HAVING being branded “uncultured” and “typically northern” by friends and colleagues for never having tried sushi, I decided it was about time I took the plunge.

My girlfriend recommended Yen Sushi in Bath, having been there several times and rating it highly, so one evening we decided to stop off.

I almost walked past the entrance as it’s that inconspicuous from the outside, but inside it has the usual Japanese decor I’d expected to find and also a nice, warm welcoming feel.

We were shown to our table by the friendly and smiling waitress, just to the side of a conveyor belt which had all manner of foreign objects on it, but was clearly a popular feature as there wasn’t a single space available around it.

I ordered myself a Coke and Becky a lemonade and I quickly got around to asking what was what on the menu.

We decided to play it safe to start with, ordering a mixed sushi board of tuna, eel and prawn among other varieties of fish.

Apart from making myself look like a bumbling idiot as I struggled to use chopsticks, the food was good, well prepared and filling.

This was soon followed by a number of other dishes including teriyaki chicken, vegetarian gyoza and takoyaki – or octopus balls, as I later found out.

My personal favourite without doubt was the miso soup, which went down such a treat I ordered another bowl, before ending the night with chocolate brownie and almorello cake.

There were certainly elements of my experience I wouldn’t want to repeat – trying octopus was one such low point due to the texture and bland taste – but on the whole my first experience of sushi was not a bad one and Yen Sushi certainly made me consider trying it again.

The total bill came to £41.70 including drinks, a Coke for myself and a lemonade for Becky.

Yen Sushi Bartlett Street, Lower Lansdown, Bath, BA1 2QZ Tel: 01225 333313 No car park Children welcome but no child’s menu Opening times: Mon-Sun noon-3pm, 5.30-10.30pm