No 1 Sushi Bar

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

Bold, brash Tollcross needs bold, brash restaurants and the No 1 Sushi Bar fits the bill perfectly, from the cocky moniker to the steel-blue sign and showy glass façade. Crimson birds of paradise cavort among gold foliage on charcoal walls within; scarlet lanterns, mirrors and calligraphic curtains add to the exuberance. All these distractions rather overshadow the food itself, which is a shame as it deserves attention. In addition to the eponymous sushi (of which nearly 50 kinds are on offer), there's an abundance of other dishes, from wok-fried noodles to teriyaki, rice and crispy tempura. Try the rosy simplicity of tuna sashimi, or the thick udon noodles tangled abundantly in a nourishing clear soup and contrasted with the crisp crunch of fried breaded chicken. There may be the occasional lapse: wildly over-salty edamame, or a yakimono skewer so tough that the wood splinters before the beef relinquishes its hold. But generally this is assured, competent cooking, if perhaps just faintly absent-minded and lacking a little spirit. A relative newcomer, the No 1 Sushi Bar is still settling in; tone down the décor and add a dash of soul to the food and it could yet live up to the promise of its name.

• High point: Genuinely tasty food…
• Low point: …overwhelmed by the surroundings