Usually when a restaurant first opens, there's a fanfare followed by loads of advertising, a grand opening and lots of PR people wandering around with clipboards. Then when you go in the first few weeks there's more staff than punters, and they all look like they've come straight from Ira Levin's latest novel "Stepford waitresses". Go back a few weeks later, and you normally find that the bevy of beauties who flocked around your table all pearly white smiles and bonhomie, have been replaced by a couple of surly teenagers who really don't want to be there. Suddenly questions which were automatically met with a smile and an "of course" are met with a frown and a "erm I'm not sure, I'd better ask", we've all seen it many times before.
When Sticks n sushi first opened in Wimbers the "Stepfordness" of it all was beyond anything I'd ever seen. So fabulous and numerous were the staff, so wonderful was the food that along with many other cynics I wondered if it was maintainable over a sustained period of time. "It'll never last" we mumbled, as we revisited and asked the waiters various ever more obscure questions about the telephone directory like menu. They kept doing it though, they kept being smiley and knowledgeable while the food kept on being superb. I don't even like sushi particularly, but this place has something for everyone and everytime I've been I've been massively impressed.
Anyway a revisit, and it was a tricky one for them as it was on New Years day.....
Firstly the booking, I did it via Twitter which isn't the normal way. I was handled by Vickie, and it was done superbly well. When we got there, once we'd got past the "Shamasee!" or "Kaiser Sose!" or "Sensimillion!" or whatever it is that they holler at you when you walk in, we were sat and got surely the most smiley and happy waiter in the universe. Not only that, but he seemingly knew everything about everything on the menu. As I was on a serious detox after a ridiculously heavy NYE party (when will I learn I'm not 18 any more?) I had one of those juice things they do (as did the kids and Sarah). Mine was orange coloured and tasted like it had carrots, lime, kale and all that sort of stuff in it (it tasted far better than it sounds to be fair). The fella did explain in detail what was in all of the juices, but much like when you ask someone directions after winding the car window down, I didn't actually pay any attention to what he was saying, more just marvelled at his knowledge.
Like everyone else who comes here we had Ebi bites, a kind of prawn wrapped in rice crispies number which are food from the Gods. The we had some more (you could just have these to be fair, they're unbelievable), and some edamame beans. As far as the beans go we had both the salted and the one with the dressing on. They were/are gorgeous, and I love the dressing. For mains I had a "man food" which is all sorts of different skewers with sauce, and also a side of pork ribs in sesame seeds. Sarah and the kids had rice paper rolls, sushi and stuff. the food was absolutely unbelievably good (as it always is) and the service was fantastic (ditto). We're lucky to have this restaurant in Wimbledon, it is fabulous, every single time, still.
A couple of minor gripes just for balance (my own view only). The emmentaal wrapped in bacon on the man food board shouldn't be on there IMHO, bung some chicken thighs on there instead (I used to love them). The emmentaal is OK but too much cheese! I had the triple dessert thingie (I'm like that), and the "chocolate cake" thing is more like a mousse than a cake (it's still flippin lovely mind!) and it's impossible to eat without spilling the chocolate pearl things over the table (we still ate them obviously). Those are the only faults I can find though, everything else was absolutely first class.
If you haven't been to Sticks n Sushi you should go. It was brilliant when it first opened, it's still brilliant now. 10/10.
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