Temaki, Brixton Market: freshly made finger food at its best

Japanese restaurants in London are often formal, stuffy and expensive. Not so at Temaki in Brixton Market, says Molly Codyre, where the food and vibes are masterfully simple

Delightfully unphotogenic in the best way (Charlie McKay)

Moving to London was always going to be exciting. This has never been more true than when it comes to eating out. The options, the range, the quality: in my opinion, London has it all.

Japanese food, however, has always proven to be a sore spot. Back in New Zealand, sushi is as prolific for a lunchtime meal as a sandwich – if not more so. St Pierre’s (a “fast food” sushi spot) is our iteration of Pret A Manger. Ask any Kiwi (or, at least, any city-dweller) and one of their favourite local restaurants is no doubt a Japanese spot.

England has good Japanese food. However, it comes at a price and a level of formality that feels out of keeping with both the food I know from home and the way in which it is eaten in Japan. You have your Nobus, your Hakkasans, heck you even have Sexy Fish. They all serve good food, but they require a bodycon dress and a credit card I am unlikely to qualify for anytime soon. Something I have missed throughout my time here is a good local Japanese spot. In Temaki, I have found this. It’s just a shame the local area happens to be a significant tube ride from my native northeast London.

Rolls are freshly constructed and handed to you across the bar (Charlie McKay)

I am a terrible Londoner in some respects. I treat crossing the river like a major international trip, and often pretend that I have everything I want on this side of the Thames. Frustratingly, I’m going to have to drop this trait on the no doubt regular trips I will now be making to Brixton Market.

I immediately felt at home in Temaki. The counter-style seating echoed that of the Japanese restaurant close to my family home in Auckland, and the informal vibe was cosy rather than overpowering. This was the first night they were open, and while there were of course a couple of teething issues, most of it made no impact on our evening. (Other than the fact that their toilet door had failed to arrive in time, meaning relieving yourself was a mildly voyeuristic activity. Although, by the time this is published I imagine it will be firmly in place.)

The counter-style seating echoes the style of Japanese restaurants found in New Zealand (Charlie McKay)

Chef Shaulan Steenson spent a lot of time mastering Japanese cooking in Tokyo. Originally moving there to follow a relationship, he found true love in the food. The beginning of Temaki, in fact, reads like an exercise in love stories. The first dish on all their sushi tasting menus – akami tuna – is the roll that sparked the beginnings of the restaurant, convincing AM Dupee to invest in Steenson. The last – BBQ eel – is an ode to Dupee’s childhood. He used to frequent a local Japanese restaurant with his father, where their last plate would always be – you guessed it – BBQ eel.

Everything here is seafood focused, with more unusual ingredients dotted throughout (Charlie McKay)

Everything here is seafood focused, and ingredients that usually find less attention in sushi – such as yuzu kosho – are dotted throughout, offering a kick to the crab roll, or a deeply punchy element of salt to the salmon. Monkfish is used where chicken typically is for karaage, a masterful utilisation of the fish’s meaty texture. Served with a roe-spiked spicy mayo, it makes for a glorious addition to the restaurant’s namesake rolls. Featherlight slices of yellowtail sashimi come dressed in ponzu and shichimi, with a smattering of jalapenos sourced from the neighbouring market stalls which pack a serious punch. The rolls, ranging from tuna to crab and prawn tempura, are finger food at its best, freshly rolled and handed to you across the bar, and delightfully unphotogenic in the best way possible.

Temaki is masterful in its simplicity. Steenson utilised his time in Japan training at institutions Hakkoku and Sushijin to perfect his recipe for uruchimai rice. Using a hangiri and shamoji (a flat-bottomed wooden tub and paddle) alongside a perfectly balanced blend of vinegar, sugar and salt, the finished product has a deep flavour profile and a golden colour thanks to the use of Japanese red vinegar. It sets the foundations for most dishes, offering a flavour-laden base that allows the accompanying seafood to shine.

Japanese food has often received a bad rep for its complexity, its perceived price tag and its association with a certain type of bourgeois lifestyle – a reputation that firmly belongs in the last decade. Shaulan Steenson’s passion for the cuisine is infectious, and pulling up a stool here may become a regular outing. Not just because the food is so reasonably priced – you could easily leave full to the brim for just £30 a head – but also because this is the kind of food you want to eat. Add in a couple of the specially crafted cocktails and you have the kind of restaurant that may have me waving a white flag for the north/south divide.