Review of Fumi’s Wednesday ‘omakase’ dining menu

Maki rolls and sashimi at Fumi in Brighton

I’ve written about Fumi several times in the past year or so, writes Nick Mosley. Its a Brighton restaurant that keeps pulling me back in because – personally–  I find it one of the best.

Although I do have long standing soft spots for Bincho Yakitori grill in Preston Street, sustainability champions Moshimo opposite Brighton town hall in Bartholomew Square and the ever-reliable and affordable Pompoko across from the Dome on Church Street, for Japanese food in Brighton and Hove right now, I think Fumi is head and shoulders above the competition.

Why do I say that? Firstly, having over the years explored and munched across Japan – and not just the usual bucket list visitor destinations of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto – I think I’ve experienced and enjoyed most of the cuisine that the country to has to offer. From late night Seven Eleven store snacks to Michelin star restaurants via Izakaya pubs, a raw chicken restaurant, department store food halls, home stays and ubiquitous kaitenzushi eateries that would blow your mind as dish after dish rolled before your eyes.

My other thought is that most Japanese restaurants that have established themselves in the UK – and I include Brighton in that – have very much anglicised their offer. The sushi and sashimi is all very easy eating serving up – typically way too cold – salmon, tuna and sea bass with grilled chicken and octopus yakitori skewers and – perhaps – scallop and sea urchin, if you’re lucky. Its all got a bit ‘same-y’.

So my return visit to Fumi last month for their weekly Wednesday omakase supper was somewhat of a revelation as it genuinely took me back to the land of the rising sun in more ways than one.

‘Omakase’ roughly translates in English to ‘respectfully leave an other to decide what is best’. So the head chef will curate a menu based on what’s best in the kitchen that day, and that proved to be an epic feast for all the senses rather than a just another run-of-the-mill set menu.

I was joined by my ever-dependable dining sidekick Little Miss Greedy Guts, who despite her minuscule proportions has a belly like a bucket. That was fortunate as Fumi’s omakase menu is not for the fainthearted. Its certainly not cheap but six hearty courses priced at £80 were undoubtedly astounding value, and head and shoulders above what most premium restaurants of any style in Brighton and wider Sussex are dishing up at the moment.

To start, a hot flask of sake rice wine to share alongside a very elevated miso soup dressed nori seaweed with wild garlic oil. The perfect aperitivo snack and drink combination to open the taste buds.

Wagyu beef wraps at Fumi in Brighton

To follow, seared wagyu beef wraps with a teriyaki sauce, seasonal asparagus, daikon winter radish, refreshing cucumber and a further drizzle of the more-ish wild garlic oil. Although I’m not the biggest fan of beef, this was very much a melt-in-the-mouth cut and I thought the plating with gently placed pea plant leaf brought impressive visual structure to the dish.

Next up seared salmon tataki – a lightly flamed raw dish that took what can be a bit of a boring fish to a new level. I had a similar dish in Toronto in a Michelin-Bib listed restaurant a couple of weeks later and – in retrospect – Fumi’s offering was superior. Accompanied by a selection of dressed futomaki – chilli flaked tuna and mouth-poppingly good herring roe – this would’ve be a meal in itself.

Black cod at Fumi in Brighton

And then things got a little dark for me as I was more than full. Adding to that Little Miss was by now struggling, and that’s a situation I’ve very, very rarely seen.

A plate of seafood and vegetable tempura, that was as light as a cloud; followed by one of Fumi’s signature dishes – Black Cod with rice. I had a bite – and it was utterly delicious – but my tummy was screaming ’no more’. Thankfully Little Miss managed to devour the protein elements at least, as I would’ve been embarrassed to leave this level of cooking.

What’s dinner without a dessert? To be honest, after five courses, this came as a bit of a relief. A perfectly sweet and savoury pear and ginger crisp crumble with lifting seasonal summer fruits alongside a much-need refreshing lychee sorbet.

The dining room at Fumi in Brighton

With its various menus that cover lunch and dinner plus afternoon tea, undoubtedly talented kitchen who genuinely 100% know what their doing with Japanese ingredients and recipes, and a wonderfully knowledgeable and friendly front-of-house team, I genuinely find it difficult to pick a single hole in the offering other than that there was – in my mind and for my constitution – literally too much food to eat.

Fumi’s gorgeous interior design and soaring ceilings are more 5* hotel than English seaside, which is why a little birdie tells me that their next restaurant will be in London alongside The Savoy at 93-95 Strand.

When I return – and that will be very soon – I’ll be ordering from the a la carte menu as I know even though its bloody amazing I’m old and wise enough to recognise I literally cannot squeeze that much great food in my belly. Fumi’s omakase menu isn’t just a gastronomic journey – its a veritable odyssey through the Japanese kitchen.

Fumi, 1 Circus Steet, Brightoon BN2 9QF

01273 064 516 • www.fumi.restaurant