Review: This Lostock Hall-based Japanese takeaway delivers a katsuper curry, but the iso is so-so

Iso Sushi's katsu chicken curry with rice, salmon skin iso and seared beef nigiri — Katsu chicken curry with rice, salmon skin iso and seared beef nigiri

Last week I treated my mother Yvonne to a takeaway and a film night for a belated Mother’s Day celebration.

I know that some would say that isn’t much of a treat but she’s happiest when she’s eating something delicious so why fix what ain’t broke? Also, this way we get to enjoy Mother’s Day in our kaftans and slippers without the brutal torture of constrictive constructives underneath, which is essential because no woman can achieve true serenity and happiness when she’s wearing a bra. It’s the reason we’ve already yanked it out of one of our sleeves before both feet make it past the thresholds of our front doors of an evening.

Anyway, we ordered from Iso Sushi, a recently opened takeaway on Leyland Road in Lostock Hall serving Japanese food such as sushi, and fusion offerings like katsu burgers and loaded fries.

It took a fair bit to arrive via Uber Eats, but it was still piping hot so the wait was most likely due to the restaurant rather than the delivery service.

Review: I tried two Church Street takeaways – but only one gets the praise

Yvonne ordered a Katsu Bento with rice at £11.99 and thoroughly enjoyed it. Her verdict was an excited “I’d definitely eat that again.” I hoped she’d at least wait until she got home, because I saw my chihuahua, Tragic Eddie, do that a few years ago after eating an entire, mouldy Gregg’s pasty out of a bin bag. He threw up, ran away from it, cautiously returned and then decided to have a second attempt just in case his stomach had overestimated the danger the first time. A few hours later it became apparent that it was bang on with its first assessment.

I had the same meal as Yvonne but spicier and made with tofu instead of chicken because, like Tragic Eddie, I just don’t learn. In the years between now and the last time I tried tofu my brain had managed to convince me that it was just like paneer instead of just like a mystery organ from an Alien Autopsy. Something to do with mind control I reckon.

Obviously lots of people love a bit of tofu and I can highly recommend the tofu katsu to them, as the panko breadcrumbs that I ate from around it were nice and crunchy, the amount of tofu was generous, and the sauce was packed with the classic warm and fragrant spices that make this iconic Japanese curry so recognisable. To anyone who doesn’t love a bit of tofu I can highly recommend the chicken, or the pumpkin alternative. Or absolutely anything else. Literally, ANYTHING.

Iso Sushi katsu tofu — I washed my hands under a boiling water tap yesterday, but ordering tofu is still the stupidest thing I’ve done this month

I also ordered four seared beef nigiri for £3.39. I’d have gone for tuna nigiri if it had been just me, but Yvonne gets all dramatic around raw tuna so this was a compromise. Although the flavours were good, especially with the add-ons of wasabi, soy sauce and pickled ginger at 50p each, the beef was very chewy so I wouldn’t have it again.

Iso Sushi beef nigiri — The steak nigiri delivers a good jaw workout

Lastly, I ordered a portion of crispy salmon skin and rocket iso for £9.49. It tasted pretty decent. Not too fishy, but I wasn’t too keen on the texture as it wasn’t the crunchy kind of crispy that I expected, but rather more like getting the torn off end of a ketchup sachet in your mouth when you take a bite of a burger. The Japanese mayo on top was a welcome addition and stopped it being too dry.

Yvonne thought they were “alright.” I also gave two of them to Tragic Eddie as a treat for his fifteenth birthday. He ate the fish skin and kicked the rest of it around the house, which was bloody rude but not unexpected.

If I discount my poor menu choices, the food from Iso was decent enough, with the katsu curry sauce being a highlight. The quality of steak on the nigiri was disappointing, but the peppery rocket, sesame seeds and spring onion flavours in the salmon skin iso was a good combination.

It’s worth a revisit for the curry, but maybe next time I’ll give the chicken gyoza and the wagyu bao bun a go.

Have you ever ordered tofu on purpose? Explain what on earth possessed you in the comments.

Read more: All of Karen’s reviews

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