Sticks’n’Sushi opens in Glasgow - Cate Devine reviews new sushi restaurant

I have to confess that before my invitation to visit Glasgow’s new city‑centre sushi restaurant, I am beginning to weary of the East Asian culinary influence that’s been trending across the country for months. But Sticks’n’Sushi, Scotland’s first outlet from the popular Danish‑Japanese restaurant group based in Copenhagen, forces me to confront this niggling aversion with what can only be described as a deep dive into a completely new experience.

If it’s true that we eat first with our eyes, then the owners — half‑Japanese brothers Jen and Kim Rahbek and their brother‑in‑law Thor Andersen — absolutely nail it. The Grade 2 listed building is huge (formerly Jamie’s Italian, later Assaggini),

Sashimi Deluxe

but from the moment we walk in we’re hit by the outstanding minimalist design of the vast Danish‑vibe interior. Subtle colours, high‑end lighting and a highly refined fit‑out are genuinely impressive. On a Friday evening the place is buzzing, but the large number of diners is matched by a full complement of elegant, black‑uniformed, efficient staff.

Slap‑bang in the middle of the restaurant sits a bright open‑plan kitchen where a team of chefs wearing hachimaki bandanas are busy creating made‑to‑order sashimi, nigiri, okazu, korokke, temaki, tataki, katoffi, and a range of salads, ceviches and tempuras.

The head‑spinning detail in every element of each item on offer is, on a first visit, pretty confusing, and choosing what to eat in order to get a true reflection of the menu becomes a challenge. I have the wit to ask our server what she recommends, and the solution is Set for Success — a comprehensive range of beautifully presented flavours and techniques. I can’t quite describe what we eat as dishes; they’re more like individual bites to be consumed separately. They arrive in small batches in a continuous flow as they’re prepared, so we never feel overwhelmed by facing what turns out to be a virtual feast all at once.

We begin with Tempura Shrimp with Miso Aioli topped with red chilli, and broccoli grilled in “supreme” soy sauce. A pretty platter of thinly sliced Beef Fillet Tataki follows, beautifully decorated with miso aioli and finished with artichoke chips, shiitake and truffle ponzu. The additional flavours slightly overshadow the beef for me, but it’s fun trying to roll them up with chopsticks without spilling anything.

Then come thick slices of fresh Salmon Tataki (I’m assured it’s “100% Scottish”), topped with explode‑in‑the‑mouth saki‑tamari marinated trout roe and crunchy daikon radish with miso and citrussy ponzu. This becomes my favourite of everything we sample.

Next is a showcase of intricately designed Sushi Rolls based variously on chicken, salmon and shrimp, with additions like cream cheese, tuna and lumpfish roe or yuzu‑kosho (a bitter fermented yuzu peel paste). These feel less unusual given how widely available sushi now is, but they’re all the more admirable for the sheer expertise of the chefs who create such magnificent, tasty wee beezers with artful precision.

As if that isn’t enough (my one glass of wine is almost finished by this point, though I could easily have chosen from an exotic range of house cocktails), it’s time for the sticks — actually skewers. Served together on one platter, these include three densely flavoured and incredibly decorous staples: tempura shrimp with avocado, kataifi (shredded pastry) and spicy gochujang; Tsukume Chilli, chicken meatballs with teriyaki and chilli dip; and Gyu Katzu, fried beef fillet wrapped in okonomiyaki pancake and topped with tangy Japanese mayonnaise.

Mixed Emotions

At £45 each, our meal is filling and genuinely thrilling — full of visual and taste surprises that impress with their precision and mastery of technique, even if at times the core ingredients feel slightly overworked for me.

Looking around the space from our comfortable corner table, it strikes me that the cool, minimalist Scandi design is the perfect complement to the complexity emerging from that state‑of‑the‑art kitchen. And the numerous fellow diners around us seem to appreciate that too.

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Sticks'n'Sushi -  7 George Square, Glasgow G2 1D - 0141 724 4200

Opening Hours: Saturday 12pm–11pm