Even though I really like Otoro81 and consider it as one of the best options around, I was underwhelmed by the overall atmosphere and layout of the restaurant and terrace as well as the offering on the menu, which is limited to fixed sets of maki and sashimi alongside some starters. I might try out the Vomero outlet as well, which seems to have a larger and more sophisticated indoor restaurant and it might provide a more intriguing experience.

Anyway, we went for some ebi tempura (fried shrimp) and some Fiano di Avelino white wine while waiting for the main dish. We opted for the a luxury uramaki set that in comparison to other places around was quite underwhelming. Even though it looked nice, in the end all rolls where more or less identical and covered with dressing, rendering the taste of the fish a bit indistinguishable. We had maguro (tuna back) uramaki (inside out roll) with maguro topping, ebi (shrimp) uramaki (inside out roll) with zuzuki (sea bass) topping, sake (salmon) uramaki (inside out roll) with gari (pickled ginger) topping, maguro (tuna back) tartare uramaki (inside out roll) with avocado topping and ebi tempura (fried shrimp) uramaki (inside out roll) with ebi (shrimp) topping. It was not bad, but also not great.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Overall, Otoro Lab seemed to be a nice new addition to the realm of sushi restaurants in Napoli, but did not live up the expectations. Being associated with Otoro81, a premium Japanese restaurant, it really disappointed both from a perspective of atmosphere as well as from culinary experience. The menu options are limited, but even more drastically the dishes offered all focus on the same ingredients, mainly tuna back, salmon and shrimp. Considering it is an upscale and expensive restaurant, this is hardy what I would expect. The food quality is good but due to the heavy use of sauce and dressing, the taste is somewhat indistinct and does not pay tribute to the ingredients or to Japanese cuisine in general. The drink menu is limited as well, but some nice wines are available. The service was nice and forthcoming, but also there was not flexility to adjust fixed sets from the menu to our desires. All in all, it was not a bad experience, but certainly not what I expected from Otoro Lab.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: January 7, 2022

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An all time classic

Since decades Akio Ando is serving sushi to go in his various Maruyasu outlets across Düsseldorf. The prime location however, seems to be the sushi bar in the Schadow Arkaden where also Akio himself can be found on most days behind the counter. At its long counter, a huge variety of different sushi dishes can be found, among which usually is a huge selection of premium nigiri pieces to choose from. Most interestingly, the selection usually features a variety of bluefin tuna cuts, as can be seen in this video (among other nice impressions).

This time I went for a nice selection of nigiri pieces for a quick meal. I chose 2 pieces of otoro (fatty bluefin tuna belly) and chu toro (medium fatty bluefin tuna belly) nigiri, which on its one would be reason enough to revisit the restaurant any day. I was told it was off a 300 kg tuna that was received and cut just some days ago and this day was perfect for trying the new arrival. It was certainly so and an absolute delight.

Also the rest of my nigiri plate was outstanding. I had some hamachi (yellowtail), hotategai (scallop), sake zuke toro (grilled salmon belly), karei (founder), unagi (freshwater eel), aburi sake (roasted salmon), ika (squid) and katsuo (bonito fish) nigiri. Needless to say, that all of these were of excellent quality and taste. Especially amazing were the scallop, squid and ell, which usually rank among my favorites. Also the bonito was great and is a rare find among the options in Düsseldorf. As a small gift from the kitchen, I also received two pieces of gyuza, which where also nice.

As always, the experience was outstanding and even though the concept is more that of a takeout shop, I appreciate the canteen style in house dining options for my visits. If I could take the tuna variety with me everywhere I go, I would really look anything else.

Sushi Guide Verdict

The atmosphere at Maruyaso is always a mix between very nice and welcoming and a bit cold and transitory. The sushi to go approach renders the restaurant not super inviting for in-house dining, but it is possible and certainly worth it. The menu options are extensive and cover even rare and exquisite fish to choose from. Most intriguingly, the tuna variety is excellent and of the highest quality. The drink menu is limited as the main focus of Maruyasu is not in-house dining. The service team is always super friendly, forth coming and happy to share about the amazing options they have on the menu. It is also always a special delight to experience Akino Ando behind the counter, serving as a sushi chef since 1983.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: December 28, 2021

The post Maruyaso Schadow Arkaden – The Ultimate Japanese Cuisine in Düsseldorf, Germany appeared first on Sushi Guide.

