This time I went with a close fried and it really developed into an extensive meal that covered all the variety and depth that Matsumi had to offer. We were able to get our favourite seats at the sushi bar and were able to watch the chef preparing our dishes, one after the other. Even though the sushi bar is now equipment with a glass shield due to the pandemic restrictions, we still had an amazing view and enjoyed the experience. Sadly, it limits the opportunity for interaction with the chef, which is something I always loved and enjoyed. In any case, for any sushi aficionado that enjoy watching, the setup at Matsumi can be highly recommended.

The Finest of Matsumi

With our order quickly growing into an opulent and extensive list of à la carte items, we also decided to insert a considerable variety of staters and side dishes, some of which were on the limited specialties menu of the week. We were surprised by an amazing amuse-bouche that kicked off the experience. It was an avocado, sake (salmon) and taco (octopus) ceviche and it was an amazing competition that greatly complemented each other. It was almost sad that we could not order a larger dish of it. We also had two varieties of konomono, which are composed of differently seared, pickled or aged vegetables. These are especially delicious at Matsumi and always a well received surprise. One of my personal favourites is horenso (spinach in sesame dressing), which cannot miss during any of my visits at the restaurant. Another absolute delight is the rare but always amazing ebi shinjo (deep fried shrimp dumplings). The shrimp is packed in tofu skin, which is then deep fried along with some fried lotus root pieces. It is just amazing and comes with an amazing composition of negi (green inions), grinded ginger and a mysterious spicy sauce that delights me even time. If this is on the specialty menu, it is a must have.

Another amazing specialty is a selection of hotategai (scallop) pieces served in some seared miso sauce along with some vegetables and shitake (Japanese forest mushrooms). The dish is served raw on a stove, which is the lid so we could prepare the scallops to our liking. It is an amazing composition and the sauce is key to the experience. The scallops were amazing as always and this combination is easily among my favourite hotategai dishes. The sauce is so nice, that even after finishing the scallops, vegetables and mushrooms, it cannot be wasted and but is an absolute joy on its own. Interestingly, this is only achieved through boiling the dish. When the dish is served, the sauce does not taste good, not even pleasant. But once the scallops are done, it is an absolute delight.

Another set of my favourites followed suit. Sake cava temaki (handroll with grilled salmon skin is just about the most amazing piece of Japanese food I can imagine. Being a long time aficionado of this dish, Matsumi is the only place on the planet where this is not just beyond all others in amazingness, but it consistently impressed even after more than a decade of sampling it regularly. The salmon skin is seared and grilled to the point of perfection and the teriyaki style sauce used in this dish is just over the moon. The sauce on its own would be something to die for and of course a well kept secret, so I cannot even report what it is exactly. Another few delights we had were tamago (egg omelet), uni (sea urchin) gunkan (battleship sushi) and unagi (freshwater eel) nigiri. The sea urchin was excellent and a fresh interlude among the heavy items with teriyaki sauce etc. The unagi (freshwater eel) is also one of my absolute favourite and hard to beat.

Oamakase Style Sashimi at Matsumi

For the main course, we had an amazingly composed plate of an omakase style sashimi selection. It came with shima aji (striped jack), otoro (bluefin fatty tuna belly), chu toro (medium fatty bluefin tuna belly), madai (red seabream), ika (squid) and maguro (bluefin tuna back). The striped jack was a new addition to the menu and something totally unexpected. Visually, it could be easily confused with hamachi (yellowtail), but is was a totally different experience all together. The texture and taste was amazing and quite distinct. The squid is usually also among the best items at Matsumi and should not be missed. The was also a small side dish of seared yuba (tofu skin) with wasabi. It was just the smallest bowl on the side, but it was an amazing surprise. It provided a fresh and acute sensation that was amazingly balanced with the spicy wasabi and a nice complementary element to the sashimi plate.

The selection of different tuna cuts was as amazing as it looked an amazing journey through a variety of tastes that is difficult to attribute to the same fish. Even the subtle differences in texture always amaze me and even though this might be an somewhat obvious observation shared by many, the otoro cut is the absolute most amazing piece of fish. It is amazing to experience again and again how this extreme level of quality is as consistent as night and day at Matsumi and am already fantasising about my next visit.

