For a major fan of sushi (that’s me!) an invite to a tasting event at the brand new Wasabi in Cambridge was always going to be met with a resounding and immediate “Yes!”. Even better, there was a plus one option so I was able to take my lovely hubby. And so, on 17th June, Rob and I went to the #WasabiCambridge pre-launch evening.

There were a few concerns raised on social media ahead of the event about the venue’s readiness: a few hours before there was clearly still quite a bit to be done for the official opening the next day.

On arrival it was quickly clear that Cambridge in fact had a two-storey Wasabi and whilst the unfinished downstairs (happily finished in plenty of time for its opening – never doubted it!) housed the new takeaway, the food tasting was upstairs in the spacious seated dining area.

We were greeted with smiles by James Brown, Operations Director, and his team and were offered a glass of bubbly or a soft drink. Guess which I went for! We made our way to a table with some lovely #CambMeetUp blogger friends, so it was a really good social occasion too.

So to the food! The invite told us to “Come Hungry!”, so we did. And thank goodness!

Yummy sushi. I’d never before tried sushi covered in chives, and it was delicious.

Photograph courtesy of Katie Hayes of Mortimer Chadwick Gray (the PR team behind the launch).

I believe this is a crabmeat and cucumber roll wrapped in nori seaweed. So good.

A familiar sight on the tables: empty pots and dishes. Don’t worry, the bubbly was finished too! 😉

They were clearly keen to show a good selection of their fairly extensive menu. We were offered fish and vegetarian sushi, as well as pots of chicken and vegetarian noodles ranging from mild (actually fairly spicy) to spicy (very spicy!).

It was all delicious, clearly fresh and everything was nicely presented and served by knowledgeable staff members who were keen to answer any foodie questions that we had.

The staff worked hard tonight.

Mel Tomsett was a very knowledgeable member of the Wasabi team. She knows her nigiri from her gunkan.

Sadly I didn’t take many photos of the food because, quite simply, I was too busy munching my way through it and it slipped my mind! Oh well. You all know what sushi looks like. 😉

Two friends had never eaten sushi before but took the plunge and loved it. So, if you’re a sushi virgin too and are a little unsure, Wasabi is a good place to try it for the first time. There are lots of other food options so you won’t go hungry and you can choose a couple of the individually wrapped sushi to try.

It was refreshing to see that the prices were actually pretty reasonable. If you want a quick and healthy takeaway lunch, here is a great option. Or, as we did, take a bit more time and enjoy the airy and gorgeously decorated dining area for a sit-down meal.

Photograph courtesy of Alice Toby-Brant of http://www.themiddlesister.co.uk/ One of my gorgeous blogger friends.

One wall was entirely decorated in this vibrant, luminous green.

The decor was modern and very cool.

A refreshing but slightly odd soft drink. It contains actual pieces of aloe vera.

I was impressed by the food and I’m now not sure whether I prefer Wasabi or Yo Sushi. (They’re located around 100m from each other in the heart of Cambridge’s city centre.) I think we would need to go back a few times, just to try it out again, you know, to make an informed decision. 🙂

Wasabi’s generosity extended to a goody bag with a £10 voucher, so I have the perfect excuse for further research!

Bye for now!