I picked some of my favorites, unagi (freshwater eel) nigiri alongside an ebi (shrimp) uramaki (inside out roll) with unagi (freshwater eel) topping and a nigiri set. The eel was nice but not special. Most critically, it was cold which is something I do not like. It was not cold because of the delivery, it is served cold in this case. Some restaurants do that, I really prefer the warm variant.

The nigiri set was a pleasant surprise and provided a decent variety, especially considering that it is a delivery restaurant, which usually has a very limited menu to choose from. The set came with sake (salmon), maguro (tuna back), ika (squid), ebi (shrimp), aji (mackerel), tai (sea bream), tako (octopus), ama-ebi (sweet shrimp) and hotategai (scallop). Most pieces were quite average, but the mackerel, octopus and scallop really stood out. Overall, it was surpassing my expectations and I was quite satisfied with the meal.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Sushi Arigato doesn’t offer a particularly inviting atmosphere, so I deemed it is mainly suited for delivery or takeout. The menu options are surprisingly extensive for a restaurant in that category, however the quality is a mixed bag with some items being really good and the rest being average. The drink menu is limited to say the least and the service leaves nothing special to be mentioned. For simple takeout or delivery sushi, the restaurant is an option. For sushi dining, I would go somewhere else.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: October 27, 2021

The post Sushi Arigato – Quick Sushi Bites in Düsseldorf, Germany appeared first on Sushi Guide.

We opted for one of the limited outdoor dining tables and started the meal with an exquisite dish of ise-ebi (lobster), that was served as a whole with a very nice and creamy dressing. Paired with a nice Fiano di Avelino white wine, the dinner was ready to evolve.

The main course was served as a huge luxury sushi plate selected by the chef that covered more or less what the menu had to offer that night. It came with sake (salmon) and ibodai (butterfish) sashimi as well as some super outstanding karuma ebi (tiger prawns) from Mazara. It is always a delight and if you ever come across Mazara shrimp in southern Italy, it is an indication that you are in a good place. Also the maguro (tuna back) nigiri was quite nice, which is rare in Napoli.

The plate then featured sake (salmon) uramaki (inside out roll) with quail egg toppings, which is a certainly uncommon but nice combination. Another set of sake (salmon) uramaki (inside out roll) came with ika (squid) topping and was also nice. There were some maguro (tuna back) tartare tempura uramaki (inside out roll) with sake (salmon) topping as well as a nice maguro (tuna back), sake (salmon), ebi (shrimp), kani (crab meat) futo maki (big roll) alongside an ebi tempura (fried shrimp) uramaki (inside out roll). All in all, the variety was nice, but a lot of the rolls were quite similar and not as amazing at it was at previous dinner experiences here. Anyway, it was certainly enough to satisfy the needs for this night.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Even if in international comparison there is much left to be desired, Jap One is certainly one of the prime options for Japanese dining in Napoli. The restaurant is upscale and elegant and caters to its tenants with stylish interior, and upscale cocktail and wine menu and a very decent sushi menu. The variety of the menu has decreased a bit in recent months and years and tuna cuts became rare, but anyway the menu is among the best around. The food quality and taste is excellent and also the service is always friendly and forthcoming. Overall, the restaurant has moved a bit more towards mainstream taste in its more exposed location. In its previous back allay location, it had much more specialties to choose from, that are to be missed.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: January 7, 2022

The post Jap One – Japanese Delights in Chiaia, Napoli appeared first on Sushi Guide.

With outdoor seating, I opted for their nigiri set. It came with ibodai (butterfish), maguro (tuna back), sake (salmon), suzuki (sea bass), ebi (shrimp) and tako (octopus) nigiri. While the salmon and tuna were really standard, the octopus was excellent. This is quite common in Napoli, where octopus is a typical delicacy. Also the butterfish was quite good, which is a rare find.

Sushi Guide Verdict

All in all, Kokore Sushi is nothing special, yet a nice place to drop by. If you are looking for some quick bites in between, it is a nice option. The atmosphere is not very inviting and the tiny space just offers the absolute minimum to consume food quickly. The menu options are limited, but the available dishes are nice and quality and taste is average and quite good for select items. The drink menu is a bit limited, but its enough for some quick bites. The staff is friendly but didn’t put any effort into making the dinner something special.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: October 10, 2021

The post Kokore Sushi – Easy Sushi Bites and Poke in Napoli, Italy appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Dinner a la carte

I went there for an early dinner during late summer 2021. The restaurants closes incredibly early (8 PM), so you have to be early to get in and out in time. In a long vitrine there are extensive options to choose from. The menu features a huge variety of nigiri dishes, of which I chose most of my options on this day.

