With the arrival of ultra-hip sushi bar Michiko Sushino (from Japanese fashion designer Michiko Koshino, no less) Queen’s Park is well and truly on the up. Gone are the boozers and chicken shops of old; in their place a long line of artisan bakeries and posh estate agents, and this sleek industrial-chic restaurant is the latest player in a decade-long transformation from dodgy to full-on bouji-hipster paradise.
The sushi at Michiko Sushino definitely looks the part. Arranged on green leaves and curvy black plates, things kick off nicely with a delicate sea-bass sashimi, a perfect palate-teaser for the juicy little California rolls that follow, packed tight with rich, buttery crab. Less good was a slightly slimy eel donburi and Michiko Sushino’s speciality prawn scallop roll, the tempura just a touch too crunchy to taste properly fresh.
Still, everything else on the menu was decent, and the service was excellent – plus it’s worth a visit just to drink in all the exposed brick and low lighting. But if you’re expecting the kind of nightlife to match Koshino’s high-end clothes, think again: this joint closes at 9pm. Like Queen’s Park itself these days, Michiko Sushino might be just a little more style than substance.