Sushi restaurant Sushi2Me comes to Cosham in Portsmouth after its Southsea business proves a hit

Sushi2Me, in High Street, Cosham, has already opened for takeaways and deliveries – and plans to open its restaurant on September 23.

Restaurant co-owner Ruman Kareem opened his first Sushi2Me restaurant in Somers Road, Southsea, in January.

The 43-year-old, who is originally from Bangladesh, said the venue has proved so popular, he is ready to open his second, with co-owner Paul Cox and chef Paul Draper.

Ruman said: ‘We have started a menu different from many other Sushi restaurants.

‘Our menu is quite small compared to the hundreds of alternative dishes that are usually provided in other restaurants, and we're slightly different to other Sushi restaurants, which has our own catch to it. We're unique in what we do and it's what makes us stand out.’

Sushi2Me offers vegetarian and vegan options in its restaurants, as well as locally-sourced beef, chicken and duck, along with fish from North End fishmonger, Matt’s Fisheries - offering dishes such as: sesame speared tuna, marinade in ginger mirin soy sauce, sea bass nigiri, lemon mayonnaise citrus fish eggs, eel nigiri in a teriyaki sauce and mango mochi ice cream.

Formerly known as Flutes Cafe, Ruman saw the vision for his new restaurant at first site, and has spent eight weeks renovating it, refitting the interior, lighting, flooring, tiles and paint, so that it can accommodate 10 tables, with extra room for entertainment nights.

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Ruman, of Havant Road, Drayton, has over 20 years' experience in the restaurant industry, previously running Indian and steak restaurants. He also owns several Indian restaurants in the city, including Indian Quay in Port Solent and Gandhi in North End.

He said that his experience, plus the restaurant’s emphasis on providing excellent customer service and using locally-sourced ingredients, makes for a winning business model.

He said: ‘Since opening our first restaurant in Southsea, we saw a big surge in customers due to our carefully planned business model, which consisted of speed yet high quality food. Serving food in our restaurant which is sourced locally is really important to us and our customers.’

The restaurant also offers takeaway options from delivery firms UberEats, Just Eat and Deliveroo, as well as offering its own delivery service.

Ruman also hopes for further expansion, with venues in Gosport and Ashford hoped to open within six weeks and a Fareham location soon to be added.