Looking for the perfect place for a lunch date in Soho? I’ve got a great recommendation for you…
It’s a little hidden gem on Old Compton Street and you easily miss it. But fortunately Japanese restaurant, Dozo and I had been following each other on Twitter for a while…
…and they were kind enough to invite me in along with Lauren from The Lifestyle Diaries. 
As I walked in, I was immediately taken with the intimate two storey venue. Though I was a little nervous at seeing the sunken dining table…maybe a mini dress and heels were a mistake? But fortunately upstairs were more normal tables so those wearing inappropriate attire can avoid losing their dignity…The interior isn’t super glam but it’s very likeable and there’s a feeling of authenticity about the place.
The menu is vast but as sushi lovers it wasn’t too hard for us to pick a few favourites and we started off by ordering seared tuna tataki with apple dressing. The dish is always a favourite of mine as I love the tart flavour of the apple paired with the fish. Lauren, who hadn’t tried the combination before also loved it. We were actually celebrating her very exciting news but I won’t spoil her surprise and I’m sure she’ll tell you all about it over on her blog.
Next we dove into a mixed sashimi salad with salmon, tuna and prawn, tobiko and delicious zesty citrus dressing. The dressing was slightly sweet and paired beautifully with the perfectly prepared raw fish.
We selected two different types of sushi rolls to share:
The Ebi tempura rolls contained deep fried prawns and avocado and were topped with mayonnaise. While the prawns and avocado were a perfect pairing, neither of us liked the mayonnaise which I suspect wasn’t homemade. It was easy enough to scrape it off and we definitely still enjoyed the rolls. 
We preferred the other choice, the spider rolls which were filled with soft shell crab, avocado, tobiko and rolled in sesame seeds. I’m a huge fan of soft shell crab and the batter was light and not all greasy. At this point the staff informed us that the kitchen would be closing and they suggested bringing out a few last things to try. 
A mixed sashimi platter on ice is always one of my favourites and we enjoyed the perfect slivers of salmon, tuna and magoro tuna. 
Finally the waiter bought out a selection of skewers prepared on the robata grill. Lauren wasn’t too keen on the enoki mushrooms wrapped in bacon as the meat was a little dry. I loved the succulent chicken which was perfectly cooked and paired well with leeks. The shitake mushroom was a great option for a vegetarian diner and had a delicious slightly sweet flavour.
Lauren and I really enjoyed our lunch at Dozo, if you find yourself in Old Compton Street, don’t miss it – it’s the ideal place for tasty sushi in a casual environment.
Dozo Soho
32 Old Compton Street
Soho
W1D 4TP
020 7434 3219
We were invited to review.
