Sushi glossary

You can find images of the different types of sushi we sell in the Branch Menu section of the website, but please find below a brief introduction to the different types of sushi and their Japanese names.

All our sushi is made from rice seasoned with sweet rice vinegar to provide a subtle flavour that complements the wide range of toppings available.

Our sushi:

• Nigiri (lit. hand-formed) is a simple, traditional, oblong-shaped sushi, usually using only two ingredients: sushi rice and a slice of fish, omelette or vegetable as a topping.
• Gunkan (lit. warship) is similar to nigiri sushi, but instead of using a slice of fish or vegetable as topping, it uses looser, chopped toppings piled on top of the sushi rice, and secured by a nori seaweed sheet wrap.
• Hosomaki (lit. small or “thin” rolls), our smallest sushi pieces, usually a single slice of the chosen filling is wrapped in rice and nori seaweed sheet. As these rolls are about half the size of nigiri sushi pieces we sell them in packs of two for a consistent serving across our different sushi.
• Futomaki (large or “fat” rolls), rolls with two or more fillings wrapped in rice and nori seaweed sheet. In traditional futomaki the nori seaweed sheet goes on the outside of the rice, but we also sell the popular uramaki (lit. inside-out roll) style, where rice forms the outside of the roll, often coated with sesame seeds, diced chive or brightly coloured fish roe.

Our other rice-based Japanese dishes:

• Onigiri a triangular rice ball with a coating of nori seaweed sheet and savoury fillings. Onigiri are made with white rice, not seasoned sushi rice. They make a great alternative to sandwiches as a food to eat on the go. Our current fillings include tuna & mustard, grilled salmon, sesame seaweed salad and chicken teriyaki.
• Temaki (lit. hand roll) sliced fillings with rice, wrapped in a conical nori seaweed sheet wrap.
• Chirashi (lit. scattered) sometimes known as “scattered sushi” this dish is a rice bowl with various sushi toppings scattered on top. It provides a great way to eat a variety of sushi in one dish rather than as individual pieces. Common toppings include slices of sushi fish, fish roe, sliced vegetables and salad, and Japanese sweet omelette.