Last week I was excited to attend the launch party of the newest Sushi place in town, Itsu. I had seen the chain in London and I love all their colourful packaging and ‘eat beautiful’ vibe, so I knew Itsu would be right up my street. Myself and lovely bloggers Carrie, Nat, Laura and Rosie were swept down the red carpet for VIP treatment with all you can eat sushi and as much as you can drink champagne at the brand new shiny restaurant in the center of town (if you are from Brighton it’s right by the clock tower, where Bench used to be). The Itsu chain is owned by Julian Metcalfe, the founder of Pret A Manger and Melcalfes popcorn, however this is the first Itsu of the chain to open in Sussex.
Itsu offer a real mix of Asian inspired cuisine, on first impressions it’s more of a lunchtime venue, with colorful fridges packed with boxed sushi, fresh salads and cold drinks, however they do also serve warm dishes such as hot soups, noodles and potsu. There is something for everyone and you could really visit at any time of the day! At around £4-5 for a large sushi/salad box or just a couple of pounds for the lighter snacks its reasonably priced too.
For my main course I opted for the miso marinated poached salmon, boiled egg, furikake and Itsu ‘no lettuce’ salad, plus we shared a few side dishes on the table. I loved the edemame beans, they were seasoned with just the right amount of salt and course I had to try some ‘proper’ sushi too, so I tried the veggie club maki rolls, a classic sushi of avocado, carrot, green beans and kombu. I was amazed at how fresh everything was, all food is prepared the same day on site and you can really tell. Its also packed full of flavour, the fusion of tastes and flavours was incredible.
Of course having a incredibly sweet tooth I also had to check out the sweeter treats on offer and I wasn’t disappointed. The main sweet treat is their fro-go (frozen yogurt) – it’s fat free and comes either ‘naked’, or with a sprinkle of nuts and seeds or topped with fresh strawberries. I opted for strawberries which were delicious, as a combo it’s light, not too sugary, the perfect guilt free snack which tastes as good as full fat ice cream! Snackwise they also sell Metcalfes popcorn and chocolate covered rice cakes, which are yummier than they sound – not totally guilt free but a great way to get a chocolate fix without being too naughty!
I really loved Itsu and have already been back (twice) since the launch party. Its not just your average lunch spot, it’s a place for something a bit fresher, tastier and more interesting at a reasonable price too!
If you are I’m Brighton, definitely check out the new restaurant, you won’t be disappointed – I can already feel an addiction coming on! A big thanks to Itsu for having us at the launch – see you again soon, I’m sure!
Really appreciate. Thanks for sharing information about fresh sushi.