With Sushi Raku, the Wagas Group hopes to add a Japanese hotspot to the already proven stable of restaurants in their Anfu Lu stronghold. Here they combine traditional Japanese food—made by pedigreed five-star hotel chefs who, until recently, were running their own restaurant in Hongqiao—with the contemporary, warm style which marks all the other restaurants in the building. The experience isn’t cheap, and you will have to spend at least RMB400 (without drinks) per couple to leave satisfied.

Share a chef recommendation set for variety and then add to it from the menu. There’s a good selection of sushi and sashimi in the RMB400 set. The octopus, salmon and parrot fish all stick out, and the smoked salmon roll combines the fish with lemon, crab, cream cheese, asparagus and mayo with such delicacy that it manages to be refreshing. And while grilled miso cod has become ubiquitous, Sushi Raku’s is worth trying.

To top off your meal, you must indulge and have the spring onion and otoro roll with sesame and fresh grated, off-the-root wasabi (RMB100). The brightness of the spring onion and crunch of sesame coalesces perfecty with the velvety tuna belly. If you need to awaken your palate, the shiso and plum roll (RMB25) is a crazy, jammy, salty, sour, sweet and herbal shock to your senses while the sea eel sushi (RMB25) is a departure from the norm with its filling barely dressed in a sticky, sweet brown glaze that emphasizes the rich, fatty fish. We went back to our set meal to finish with the daily dessert, a ridiculously creamy coffee crème brûlée that we are still thinking about.

The food and atmosphere here are great; you just have to order strategically get the most out of your Maos.

Our rating: 4/5

DETAILS

What: Sushi Raku

Where: 2/F, 195 Anfu Lu 安福路195号2楼

Tel: 5404-4877

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