Sushi with Zushi

I remember a time when there were no Japanese restaurants in my area other than YoSushi in Oxford. I also went to Birmingham to go to the many awesome Japanese restaurants there. Times have changed and now that anime is a lot more mainstream than it was when I was younger, Japanese culture has sneaked into Britain. Zushi is the only Japanese restaurant in Banbury, and I’ve been here so many times that they know my order well. I will take friends and family with me.

If you want an Indian or a Chinese, then you are spoilt for choice with so many restaurants and takeaways. I know two Thai restaurants and they are nice. Some takeaways also do Japanese food included in their takeaway dishes, but Zushi has a more diverse menu. Through if you want fresh sushi in the Banbury area, Zushi is the best (and only) way to go.

Zushi has been open for a couple of years now, and I think it’s been a wonderful addition to the town. I think it’s really refreshing because at one point Parson’s Street had 3 Indian restaurants. I really like Parson’s street in Banbury because it has a good mixture of lovely bars and local businesses and restaurants and I think it represents the lovely diversity that Banbury has.

I really like coming here at lunchtime when they have the special bento boxes. What I like about them is that I think they are good on a budget and also nice if you want to try something different. The teriyaki salmon bento is one of the most delicious things I ever had in my life. The sushi platter and yasai (vegetable) bento boxes are also great.

Zushi’s dishes remind me of why I love Japanese food so much. They’re versatile, fresh, healthy and comforting. One of my favourite dishes to order is the vegan rolls because they put a lot of avocado in it and I love avocados. Because the food is expensive, I don’t go there much, but I do thin it’s worth the money because I love it and it’s scrummy.

If you’re new to Japanese food I reccomend the Katsu curries and ramen. If you have a sweet tooth the teriyaki dishes are also a great starter. On the menu, they also have Korean specials which I have tried and they are quite nice. To be honest, I like all the dishes they have on the menu and it’s sometimes hard to pick. Though the people that I do go with always pick the same thing when they go.

I miss dining in there. I’ve had takeaways there, but I don’t think its quite the same, even though the food was fantastic. I like their miso soup and always order it with my meal. I’ve had miso soup in other places and also supermarket ones, and found they were too sour or bitter for my liking. The miso soup here tastes like the miso soup from Japan.

As a lover of green tea, I also like how they refilled my cup once in a while. I love how the table is set up how it would be set up in a restaurant in Japan. I love the ceramic dishes and the choice of chopsticks or regular cutlery.

Zushi is sadly one of the millions of businesses that suffered during the pandemic. When I was active on Ciao, I wrote a very positive review of the place. I no longer have that review saved on my laptop and Ciao is now closed, but my feelings about this place remains the same.

I can’t wait for lockdown to be well and truly over. It’s been an awful time for so many people, but at the time it’s given me some blessings and made me realise all the things I love. I was really worried that this place would close, but I’m so glad that it managed to stay open with takeaways. Can’t wait to bring my friends and we can try each other’s sushi, tempura and ramen again.