To round things off, we then had a final selection of some favourites. Paired with another sake cava temaki (handroll with grilled salmon skin), we had another piece of otoro (bluefin fatty tuna belly), madai (red seabream) and unagi (freshwater eel) as nigiri. As a final composition to melt in our mouths, we decided to take a piece of zuke chu toro (seared and flambeed bluefin medium fatty tuna belly) nigiri, which was a culminating finale of the meal. With the extensive breadth of our selection, we had to cut the dessert short and just opted for an umeboshi (salted and seared plum), which was also amazing and just about the perfect contrast to balance of the entire meal.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Matsumi always surprises and even after more than a decade of patronage, I am still mesmerised by its constant delivery of the most outstanding Japanese dining experience. It is truly a one of its kind restaurant and deserved its rank among the best around. As a pillar of traditional Japanese cuisine in an authentic atmosphere in a familiar setting, it is a must for any sushi aficionado and a perfect choice for anyone new and curious. The restaurant provided an encapsulated and unique experience with its wooded interior, open sushi bar and tatami room. For me it is almost like stepping into another world and being on vacation. The menu options are so extensive, it can just be describes with being as complete as it could get. All varieties of fish one could dream of can be found and the taste and quality is absolutely outstanding. Preparation and presentation of the dishes is done with extreme attention to detail and deep pasha for perfection. The drink menu is extensive and features many Japanese spirits and beers to choose from. The service team is friendly, welcoming and most forthcoming. Even on busy nights they take the time to engage in conversation and truly make the experience as amazing as it is. Matsumi is truly amazing and I can recommend it without hesitation to anyone and I cannot wait to get back.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: September 4, 2020

The post Matsumi – Most Exquisite Japanese Dining in Hamburg appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Lunch Experience at Matsumi

As always, the experience at Matsumi was second to none. Even though I haven’t been there for a long time, my girlfriend and I were welcomed with the same friendly and open atmosphere that I came to love. Immediately, we felt at home and enjoyed a short but nice lunch at the sushi bar. Even though the seating limitations due to COVID-19 resulted in fewer seats being available, we were lucky enough to have a nice view over the counter.

Even though during lunch the menu at the sushi bar is limited and not as extensive as during dinner hours, I was able to pick some of my favourite items. The sake cave te maki (grilled salmon skin hand roll) is one of my absolute favourites and it was as amazing as always. Even after trying similar dishes at many restaurants around the globe, I am confident that this is by far best one. In between the hand roll on and the lunch sushi set that I ordered, we also had a kappa (cucumber) maki (roll).

The lunch plate came with sake (salmon), amaebi (sweet shrimp), tako (octopus), hamachi (yellowtail) and aji (mackerel) sashimi. I always enjoy the mackerel and also the octopus was outstanding. There were also some nigiri pieces with suzuki (sea bass), sake (salmon), unagi (freshwater eel) and ebi (shrimp) of which I liked the eel the most. Unagi is also among my favourites and so I was happy that it was available during lunch hours. Also, there were some sake (salmon) maki (rolls) that were nice as well. Behind some decorative greens, there were also 2 pieces of otoro (blueing fatty tuna belly) sashimi, which were an absolute delight to round of the meal. To say it as it was, it was amazing to be back.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Matsumi is truly a one of its kind restaurant and certainly my all time favourite Japanese restaurant. For more than 10 years I have frequented the restaurant regularly and I cannot get enough of it. The unique and authentic atmosphere and wooded interior and tatami room provide an entry way into another world, even if just for a little while. The menu is extensive and covers all varieties of fish one could dream of with highest quality. Everything is prepared with the utmost attention to detail, truly making dining here an amazing experience. The drink menu is extensive and features Japanese beers, wines and spirits and leaves no desire unanswered. The service is friendly, forthcoming and welcoming and makes the experience what it is for me, a homecoming. I can only recommend Matsumi from the bottom of my heart and am happy to see them open again.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: May 29, 2020

The post Matsumi – All Time Sushi Favourites in Hamburg, Germany appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Amazing lunch plates

I went to Matsumi countless times over the years, mostly for dinner but sometimes also for lunch. This time, I had an amazing lunch experience with some really exceptional plates. I started with a aji (mackerel) sashimi plate, which was succeeded by an even more impressive kanpachi (amber jack) sashimi plate. Although I really love aji, I was blown away by the kanpachi. The lunch went on with sashimi plate of chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna), o toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly) and maguro (bluefin tuna back). It was awesome, to say the least. As always the bluefin tuna was of excellent quality, taste and texture and especially the o toro melted in my mouth.

