Tucked away behind the Barclays Bank on Oxford Street, it is fairly easy to miss this sushi gem. For those who danced the night away to funk, hip hop and garage, 3121 is above the old Tantra night club in Osu.
Now that directions have been taken care of, I’ll start to rave. Ok fine I won’t be selfish and give you scanty directions. If you need directions call… (Sorry 3121 doesn’t have a telephone number under information on their facebook page and their website doesn’t open up). Obviously, they don’t want you to find them easily. Their only crime (and a huge one at that) is making it very hard for the exploring sushi lover to find the restaurant or communicate with the restaurant. I would suggest a sign on Oxford Street and a telephone number on the facebook page. That said…
Once you finally make it to the restaurant after 6pm, (yes – no chance of sushi for lunch), you will absolutely fall in love with the modern décor and images on the wall. As an avid supporter of simplicity, I absolutely fell in love with the modern décor and geisha images on the walls. My friends watched as I gushed over the shiny marble tables and plopped on to the comfy white seats. I do confess my love for the tables was born from a horrid experience at lunchtime where the table wobbled from side to side due to a short leg (a tale for another day). My first impression of 3121 was simple thought – a touch of class.
Once our fairly large and obstreperous group of 6 excited ladies had settled in and was ready to grub, an extremely nice and patient waiter began to explain the menu and go through the various options. Prices are a tad bit on the high side, but then again, they have only one other competitor. For the sushi newbies, 3121 has cooked options. Personally, I find that cooked sushi takes away from the novelty of sushi (sushi snob ?) Although it did take 35 minutes for our sushi platters to come out, it was time well spent. The rolls came out perfect, and placed so pretty on the plate, that I was tempted to stare for a few more minutes to allow my taste buds imagine the goodness they were about to enjoy. Obviously, my taste buds are stronger than I thought. After a minute, I watched my hands reach forward and listened to Bertha (my inner foodie) scream Sushi…sushi. I am not sure if the words have been written to describe the elation and warmth that spread through me with each bit I took.
All too soon, the experience was over…but Operation Sushi Once a Week had been born, as I type this review, I know where I’ll be tonight. No matter whether you are a lover or a newbie, 3121 is an experience of gastronomic consciousness.