Tucked away down a little side road in Claremont you’ll find Hamachi. A lovely little place that has taken over from the old Sake House. I never tried Sake House so I cannot say whether this new place is better or not, and my judgement stands purely without comparison.

I really enjoyed Hamachi. It is very well looked after and the décor is simple and quite elegant. It has a bit more of an upmarket feel to than a lot of the other sushi restaurants that dot the area. The room is quite large and you have the choice of sitting at a table or sitting around the conveyor belt. I normally prefer sitting at a table, but because there were just two of us we decided to sit at the conveyor belt and choose our sushi ourselves. We were quite early and the place was quiet so we were getting the sushi as it was made, which is always a good thing.

The sushi itself was delicious; I wouldn’t say it’s the best I’ve had, but certainly better than a lot of places I’ve tried. They had quite a few very different types, which made for a nice change from the normal California rolls and such. The price was good and we went for the R139 all-you-can-eat option. The problem with choosing from the conveyor belt is they keep coming and clearing your plates away so you never really know how much you’ve eaten. I’m sure we ate far more than usual. The buffet option allows for as much sushi as you want with the exception of the sashimi, of which you are only allowed one portion, and the salmon roses, where you are allowed three portions.

I really enjoyed the evening and would definitely go back. I just wish more people knew about it because the place was a bit quiet. Being so tucked away you wouldn’t even know it exists by driving in the area. If they could do a bit more marketing they would be a lot more popular.