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A Sticks’n’Sushi Review | High End Places To Eat In Cambridge

Sticks’n’Sushi

Sticks’n’Sushi is somewhere we’ve wandered by a few times but never found ourselves in. The decor, music and service all contribute to a vibe so trendy you question whether you’re really still in Cambridge. With only a few restaurants dotted around the country, Cambridge and Oxford are the only locations situated outside of Londons more affluent postcodes.

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OUR ORDER

Faced with so much choice, we decided to reduce our decision making time drastically by ordering one of their selections.

‘Perfect Day’ is a £68 board filled with plenty of choice, none of them super controversial. We spotted (and avoided) a few brave options including ducks heart. Although we were more than happy with everything included, I particularly fancied the tempura prawns so they kindly (and without any hesitation) agreed to swap out one of the choices.

Although their photo album- yes, this place is too trendy to offer only a menu- showed the selection together on a board, it was actually served in parts. This gave us chance to talk and enjoy the food at a slower pace. I really rate restaurants that want you to enjoy your experience. The waiters hovered but didn’t intrude and the atmosphere was just brilliant, we spent around an hour and a half there and didn’t feel rushed or ignored at any point, a balance which is difficult to achieve.

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Our meal came in three parts, the starter being Kani Karokke: crab croquettes & wasabi caesar, Edamame: beans with salt & lemon and the additional Tempura Prawns.

The second course consisted of the following sushi:

Tataki: salmon, kizami wasabi & ponzu

Nigiri: seared salmon, tuna and avocado with miso aïoli & sesame

Maki: crispy ebi, spicy tuna and rice paper with duck & goma

Lastly came the sticks: asparagus with bacon, salmon with teriyaki and chicken meatballs with teriyaki, all absolutely delicious.

The selection is designed for two large appetites but would comfortably serve three (especially at lunch). We ended up boxing up around 10 pieces to take home and I had to woefully decline dessert.

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THE DRINKS

Although I enjoy a cocktail every so often, I’m not the biggest drinker so tend to opt for mocktails. Although this section was limited in comparison to the rest of their extensive drinks menu, I was still happy with the options. I ordered a Maneki: grapefruit juice, passion fruit, lime & honey all shaken up and J ordered a Amai Mizu: fresh raspberries blended with pineapple juice, lime & agave. Both were delicious.

For want of a better word, mocktails can often feel quite patronising. These were the best I’ve ever had and that’s no exaggeration. Both were sophisticated and served, as they should be, in cocktail glasses. You wouldn’t have been able to tell that they weren’t alcoholic and I think that it’s a nice touch.

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As to be expected with somewhere so nice, you can expect a 12.5% service charge to be added to the bill. The service was good enough to warrant it.