A new Aussie-inspired quick-service sushi restaurant called Saltwater opens in Berwick Street, Soho, next week from the team behind Milk Beach, offering freshly made handrolls to take away, as well as accommodating up to 50 sit-down guests.
Elliot Milne, its Sydney-born founder, said: “London needs better takeaway sushi and Saltwater is here to deliver it. Too often, sushi is piled into plastic trays and lacks freshness or personality.
“With Saltwater, we want to bring restaurant-quality sushi into a more accessible format, giving guests the freedom to choose from a wide range of freshly made handrolls, nigiri and hot rice bowls. We are extremely happy to have found a site with Shaftesbury Capital on Berwick Street, right in the heart of Soho’s food scene and just a few blocks away from Milk Beach.”
The menu has been put together by chef Shaulan Steenson, who trained under Sato Hiroyuki at Hakkoku omakase in Tokyo and was a member of the opening team at Endo at the Rotunda in west London. He is joined by executive chef Tom Cajone (ex-The Parakeet and Zafferano).
Fish and seafood will be supplied by True World Foods, which also works with restaurants like Nobu and Roka, and is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council and Aquaculture Stewardship Council. Bluefin tuna will come from Balfegó in Spain, and salmon from Scotland, Norway and the Faroe Islands. Meanwhile, short-grain rice is sourced from South Korea’s Hadong region, and takeaways will be served in biodegradable packaging made from seaweed.
Saltwater is said to be inspired by the sushi bars of Sydney and Los Angeles – looser, more casual operations than those in Japan. It is Elliot’s second opening in quick succession after he relaunched the original branch of his all-day cafe Milk Beach in Queen’s Park as a Mediterranean-inspired wine bar and restaurant called Bar Blondie.
