Last Updated on September 3, 2026
Learn sushi from the masters
I was first struck by the stark architecture of Mitsu’s building, nestled behind the Great Eastern Road, Mitsu operates out of the basement floor of hotel, Aethos London Shoreditch. The large taupe building looks as if it has been snapped in half, like a pack of spaghetti, the steel bones of the building jutting out from its feature aspect. How could such a building be built and why? Well, I was subsequently informed that this building had been, in a previous life, home to the Nobu London Shoreditch hotel and restaurant. Suddenly the entire offer made sense, and Mitsu, the new resident sushi restaurant stepping into Nobu’s shoes, was a more understandable prospect.
The vaulted and cavernous, expertly crafted Japanese interiors were similarly intimidating, although no doubt, when the space is filled a convivial location. I arrived at 3 pm as most lunch parties were finishing their desserts in order to try out Mitsu’s newest offering, a sushi course, to learn the secrets of their most popular dishes.
Mitsu has gone viral in recent months for their events live butchering an enormous whole tuna fish, ready to be enjoyed, from the cheeks and fillet all the way to the meat scooped out from between the vertebrae, a popular delicacy. From that macro scale, we were travelling down to the micro, the exact and precise method to prepare a single bite of high-quality seafood and rice.
I have mentioned previously the recent trend of restaurants offering cookery experiences, a few of which I have even attended. As such, possibly unwarranted, I saw myself as a little bit of a dab hand at getting to grips with a cuisine with the instruction of a professional team.
Of course, if I ever had struggled, maybe with attempts to chiffonade some shiso leaves, I would have been able to hide my shameful shredded shiso amongst the cleanly cut counterparts prepared by my fellow attendees. No such luck today, as I was alone in attending this lesson; it was one of their first. Meaning any hopes of hiding my inadequate knife skills next to the handiwork of a more adept compatriot were out of the window. It is worth mentioning that this is not the norm and, in fact, booking requires a minimum of two guests.
The station for the lesson had been neatly prepared, facing into the open kitchen busy with activity despite the post-lunch lull. Generous piles of wafer-thin spring onion, pickled ginger and real wasabi brought a tear to the eye. I met Aaj, the head chef of Mitsu since opening and enjoyed a miso soup served, as it should be, piping hot.
My first lesson was in sashimi and nigiri, the simplest in assembly of all sushi, but not necessarily in preparation. It was a logical starting point, as was a very helpful lesson in the methods that are used to achieve the even and delicate slices of fish across the grain that form the basis of so much of the genre. Many tips and tricks were shared, revealing the secrets that enable such wonders, which I would butcher if I were simply to repeat in black and white here.
The headline ethos is of even pressure and considered use of the knife, which, if done correctly, results in a slice that avoids either an uneven and unwieldy slice or one that disintegrates as it is prepared. A scrupulously sharp yanagi ban sashimi knife is also a great help, of course, and luckily one was on hand.
There was two-week Spanish dry-aged tuna, Scottish salmon belly and Japanese Amberjack, which was tender, light and buttery, with notes of lemon zest. It was all plated on a bamboo leaf on top of 3 twisted nests of julienned daikon, fanned out and artfully plated under expert guidance.
Next came nigiri, which literally means fish on seasoned rice in Japanese. Different fillets are in order for nigiri, specifically the belly side, which is softer and fattier. Mitsu uses koshi higari rice, polished to perfection and seasoned with rice vinegar, salt and sugar.
Again, a specific technique is shared explaining how a svelte oblong of fish and rice can be made with a dab of wasabi and two hands. The morsels were then plated from right to left, as in Japanese writing and angled at 11 o’clock to be at the perfect aspect to be collected by a pair of chopsticks.
Now onto the most recognisable style of sushi in the West, thanks partly to the influence of the large Japanese population on the West Coast of the US: Futomaki, large rolls of rice, fish, and vegetables, wrapped in a toasted seaweed coat. This version was fatty tuna, or toro, and then, on the outside, gained an extra layer in a fine single sheet of daikon. Once the rice had been evenly coated across the sheet and the roll tightly wrapped, I learnt how to square off the roll with a maki su bamboo roller. These rolls were mild and sophisticated, aromatic, wrapped in a crisp radish wimple, keeping them cool and crunchy.
Next, we made spicy tuna temaki, crunchy and spicy and unagi cucumber, tender and smoky, hand rolls. These required both the dexterity of nigiri and the precision of the futomaki, offering a satisfying final hurdle to complete on this sushi-making journey.
I was then left to my own devices, along with a few extras to enjoy the fruits of the sea and of my labour. After completing 7 plates of sushi, a waitress popped over to ask if I had enjoyed my meal, clearly based on the small mountain of empty plates I had.
I also enjoyed some delights prepared in the kitchen: seafood dumplings, siu mai, a Cantonese dim sum classic. These were overflowing with roe and swimming in an aromatic Nikiri soy with mirin aged in kombu
Finally, and I had to access my extra dessert stomach for this one: a black sesame burnt Basque cheesecake. While sometimes desserts flavoured with sesame can fall into a claggy palate-clinging mess, this was light and smoky and perfectly set, with even the most imperceptible wobble in its centre.
Mitsu is offering a premium experience for a premium price, £300 for 2 people. Dining out at a similar-level restaurant may end up costing the same, of course, and I fear they have missed a trick. Give a man some sushi, and he will eat for a day; teach a man how to make sushi, and he will eat for a lifetime.
Sushi Masterclass (£150 pp) and Cocktail Masterclass (£65pp)
10-50 Willow St, London EC2A 4BH
The experience is available Monday to Friday at 3pm, with a minimum of two and maximum of eight guests.
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