The Travelista

  • Home
  • About
    • Collaborations
    • Press
    • FAQ
    • Contact
  • Travel
    • Destinations by World Map
    • Hotels
    • Airlines
    • Restaurants
    • Itineraries
  • Life
    • Yorkshire
    • Style
  • Motherhood
  • Inspire Me
    • Adventure
    • Beach
    • City
    • Culture
    • Mountain
    • Tropical
  • Shop
    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

The Best Sushi in Leeds at Issho

04/09/18 ᛫ 6 Comments

I first got into sushi when living down in London, where the competition to have ‘the best sushi in town’ is fierce. Because of this, you could stay my standards started pretty high. Ever since moving back up north, I’ve been on a quest to find the best sushi in Leeds, and I’m pretty sure I have found it. I was incredibly excited about the opening of Issho last year, partly as the restaurant group behind it is D&D London. Last weekend I returned to Issho on behalf of Bookatable.com to sample their a la carte menu for the first time. Here’s my a la carte restaurant review of Issho in Leeds’ stylish Victoria Gate.

Issho Restaurant Leeds | Best Sushi in Leeds

Our reservation had been made for 7pm on Friday night and all day I had been fantasising about the (hopefully) delicious sushi that was waiting for me that evening. As I’m currently pregnant, it meant that the raw nigiri and sashimi would be off limits for me, but Issho has some delicious options with cooked seafood too. This means that if you’re pregnant, new to sushi or simply dislike raw seafood, you’ll still be well catered for at Issho.

Issho Restaurant Leeds | Best Sushi in Leeds

After a very smooth welcome by the front-of-house staff, we were shown to our table in the main restaurant area. I loved the stylish decor, statement lighting and open kitchen (which was already bustling with chefs at work). There’s something about seeing an open kitchen in a restaurant that instantly makes me trust it more. We had a great table right by a window (perfect for photographing all the food).

Issho Restaurant Leeds

We kicked off our evening with a couple of drinks from the cocktail menu. I opted for an Elderflower Blossom mocktail and Scott chose an Old Fashioned. Our server was really helpful and offered to suggest cocktails for us based on our favourite spirit. The drinks did take a little while to come, but were great when they arrived.

The Travelista Jess Gibson | Best Sushi in Leeds

We were also pretty hungry, so decided to order some pre-dinner snacks straight away. We always go for steamed and salted edemame beans, and also decided to try the intriguing pea guacamole with asian crackers. Both arrived at our table in good time. The crackers were like artistic, super-thin prawn crackers with black seeds to give an added texture. Dipping them into the pea guac was a delight, and a nice balance of salty, fresh and citrus flavours. There must have been some lime in the guac.

Pea Guacamole | Issho Restaurant Leeds | Best Sushi in Leeds

Edemame Issho Restaurant Leeds | Best Sushi in Leeds

Despite already studying Issho’s a la carte menu online earlier that day, I gave it another perusal as we nibbled on our ‘starters’. Our server came over and offered a bit of advice about the menu, explaining that the dishes were made to be shared in a tapas style, and came out as and when they were ready. I love this style of dining as it means the experience lasts for much longer compared to just having one or two courses.

I was most looking forward to trying the sushi, for which we ordered the Dragon Roll (tiger prawn tempura, avocado and spicy mayo) and the Spider Roll (soft shell crab, wasabi mayo and cucumber). Both rolls were beautifully presented on a long plate which looked like a work of art. Garnished with wasabi and ginger, it was a sushi platter of dreams and could have rivalled any of my favourite London sushi joints. Now for the taste test.

Issho Restaurant Leeds | Best Sushi in Leeds

Issho Restaurant Leeds | Best Sushi in Leeds

Both sushi rolls tasted phenomenal. The rice was the perfect balance between sticky and firm and the fillings were so fresh. It was clear the rolls are made to order. Along with a good dunking of soy sauce, the flavours were exactly what my fussy pregnant taste buds were craving. It’s definitely the best sushi in Leeds I’ve ever had.

Issho Restaurant Leeds | Best Sushi in Leeds

We also ordered the chicken yakitori, which came on two skewers. The meat had been wonderfully glazed and grilled to perfection alongside some spring onion, but the dish was on the small side.

Issho Restaurant Leeds | Yakitori

Issho Restaurant Leeds | Best Sushi in Leeds

Our final dish of choice was the duck leg confit which came with four bao buns, pickled cucumber and spicy sauce (although it was more similar to hoisin sauce). The duck leg is a real visual showstopper and was presented at our table whole, before being expertly shredded by the waitress. The duck pulled apart with ease and the crispy skin looked so appetising. This is a great alternative for anyone who enjoyed peking duck. It’s also likely to be some of the best duck you’ve ever tasted.