The lunch ended with some aji (mackerel), unagi (freshwater eel) and ika (squid) nigiri and a sake cave te maki (grilled salmon skin handroll), which is one of my absolute favorites. I really love the aji and the unmatched ika at this restaurant. But the most impressive for me is the sake cava te maki and its amazing sauce. For this alone, a visit would be more than justified.

Sushi Guide Verdict

As always Matsumi provided a welcoming and warm atmosphere. Although it can get pretty busy during lunch time, it always feels relaxed. The menu options are extensive, but not all dishes are available for lunch. The food quality and taste was excellent as always and also the drink menu is most accommodating. The service team was friendly and welcoming as usual and made this lunch an exceptionally great experience.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

 

Review date: May 24, 2017

The post Matsumi – Amazing Japanese restaurant in Hamburg appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Sashimi and Nigiri Dinner

This time I went with two friends and we made it a special night. The opulent meal started out with an omakase sashimi plate. It came with hamachi (yellowtail), o toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly), chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly), maguro (bluefin tuna back), ika (squid) and aji (mackerel). I always love the aji sashimi and was blown away by the o toro. So we had another sashimi plate with kanpachi (amber jack), o toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly), sake (salmon), ama ebi (sweet shrimp), maguro (bluefin tuna back), hamachi (yellowtail), aji (mackerel), ika (squid), mirugai (long neck clam) and hotategai (scallop) sashimi. With this second plate we probably covered most of the dishes available this night and all of them were amazing.

For a final course we tried some nigiri. We had maguro (bluefin tuna back), o toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly), chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly), hara toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly), aji (mackerel), mirugai (long neck clam), hamachi (yellowtail) and unagi (freshwater eel). The tuna pieces were an absolute delight and smoothly melted in my mouth. The unagi is also among my favourite fishes and I enjoyed as much as ever. With this fabulous finale, we called it a night.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Matsumi is truly a one of its kind restaurant with a unique and welcoming atmosphere. The authentic interior matches the overall experience and always makes me come back. The menu options are extensive with the most exquisite options to choose from. The food quality and taste was absolutely outstanding as always. The drink menu offers anything one could desire and the service was most forthcoming and friendly.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

 

Review date: July 12, 2013

The post Matsumi – Superior Japanese Restaurant serving guests since 1982 appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Sushi Classics

The dinner started out with some grilled maguro (bluefin tuna back), which was a little dry for my taste. However, the sashimi plate was excellent and a nice mix of maguro (bluefin tuna back), sake (salmon), suzuki (sea bass), aji (mackerel) and tako (octopus). I especially enjoyed the aji, which is one of my favourites. As a last dish, I decided for a unagi (freshwater eel) nigiri plate, which was also excellent.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Akari is a very cozy restaurant with little attention to a thought through interior design. It has a warm atmosphere but could use a makeover either with a more modern or timeless furnishing. The menu options are good but limited compared to other options in Hamburg. The quality and taste of the fish is very good. The drink menu is limited as well, with only few options of beer, wine and sake. The service was nice and friendly but remained distant. Overall it felt a little anonymous and I left soon after finishing the dinner.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

 

Revied date: August 21, 2018

The post Akari – Traditional Japanese Cuisine in Hamburg Uhlenhorst appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Sashimi from 5 different cuts of tuna

Among my many visits to the restaurant, this was certainly a very special day in my life as a sushi aficionado. I had the opportunity to try 5 different varieties of tuna with this small but life changing sashimi plate. It had maguro (bluefin tuna back), o toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly), chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly), hara toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly) and kama toro (bluefin extra fatty tuna cheek). I had toro,  chu toro and o toro many times before but I never tried kama toro before. And even I thought I knew all about how amazing tuna sashimi can be, this day will always be remembered. The texture and test was amazing on a whole different level. It was as if the tuna melted in my mouth. Even today I can still recall every minute of this experience. 

