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Tenshi Sushi

It feels like a lifetime ago that I worked in a clothing shop in Kensington, where one of my favourite lunch spots was the Take Ten Café. Sadly, the little Chinese café is now gone, but I can’t complain. The new occupant, Tenshi, features a stellar sushi menu in a nicely renovated space.

On a recent visit, my boyfriend and I sampled a few of Tenshi’s awesome appetizers. My favourite was the Tenshi spicy ebi ($8.95). Nestled in a bowl comprised of crispy fish cake, the dish featured tempura shrimp and mango in a creamy chili sauce. Along with the crunch of the edible bowl, the dish had a nice heat that balanced wonderfully with the sweet mango. Our second starter was the unique sushi pizza ($10.95). Incorporating a deep-fried sushi rice “crust,” topped with salmon, scallop, tobiko and avocado, the pizza was drizzled with teriyaki sauce and miso mayo. It was another fine example of sweet-meets-spicy.

Moving on to rolls, we sampled the incredible bakudan ($5). Don’t miss this combination of fresh tuna, tempura crumbs and chili sauce — a lovely take on the spicy tuna roll. The tiger roll was also notable, with avocado and cucumber topped with steamed prawns ($8.50).

Craving a little more mango, we sampled the mango tango roll ($8.50). The roll had a fresh array of flavours, featuring mango, avocado and tempura shrimp. Our last roll was the spicy tako ($4.50) — straightforward, with fresh chili sauce-spiked octopus. The roll was simple but unique — octopus isn’t an ingredient you often see featured in a roll, and I loved the variation.

For dessert, we had the tempura banana with strawberry ice cream ($4.95). The deep-fried banana was tasty —appropriately sweet and nicely prepared.

Tenshi is a great addition to the Kensington dining scene. The space is small but intimate, with room for about 22 guests. It does fill up fast, so try to head down early on busier nights to avoid a long wait.