Issho Restaurant Leeds | Crispy Duck Bao Buns

We stuffed the fluffy, sweet bao buns full with the shredded duck and spicy sauce, which rounded off the meal incredibly well. Although the duck was fantastic, the stand-out hero of the meal was definitely the sushi and I only wished I had ordered more of it. The meal was rounded off with some fresh mint tea which was served in a beautiful Japanese teapot and ceramic cups. As with the cocktails, the tea took a bit too long to arrive at our table, but overall I would still say the service is very good here.

Issho Restaurant Leeds | Victoria Gate | Sushi Bar

I’m so happy to have a restaurant like Issho right on my doorstep, and now I have sampled some highlights from the a la carte menu, I will definitely be back for more of the best sushi in Leeds.

Fancy trying Issho for yourself? Browse availability and book a table for Issho via bookatable.com

Browse more of my restaurant reviews or check out more of my Yorkshire-based posts

Are you a sushi lover or are you currently searching for the best sushi in Leeds? If you enjoyed this foodie post then please leave a comment below. Jess x

This blog post has been sponsored in collaboration with bookatable.com. As always, all words, opinions and images are my own.

6 Comments

Related Posts

  • On My Mind: Are Influencers & Bloggers Just Becoming Models?
  • My Christmas Challenge with World Duty Free
  • 13 Fearless Female Travel Bloggers to Follow in 2018
« My Cornwall Travel Diary
My Pregnancy Diary: 14-18 Weeks »

Comments

  1. thetravelsofmrsb says

    6th September 2018 at 1:13 pm

    I love sushi! Dragon Rolls are my favourite!

    Reply
    • Jess Gibson says

      7th September 2018 at 8:44 pm

      Me too Laura! I love everything about them. I want to go back for more! x

      Reply
  2. Angie Silver says

    5th September 2018 at 6:51 pm

    Ooh I’ll definitely e visiting next time I’m in Leeds!

    Reply
    • Jess Gibson says

      7th September 2018 at 8:44 pm

      Oh definitely Angie! We can go together 🙂 x

      Reply
  3. jo says

    5th September 2018 at 8:26 am

    I love sushi although I do feel like a seal guzzling fish when I eat sashimi haha. It’s great they had cooked options so you could still enjoy it. California rolls are my fave but the duck looks great.

    http://www.jettravels.co.uk
    jo
    x

    Reply
    • Jess Gibson says

      7th September 2018 at 8:49 pm

      Thanks Jo! I’ve always preferred the Maki rolls to the Sashimi, I know what you mean about the seal! So much rawness haha. Its great when its super fresh though. We loved the Duck too x

      Reply

Spark a conversation! Cancel reply

Jess is an an award-winning travel blogger based in Yorkshire, navigating the world as a new Mum to baby Theo. Blogging about adventures both local and global.

Read More

Booking.com

Subscribe

Never Miss a Post!

Latest Posts

An Indulgent Escape at Columbia Beach Resort, Cyprus

14 of the most Instagrammable places in Leeds

3 Day Itinerary: A Family Friendly Durham Mini Break

Follow on Instagram

Ad Formal night on board Enchanted Princess 💫 Ad Formal night on board Enchanted Princess 💫

It’s tradition that on every Princess cruise there is at least one formal night, where guests get to dress to impress. There are live bands, dancing, indulgent dinners and lots of fun people watching. I loved seeing how much effort everyone made, with their sparkles, sequins, tuxedos and bow ties. 

TIP: So if you’re heading on a cruise be sure to pack at least one fancy outfit to look the part! 

Did you know about this cruising tradition? It’s such a fun excuse to get dressed up. A nice change to my usual uniform of leggings and a jumper 🤣

@princesscruises 
@traverseevents 
#discoverwithprincess 
#enchantedprincess
Ad I’m not like a regular mom, I’m a cool mom Ad I’m not like a regular mom, I’m a cool mom ✌🏼

Yesterday we hopped off the ship at Rotterdam and spent the day in Amsterdam on a shore excursion with a river cruise and 3 hours free time. We also found the best kept secret in Amsterdam, especially for foodies. Head to my stories to see what we got up to ⚓️

If you’re curious about any aspect of cruising leave a question as a comment and i’ll let you know! 💓

@princesscruises 
@traverseevents 
#discoverwithprincess 
#enchantedprincess
Ad On board and ready to roll! I’m cruising on E Ad On board and ready to roll! I’m cruising on Enchanted Princess for the next 5 nights and will be exploring Bruges, Amsterdam and Guernsey. 

Follow my trip on stories and see what I’ve been up to so far. ☺️⚓️

@princesscruises 
@traverseevents 
#DiscoverWithPrincess 
#EnchantedPrincess
Hi guys 👋🏼 I’m so excited to share that th Hi guys 👋🏼 I’m so excited to share that this Sunday I’ll be setting sail with @princesscruises for my second ever cruise.