Sushi Guide Verdict

As always, Matsumi provided a warm and welcoming atmosphere that feels totally authentic and real to me. The menu is one of most extensive sushi menu’s I have ever encountered and the fish is always of the highest quality and most amazing taste. This time of course, it was from another universe, but it is always outstanding to say the least. The drink menu is vast and offers a large selection of beers, wine and sakes. The service was lovely as always. The staff is always very friendly, welcoming and makes dining at Matsumi a truly unique experience.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

 

Review date: September 10, 2015

The post Matsumi – Tuna sashimi from another world appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Small bites with huge impact

Over the years I did everything from large dinners with huge sashimi plates to quick bites for lunch. In any configuration, I absolutely enjoyed every meal I ever had at the restaurant. This time I had some tiny startes of which I like the marinated tako (octopus) best. It was followed by ebi shinjo (deep fried shrimp dumplings) which are among my absolute favourite dishes at Matsumi, and some sake (salmon) nigiri. The main highlight was a small tuna sashimi plate that was composed of o toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly) and chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly). As always, the tuna sashimi was breathtaking and an absolute delight. The tuna melted in my mouth and is hard to live without.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Matsumi is truly unique restaurant. The interior design is very authentic and warm with lots of wooden elements that always make me feel at home. The menu is outstanding and offer many delicious options apart from typical sushi dishes. As always the fish was of the highest quality and had amazing taste and texture. The drink menu is extensive and offers anything you could be looking for. Lastly, the service was perfect as ever and I really appreciate all the effort the team is putting into making every visit a remarkable experience.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

 

Review date: August 4, 2017

The post Matsumi – Japanese Cuisine for sushi aficionados appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Lunch at Matsumi

This time I went to my favourite Japanese restaurant in Hamburg only for a quick lunch, but it was still as amazing as any dinner I ever had here. Although menu options are limited at lunch and the sushi bar does not operate at full capacity, the dished on the lunch menu are all outstanding. I had a small but excellent sashimi plate with maguro (bluefin tuna back), sake (salmon), ama ebi (sweet shrimp), ika (squid), hamachi (yellowtail), chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna), akamutsu (seaperch), hotategai (scallop), hokkigai (surf clam) and torigai (cockle clam).

Even though the restaurant was full and very busy, the chef seemed as calm as any other day. The attention to detail in preparation in and decoration of each dish always amazes me. It almost makes me feel as I am presented with piece of art for me to eat.

Sushi Guide Verdict

The atmosphere at Matsumi is warm, friendly and absolutely unique with loots of custom made woods, paper windows and cloth as room separators. The sushi bar is the absolute best spot if one is interested in watching the sushi chefs prepare the dishes and allows exciting insights. The menu is outstanding and vast, although only a subset is available for lunch. The drink menu leaves nothing to be desired and the service it outstanding at any time. Matsumi is truly the Japanese restaurant of choice.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: April 25, 2017

The post Matsumi – The Japanese restaurant of choice appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Sashimi Carpaccio

Sometimes, something extraordinary happens when I visit this restaurant. Already being among my absolute favourites, the sushi chef keeps surprising me with unparalleled dishes with unbelievable attention to detail. This time we were presented with a breathtaking akamutsu (seaperch) carpaccio that topped everything I have ever seen just like that. The slices were so thin, I just looked amazing and tasted even better. The carpaccio was topped some ika (squid) and ama ebi (sweet shrimp) side orders.

After that we went on with an awesome omakase sashimi plate. It came with chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly), ika (squid), ama ebi (sweet shrimp), sake (salmon), hamachi (yellowtail), tako (octopus), hotategai (scallop), akagai (red clam) and mirugai (long neck clam). To say the least, this was an amazing sashimi plate. The texture and taste of the chu toro was exceptional as was the ika. This is almost unfair since everything else also tasted extremely good, fresh and looked so beautiful.

