I first came across Moshi Moshi over a decade ago. A Japanese restaurant run by Caroline Bennett, they’re at the forefront of restaurants supporting sustainable fish. My husband, Jamie Macdonald, has recently co-invested in an artisan fishing trawler with Nick Fisher, who co-wrote the Fish Cook Book with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. One of their first commercial customers is Moshi Moshi. Sadly Caroline wasn’t at the restaurant, when I went for dinner, but she’d briefed her staff to point our group towards the best local fish on the menu. The Cornish crab rolls and a sort of pollock ceviche were highlights..
Farmed or Wild? The biggest threat to fish stocks and fishing communities today is aquaculture. Why? Unlike sheep and cows that are vegetarian, fish eat other fish. Taking sand eels for fish meal from the bottom of the food chain disturbs the eco-system for wild fish trying to find food. The answer is possibly to farm vegetarian fish, such as tilapia, to be made into fish meal to supply aquaculture, but until that happens, Moshi endeavours to use wild fish.
Salmon: Badly managed salmon farms can be detrimental to the environment and ultimately our health. The salmon that Moshi uses is supplied by Loch Duart. Their methods involve leaving sea lochs fallow for one year in three to allow regeneration naturally. The fish food they feed their salmon is certified as coming from sustainable resources. The result? Better tasting, healthier salmon.
Nestled behind and on top of Platform one at Liverpool Street Station, it’s a beautiful looking restaurant, which made me feel I was on a boat – and the staff were super friendly. But I did have one gripe. Why were they using disposable wooden chop sticks? Apparently, this is because customers nick the chop sticks if they provide good quality ones. I think this may be a price they have to pay, for reducing their waste – all part of a good sustainability message.
Thank you for a lovely dinner…
Addendum: 6aug18 article in SeafoodSource ‘The rise of the ethical fish business’ about Caroline Bennett and her company Sole of Discretion. She talks about starting to take fish from ‘No More’ – a fishing boat operating from Weymouth – and part owned by my husband Jamie Macdonald!
