Published: 18 August, 2011
by MATTHEW LEWIN

SO often we sit glumly in some second-rate joint, myself and my Chief Culinary Adviser, longing to be back at home with some sardines on toast.

But then there are those occasions when we find a place like this, where they serve you exquisite food with terrific smiles and finally present you with a bill that has minimal impact.

Atari-Ya is part of a chain of shops and sushi bars.

The one in Fairfax Road has been open since April last year, and you shouldn’t bother to arrive there without a reservation.

There are a limited number of tables, and most people sit at the bar where you can see the interesting stuff the chefs are up to.

For example, we watched, fascinated, as one of the chefs with a scalpel-sharp sushi knife skilfully shaved the skin from the head of a yellowtail, prior to it being grilled.

I couldn’t find this on the menu, and when I asked he pointed to the specials notice on the wall – written in Japanese.

This is a must for our next visit!

On this occasion we started with a prawn tempura – not, perhaps, the most adventurous ordering, but it’s a useful benchmark for the purpose of comparing different restaurants.

This one was somewhere between good and excellent.

Definitely excellent was the plate of assorted sashimi, including three pieces each of exquisitely marbled salmon, almost translucently crimson tuna, distinctive yellowtail and wondrously delicate scallops.

We also ordered something entirely new to us, a dish called ochazuke, which is basically a bowl of rice in a broth, made out of tea, and topped with a variety of fish and seafood, from prawns and tuna, to salmon roe and yellowtail.

A kind of Japanese bouilllabaise.

Our total bill (with a couple of drinks) came to a painless £41.20 (before service, which is not added to the bill).

It could come to somewhat more if you order things like wagyu beef tataki (£15), but Atari-Ya was excellent value for money.

A great find!

SUMMARY: Excellent sushi bar and restaurant in bright and pleasant surroundings. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday. Expect to spend around £15 or less for two basic courses, a bit more for sashimi. There is a range of set lunches from £12.

Rating: 3 1/2 Stars Out Of 5

ATARI-YA
75 Fairfax Road, NW6 4EE
020 7328 5338
www.atariya.co.uk/shops/swiss_cottage