Wasabi Sushi & Bento

Wasabi Sushi & Bento has a branch on the Strand, the main road that runs from Trafalgar Square past the theatres and hotels towards Aldwych, on the southern boundary of Covent Garden. The chain was started by its founder, Mr Kim, who had worked as a chef in Asia and began trading from a stall in Camden Market more than 20 years ago before building a network of restaurants across London and other UK cities.

The company's stated mission has not changed since the stall: to bring full Asian flavour to everyone, quickly and at a fair price. It publishes a sustainable supplier scorecard, sources its salmon exclusively from Global GAP certified farms, works with Sedex on supply-chain transparency and is increasing the share of ingredients bought in the UK and EU.

Sushi and bento on the Strand

The counter splits into cold and hot. Cold cabinets hold pre-packed sushi sets such as the Tokyo Salmon Set of sashimi, nigiri and rolls, while the hot side serves bento boxes, chicken katsu curry, rice bowls and noodle dishes made through the day. Limited editions rotate in, and the Wasabi Rewards app collects points on every purchase. A grocery range of sauces and ingredients is sold for home cooking.

What to expect on a visit

This is a quick Japanese lunch stop with a fast-moving queue, some seating and a strong delivery trade, busiest between noon and 2pm with the office crowd from the Strand and Aldwych. Charing Cross, Embankment and Temple stations are all within a few minutes. It sits alongside the other takeaways in Covent Garden, and SushiDog in Seven Dials is the build-your-own alternative.