Craig Ferriman wanted something a bit special; Nozomi delivered.

I decided I needed a little panache in my takeaways, so I was thrilled when Nozomi delivered a consignment of their best cuisine recently. It lifted the lockdown blues and pleased my palate no end. I started by getting my chopsticks stuck into the raw sushi and sashimi platter and was delighted by the quality and freshness of the fish – most important if you are going to eat it raw.

An assortment of 15 mixed pieces of the best seafood cuts was presented on a platter proudly entitled the Nozomi Collection and, for me, the highlights were the Salmon and Eel Nigiri and the Tuna Sashimi. There were also appetisers in the box.

Who doesn’t love some spicy edamame? And spicy it sure was with a large bowl of the popular Japanese snack served warm in dashi stock, miso, tofu, spring onion and wakame. The accompanying Beetroot Carpaccio was a rather unique pleasure and extremely fresh and well cured. Possibly my favourite item was the Arabian Gulf Prawn Tempura Maki which is definitely worthy of sharing by virtue of its generous portion size. It was spicy and I couldn’t get enough.

Each piece is coated in tempura and glazed with a sweet soy sauce and spicy mayonnaise, offering different flavour pops as you bite into the crispy exterior. Something new to me was the Nikuman. When I looked at it in the container, I thought it could be a dessert. But on the contrary, Nikuman is the Japanese name for the Chinese baozi, made from flour dough and filled with cooked ground meat. These were steamed buns filled with sweet marinated Waygu beef.

It was both filling and something a little different that I shall note for when things open up again. Shellfish fans should enjoy the Spider Roll which is a fantastic treat. The soft-shell crab is deep fried and paired with cucumber and avocado rolled with tobiko (fish roe) and chilli mayonnaise. The texture of the avocado and mayo give a deceptively smooth initial impression, but it has a slightly sharp and satisfying hit. The black cod was highly commendable. It was neither fried nor grilled but, rather, beautifully baked and served with just a little miso.

I thought it was one of the best things on offer. I enjoyed it with some Mushroom Takikomi-Gohan (mushroom rice). The rice is cooked in a clay pot with small finely-cut Japanese mushrooms and it’s both delicious and very filling. Not all Nozomi’s desserts travel well as some can only truly be served straight after preparation in the restaurant itself.

But I was happy to receive a couple that worked perfectly. I put the chocolate fondant in the oven ever so briefly to lightly warm it and that helped to get that gorgeously gooey melting of the chocolate when I tapped the spoon in, I hardly needed the side cream that was provided. The pistachio cheesecake was very light and enjoyable also.

All in all, a satisfying at-home dining experience. Nozomi is doing a special Ramadan offer where they will deliver a whole set menu to your door in time for Iftar, but they are also offering deliveries for those who want to order any items from the à la carte menu throughout the latest phase of lockdown restrictions. ✤

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