On Monday October 1st, a long-held dream will come true for Sticks’n’Sushi’s three co-founders: the opening of their sixth London restaurant on the iconic Kings Road.

Says founder Kim Rahbek of the forthcoming event:

Ever since my brother Jens, brother-in-law and partner Thor Andersen and I first came up with the idea for Sticks’n’Sushi, we’ve said that one day we would open on the Kings Road.

For us it’s the epitome of everything that’s great about London; from the Swinging Sixties to the present day it’s never gone out of style. So, to be opening here this year really is a dream come true for us.

But more about that later, because first I want to talk about the food at Sticks’n’Sushi.

The food at Sticks’n’Sushi is exceptional. Freshly-made sushi and grilled yakitori, as well as imaginative side dishes and salads and delicious desserts, inviting the diner to mix and match, be adventurous or, if they are in a hurry, pick one of the many menus put together by the ever so helpful and knowledgeable restaurant team.

The menu is presented as a ‘photo album’ featuring images of every dish, grouped into categories to enable guests to order intuitively. Sticks, sushi and sashimi can be ordered a la carte as individual pieces, or as menus. These range in size from Mixed Emotions, a mix of sticks-, nigiri and maki perfect for one, to the Four Meal Drive, an abundance of nigiri and maki that will comfortably satisfy four.

‘Going Greener’ is a core philosophy at Sticks’n’Sushi so vegetarian and vegan dishes, of which there are many, have their own dedicated ‘Green Card’ pages, meaning that guests following a meat-free or plant-based diet can see at a glance the large variety of dishes available.

We got to try a whole array of sushi and yakitori and every bite was like a work of art and absolutely and undeniably delicious. Highlights were the selection of maki, the tuna tartare and the black cod miso and scallop & bacon with miso herb butter sticks. The desserts were also exceptional.

Founded in a Copenhagen basement in 1994 by half-Danish, half-Japanese brothers Jens and Kim Rahbek and Thor Andersen, Sticks’n’Sushi now has restaurants in Denmark, the UK and Germany and there are more planned, but, as Thor Andersen told us at the press night, the Danish group likes to take their time, and are prepared to wait for the perfect spot to become available.

Sticks’n’Sushi Chelsea is in the perfect spot and can accommodate 220 guests over three floors, each floor having a very different and distinct identity. Designed by Copenhagen architects NORM, the interior is a mixture of classic Scandianvian style and Japanese minimalism using different, but complementary, colours, textures and lighting.

The centre of the ground floor is taken up by an open kitchen island with counter seating surrounded by high banquettes and lower table seating, creating a sense of theatre. There is also a small lounge area with comfortable seats where you can sip one of the specially curated cocktails and watch the world on the Kings Road walk by. We can thoroughly recommend all four cocktails we tried – we loved the Nogucho Bellini, a beautiful take on the classic, made with guava and kumquat, the refreshing Asiatini, the rather unusual Our Sour (yes, Amaretto and wasabi do work together in a cocktail) and the show stopping Chimney Sour made with sparkling sake and Suntory Toki whisky.

Upstairs on the first floor there is another bar with counter seating, as well as low, cushion strewn banquettes and tables in lighter colours. There are larger booths and a long communal table, a familiar fixture of Sticks’n’Sushi since its founding in Copenhagen in 1994.

The Kings Room, a 26-seat ‘restaurant-within-a-restaurant’ private dining room in the basement, is a first for the group. It is equipped with its own kitchen, cocktail bar and dedicated team and you can choose a bespoke menu, prepared for you by your own chefs. Watch them at work or close the concertina doors to the kitchen open for complete privacy. Fully-equipped with a TV screen and AV system, the room can be used for presentations and guests can choose their own music. It is even possible by prior arrangement to access the private dining floor via a dedicated lift.

Sticks’n’Sushi also offers its complete menu to takeaway, every order prepared with the same care as when dining in, ready to collect for a restaurant-quality experience at home or in the office.

STICKS’N’SUSHI KINGS ROAD

113-115 Kings Road

London

SW3 4NT

Phone 020 3141 8181

www.sticksnsushi.co.uk

 

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