Our party was a mixture of novice and intermediate Japanese diners. The restaurant was about half full and though we were ushered to a table quickly enough, we were beginning to wither before we were offered any service. The proprietor seemed frantic and impatient at our request for assistance. Amongst the confusion, choice was fairly limited. There was a wide variety of sushi, but cooked meals weren't generally available. After too many ignorant questions and a reminder that the establishment served only 'pure' Japanese food, our waiter disappeared again and we were left feeling like we didn't deserve any more than a kebab.

Left to our menus and our own devices, feeling still parched and still confused, we made some decisions and looked on to watch the proprietor and sole waiter shout orders at the cooks, in a flurry of erratic intensity. It was daunting getting his attention again and we rushed through our order as an air of condescension hung over our table. On a limited budget, I ordered some miso soup (£2.00) and a plate of sashimi (£12.95) and hoped that this would provide sustenance. My friends ordered tempura (£7.00 each), and a bottle of Asahi was £5.00. Green tea was only available by the cup.

Our meals arrived at sporadic intervals and my sashimi was deposited before me with such speed that I didn't have a chance to ask for any wasabi. I gave our host a big smile across the room and waved for him as he scurried past. He held out his hand to me, said "five minutes" and went on to serve another table, leaving me feeling slightly affronted. As he passed again I asked for wasabi in as short and loud a sentence as I could, already feeling a little hot, certainly not because of the food.

Our meals were small but delicious and though we could have ordered more food and drinks, we weren't really up to trying to get any more service. We sat chatting, hoping for a chance to ask for the bill. Our chance never came and inevitably we decided to make our intention clear by waiting by the till. The proprietor swanned past us a couple of times, ignoring our presence, before I asked him for the bill. He told me to go and sit down and wait for it. I remained standing and was asked not to get in the way. Eventually we paid and left.

If you love your sushi and don't mind some attitude along the way, then Gashi Gashi is for you. The seating is traditionally cramped, choice of food limited but expertly prepared, the bathroom neglected and somewhat of an afterthought, the service unnecessarily tense, but the place certainly offers character. With the employment of some personable waiting staff, Gashi Gashi could become less harrowing and more of an enjoyable dining experience - just as the sign on the window, advertising for staff, attests.

Jason Nixon