SUSHI Co. in Colchester can’t be blamed for my opinion of sushi after tasting the dish for the first time.

While I lean more towards the pizzas and pastas of Italian Cuisine, Sushi Co. invites anyone who wants an easy and relaxed dining experience with a plentiful menu of Japanese cuisine.

Offering seven different types of sushi, alongside more than 20 side dishes, and ramen and poke bowls, Sushi Co. opened earlier this year and was quickly dubbed ‘one of the trendiest restaurants in Colchester’.

Colchester’s busy high street was quietly banished behind me as I stepped under the warm lighting and the beautiful imitations of baby pink blossoms reaching from the ceiling.

The seating, while not abundant, was comfortable and organised so that the space didn’t feel crowded.

Having never tried sushi, I searched the menu for something familiar and came upon cheese maki: seaweed, rice, and a cream cheese centre.

After asking the waitress for her recommendation, I opted to try the salmon crunch, and then added some chicken fried noodles to my order for fun.

Before long I could hear the mouth-watering sound of sizzling from the kitchen, accompanied by relaxed covers of Pharrell Williams’ Happy and various Dua Lipa hits with smooth trumpets and gentle percussion.

I watched my fellow diners: a mother and daughter taking a break from shopping; a young couple with some sharing platters between them; and a couple celebrating an anniversary. The latter chinked their colourful drinks and dug deeply into their meals.

The sushi plates I’d ordered came with eight rolls each—embarrassingly, I barely made a dent in them.

But I had enough to say the rice in the cheese maki was soft, and the cream nicely complimented the saltiness of the seaweed swathe with an elegant sweep of wasabi on the side.

The salmon crunch was equally tender, accompanied by a touch of avocado, some fried onions, eel sauce, and spicy mayo.

Having tried it, I can't say I'll be having sushi again in a rush after finding it was not to my taste.

However, I suspect for sushi lovers this is the perfect spot to get your fix. 

My chicken fried noodles, however, were a technicolour delight. Streaks of pink onion, green pepper, and orange carrots brought a vibrant flavour to the meal that I couldn’t get enough of.

I can cross off Japanese cuisine from my bucket list and it’s easy to see Sushi Co. offers the perfect dining experience for sushi lovers.