Review of 'Dozo Soho'
When we visit London I tend to always want to have sushi as this is not something that is easy to come by where we now live. So, on our recent visit we were wandering around Soho after a matinee in search of sushi and decided to visit “Dozo”.
The small interior (it has a ground and first floor) has a series of recessed Japanese-style tables on a tatami mat platform running along the left of the restaurant with a small serving area to the right with stairs leading upstairs. So far, so gimmicky.
Early on a Saturday evening the place was reasonably busy and it was nice to see some Japanese people in addition to the tourists. We were shown to a table for four at the front of the restaurant but despite being busy they never sat anyone else beside us. We were given the hefty menu to review which features full page colour pictures of all of the dishes which leads to the size of the menu…But it does make it easier to order for people unfamiliar with the food.
Service was a bit slow as it was so busy but eventually we placed our orders starting with hot (yes you need to tell them) green tea (£3 each) which was nicely accompanied by complimentary miso soup which had more flavour than many I have had in the UK - A good amount of tofu and seasoning throughout.
My first dish arrived fairly quickly, it was “Beef Gyodon” which I wanted to try as we had it so many times in Japan and for which I have fond memories. The dish consists of a bowl of rice topped with thin slices of marrinaded beef in a nice sauce and, well, that is about it. The version here at Dozo had thicker cuts of beef than I would normally like and the sauce was not so plentiful or tasty but it was OK.
On the side I ordered a simple “Sake Oyako Maki Roll Cut” (£8.50 for six pieces) which was basically what many would call a California roll, containing salmon and avocado. This had a good amount of flavour and the fish was very fresh. The provided wasabi paste was, thankfully, not too strong but did add some heat if you wanted it.
I also ordered the ore elaborate “Spider Maki” (£18.80 for eight pieces) which was another maki roll but this one filled with a deep-fried soft shell crab. It tasted quite good though did not have a terribly strong flavour with only the barest minimum of sauce added to the roll. The crab was fresh and crunchy, as it should be, taking quite some time to arrive at the table due to it being prepared fresh.
My companion had the “Curry Tori Don” (£13) which was made with chicken. She wanted katsu curry but the menu was confusing with multiple sections containing the dish but one section was only available during lunch. Initially she had been told there was no katsu (deep fried meat) at all but after some discussion the kitchen agreed to provide chicken katsu for the dish which came with copious amounts of curry and a small mound of rice. The curry was quite good but not the best she has ever had but the katsu was fresh and tender.
At £66.70 (including a 12.50% discretionary service charge) it was fairly pricy for what was, essentially, a light meal. The service was not great but reasonable and polite. The food was presented using beautiful pottery and though a bit noisy, it was a pleasant enough environment. If in the area we may consider visiting again though if you want a lot of sushi it might end up getting quite expensive…
Rating: “Really good but I have some issues”
Review Date: 2025-04-19
Cuisine: Japanese (Sushi)
Address: 32 Old Compton St, London W1D 4TP ENGLAND
Public Transport: 
Leicester Square
Location: London (England) - Soho
Map:
Show in Google Maps Get Directions
Telephone: +44 (0) 2074343219
URL: https://www.dozosushi.co.uk/