Sushi Guide Verdict

The atmosphere at Matsumi is very unique and feels authentic, warm and ambient. The menu options are almost limitless and offers something for every taste, even for those who never tried sushi or don’t eat any fish. The drink menu it outstanding as well and offers a large variety of Japanese spirits to choose from. As always the staff was friendly, welcoming and warm and made this experience one to be remembered. 

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: April 3, 2013

The post Matsumi in Hamburg – One of the best Japanese restaurants around appeared first on Sushi Guide.

The restaurant’s sushi bar is famous for its incredible selection of fresh sushi and sashimi dishes that amount to almost 50 varieties. Most of the fish is sourced fresh at the local Fish Market in Hamburg while some delicacies such as tuna and yellowtail are flown in regularly to meet the quality standards of the restaurant. The sushi chefs take pride in their focus on tradition and quality, emphasising that every piece of sushi or sashimi is cut from a whole fish and only traditional means are used to prepare the food.

The atmosphere at the restaurant is also very unique and focusses on custom made timber, paper covered windows and room dividers. The restaurants offers a small number of seats at the sushi bar, around 15 tables for small groups and a traditional Japanese Tatami room for large groups which is only available by reservation. In this special room people sit on the floor to dine and are served in the most traditional Japanese fashion. All in all the restaurant feels very authentic and even more unique due to all the love and compassion that went into the little details of its interior, making Matsumi a one of its kind restaurant.

Omakase Sashimi Dinner

There is no sushi restaurant I like more and certainly none I have visited more often than Matsumi. I am always amazed by the quality and taste of everything I have ever tried and I really appreciate all the effort that is put into the dish preparation and decoration. As in most cases, this time I went there with a friend and we had a huge omakase style sashimi plate.

The plate came with kanpachi (amber jack), o toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly), maguro (bluefin tuna back), sake (salmon), hamachi (yellowtail), ika (skuid), chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly), tako (octopus), aji (mackerel), akamutsu (seapearch), ama ebi (sweet shrimp), hotategai (scallop), mirugai (long neck clam) and akagai (red clam). To say the least, this was amazing. Not only had the plate everything one could dream of, the taste of freshness was mind blowing.

Some of my favorites were the ika (squid) and the aji (mackerel) which is different from any mackerel I ever had at any other sushi restaurant. Of course the bluefin tuna selection is always an absolute delight and it goes without saying, that the taste and texture was outstanding to say the least.

To make this even better, I point put the little side dishes on the sashimi plate. My two favourites were also served as seared ika (squid) and aji (mackerel) tar tar. The ika was very spicy and was seared in some kind of wasabi sauce as far as I could decipher. The aji was served with herbs and sesame, making it a very special dish as well. Lastly we had some sake cava te maki (grilled salmon skin hand roll), which are among my favourite dishes at this restaurant as well. For the sauce in this hand roll alone, I would come back any day of the week. All in all it was a great, no, fabulous dinner.

Sushi Guide Verdict

As always, a meal at Matsumi is not only outstanding in quality and taste, it is unique no matter how often you go there. The attention to detail and freshness is unparalleled and the frequently changing specialties menu at the sushi bar gives the experience a special twist every time. The atmosphere is warm, friendly, authentic and I always feel welcome and almost at home when I am visiting the restaurant. The variety of sushi and sashimi dishes is huge and offers specialties rare to find anywhere else. In addition the menu offers many other options from salads to traditional Japanese choices as well as vegetarian and even vegan dishes. The wine and sake list is outstanding, catering to all tastes and preferences. Lastly, the service is outstanding. Everybody is super friendly, warm, welcoming and internationally oriented as the staff speaks German, English and Japanese (a requisite for anyone working there) among others.

The be as clear as I can be, this is truly a one if its kind restaurant and I recommend it without any hesitation to both sushi new comers as well as well versed sushi aficionados from around the world. I have been at Matsumi more often than in any other sushi restaurant and there are various reviews of all the special experiences I had.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

 

Review date: October 20, 2015

The post Matsumi – A Truly Authentic Japanese Restaurant appeared first on Sushi Guide.