Sven-San

The Verdict

Sven-San in Paddington is the Japanese and Scandinavian fusion we didn’t know we needed. They’re serving contemporary takes on both, and if there’s one thing we can guarantee, it’s that the menu is packed full of delish fusion seafood dishes. 

Owner, Michael Bengtsson brings his Swedish background and years of experience as a chef to the table (get it?), with the goal of dabbling in both Nordic and Asian flavours to bring together the best of both worlds in one restaurant. 

Here, you’ll gorge on dishes like traditional Scandi gravlax and fresh Japanese sashimi, but there’s also bomb combinations to push the boundaries. We’re talking about smashed edamame hummus served on prawn crackers and a lobster Skagen toast, which is a crisp bread topped with prawns, dill, sour cream and fish roe. Just yes. 

By borrowing elements from each cuisine, they’ve come up with some other damn good inventions. That’s where the sushi cake comes in—a big ol’ disc of rice topped with fresh seafood like salmon, tuna, kingfish and prawn. We’re drooling already.

Image credit: Caitlin Hicks