'm sure you wana tell em and I'd love to hear em.
Hopefully next time you fancy a plate of Decent Derbyshire Grub, you'll know where to look! From sausages to sushi, tell me about every mouthfull, everyplace, everywhere. I want your opinion on my reviews and your ratings out of 10, for food, service & venue. Let's see who gets the nod and who gets the knock? and hopefully together we can create a directory of the best!
.......... All I ask, is that it's Decent Grub!
Hey Ho, let's go ! ("Blitzkreig Bop", Ramones, 1976)
Martin, 9.10 pm, Wednesday 10th January 2007

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL REVIEWS ARE JUST MY OWN PERSONAL OPINIONS AND AS WE ALL KNOW, RESTAURANT QUALITY AND SERVICE CAN CHANGE ON A DAILY BASIS. PLEASE TRY ALL THE ESTABLISHMENTS FOR YOUR SELVES AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. ENJOY.........
MARTIN (decentgrub.com)