Some of you may remember I experienced a cruise for the first time back in 2018 with Princess Cruises, embarking on an epic 10 day adventure around Russia and Scandinavia (swipe right for throwback photos). 

This time our 5 day cruise will be departing from Southampton and calling at Rotterdam, Bruges and Guernsey. 3 new entirely destinations for me to explore and share. I’m especially excited to see Rotterdam as it’s my Grandma’s home town and the place of my Dutch roots. 🇳🇱 

We also get a “sea day” which gives us time to enjoy all the luxurious facilities on board our ship, #EnchantedPrincess.

I’ll be travelling with some fabulous fellow content creators including @kirstyleannetravels @charliepauly @laurenacliffe @bonnierakhit @joshuanueva. Be sure to give them all a follow to see the same trip from different perspectives. 

Have you ever thought of doing a cruise or are you already a cruise covert? Hope you can all follow along 🚢 💫

(1st photo from my recent Abu Dhabi trip, taken at @beirutsurmer) 

This upcoming trip is a paid campaign so all posts / stories during the trip will be marked as ad. This post is not part of the campaign.
(Ad - press invite) Me and my boy 💓 I hope ever (Ad - press invite) Me and my boy 💓 I hope everyone had a lovely early May bank holiday. Ours has included an incredible meal at @billsrestaurant in York to try out their brand new menu. Swipe for some serious #foodporn 👉🏼

I took Theo and my parents so we were able to sample lots of different dishes (as well as the kids menu) and we were all so impressed with both the quality of the food and also the service. 

The menu is a very international so you can pretty much eat your eat around the world in three courses (or stick to one type of cuisine). But either way there’s definitely something to appeal to everyone around the table

Here are my recommendations from Bill’s new menu;

Starters
✔️ Cheese and truffle fondue with sour dough bread - hands down the best of the 3! Ridiculously good
✔️ Burrata and chargrilled red peppers - insane creaminess in the Burrata, my Dad loved it
✔️ Crispy calamari with roast garlic and basil aioli - a staple starter for me! You cannot go wrong 
✔️ Bill’s sticky duck salad - so light, fresh and flavoursome 

Mains 
✔️ Bill’s sea bass thali - What I ordered. An Indian feast on one plate with so many elements. Loved it!
✔️ Halloumi shawarma - a strong choice from my Mum, I kept stealing her halloumi 
✔️ Miso salmon and aubergine - My Dad raved about this. I was also tempted to order it

Dessert 
✔️ Chocolate and salted caramel tart 
✔️ Eton colada 

The kids menu was also great at £5.95 for two courses and a side, and lots of great / tasty / healthy options beyond the classic kids menu dishes.

Thanks to the team at York Bill’s for such a great experience ✨

Which of the above dishes sound like a bit of you? 🤤🍽
(Ad - press trip) If you’re in search of a luxur (Ad - press trip) If you’re in search of a luxurious family-friendly hotel / holiday this summer, I have a great recommendation for you.

New on the blog is my review of @columbia_beach_resort, which I visited with my family in March with @jet2pics. Find my full review via the link in my bio. 👆🏼#Jet2Cyprus 

Whilst this was a press trip, I researched and selected the hotel myself, and it didn’t disappoint. A few reasons why I chose Columbia Beach Resort:

🍋 It’s part of @smallluxuryhotels 
🍋 Spectacular beach front location
🍋 Beautiful aesthetics whilst also child-friendly
🍋 30 minute transfer from Paphos airport
🍋 Excellent Trip Advisor reviews on food and service
🍋 Kids clubs for babies to age 3 and ages 4-12 (free for 4-12)
🍋 Small play area and shallow children’s pool 

This holiday was part of an Indulgent Escapes package with Jet2Holidays, which come with lots of additional benefits such as:

🌥25kg baggage allowance per person
🌥 Private transfers to and from your hotel
🌥 Priority lane passes through security
🌥 A round of complimentary drinks on board your Jet2 flight (including beer and wine)
🌥 A luxurious gift on arrival at the airport (ours was a beautiful leather travel wallet)

All of these little extras really added up to make our journey so much easier and more enjoyable, especially the priority lane pass at @leeds_bradford_airport and the private transfers on arrival. The driver even had a toddler car seat so we didn’t need to worry about bringing one along with us. I was so impressed.

Hope this review comes in handy for some of you! Check out the blog post and feel free to ask any further questions about this hotel in the comments ☀️

Subscribe

Never miss a post! Subscribe for Travelista updates and newsletters

Latest Video

  • 3847likes
  • 19680followers
  • 10040followers
  • 2030subscribers

Copyright © 2022 · Design by Gatto

Copyright © 2022 · The Travelista on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

  • Privacy Policy
  • FAQ
  • Contact