Most happily I tried the variety of bluefin tuna they offered with maguro (tuna back), chu toro (medium fatty tuna belly) and otoro (fatty tuna belly) nigiri. There were outstanding and among the best tuna I had in Düsseldorf. The rest of the plate came with ebi tempura (fried shrimp) and tatsuta age (fried chicken) chu maki (rolled sushi) as well as sake (salmon), ika (squid) and aburi maguro (roasted tuna back) nigiri. Then there was an amazing aburi battery (box pressed sushi) with roasted saba (mackerel), sake zuke toro (grilled salmon belly) and two amazing pieces of unagi (freshwater eel) nigiri.

Sushi Guide Verdict

All in all, I have to say that Maruyaso is a mixed bag for me. The atmosphere if the restaurant is very basic and canteen style but anything else is just amazing. The menu options are extensive, the taste and quality of the fish is among the best around and especially their tuna varieties are just outstanding. The drink menu is ok and provides everything you might want in a canteen setting. For sophisticated dining, unfortunately, you would have to go somewhere else. The service staff is friendly but also very direct, especially in regards to closing the restaurant on time at 8 PM.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: September 13, 2021

The post Maruyaso Immermannstrasse – Japanese Excellence in Düsseldorf, Germany appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Omakase Style Dinner

Even though the restaurant has no sushi bar to enjoy witnessing the preparation of the sushi, I was happy to see that the menu offered chef selected options. I decided to go with an omakase style plate of their finest and started the meal off with some ika geso yaki (grilled squid tentacles). Even though presented as a small starter plate, it was a large dish that made me worry about the rest of my selection. The squid tentacles were excellent and a great start for a fulminant meal.

The main sushi plate came with a small bowl of ikura (salmon roe), which easily ranks among the best I ever tried. There were 8 nigiri pieces, maguro (tuna back), ika (squid), karuma ebi (tiger prawn), sake (salmon), hotategai (scallop), hokkigai (red calm) and hamachi (yellowtail). It is hard to pick what stood out from this selection. All of them were outstanding. The ika and hotategai were really delicious and the usually average maguro (tuna back) was of outstanding quality and texture. It made me curious about other tuna cuts they had on the menu as well. The plate was rounded of with a maguro (tuna back) maki (roll), which was also surprisingly nice.

Looking at the specialties of the day, I decided to go for another place of 4 nigiri pieces. I chose anago (conger eel), which was amazing and a worthy alternative to my usual favorite unagi (freshwater eel). The did not have any unagi, so this was a great substitute. Another special of the day was katsuo (bonito fish), which is a rare find in Düsseldorf, and it was also excellent. Most impressive however, was the bluefin tuna cuts they had on the menu. I chose one piece of chu toro (medium fatty tuna belly) and one piece of otoro (fatty tuna belly). Even though I usually prefer chu toro over otoro on most occasions, I have to say that the otoro at Hyuga was outstanding and tanks among the best in Düsseldorf. Fort his alone, I would come back any day.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Hyuga is an amazing restaurant and rare find among the many Japanese places to choose from. It is so small and easy to overlook even when walking by frequently. Based on this night’s experience, it now ranks among my favorites and is one of the best in Düsseldorf without any doubt. The atmosphere is elegant, yet authentic and the staff was super nice and made the meal a very nice experience. The menu options are extensive and the quality and taste of everything I had was outstanding. The drink menu is ok, but a bit basic for a sophistic dining experience. This is usually not a big issue for me as I like to focus on the fish. All in all, this is an amazing restaurant and I can recommend it without hesitation for any sushi aficionado.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: June 17, 2021

The post Hyuga – Minimalistic Japanese Dining in Düsseldorf, Germany appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Sunny Sushi Lunch

Apart from the traditional restaurants interior, they also serve meals on outside tables on the sidewalk in the Immermannstrasse, which is not just nice during the pandemic but on any sunny day. This time, I opted for some grilled skewers to start, sake (salmon), ika (squid) and hotategai (scallop), which is my favorite.

Then followed a set of premium nigiri pieces that I selected a la carte since the usual luxury nigiri set was out of stock. I enjoyed some sake yaki (grilled salmon), chu toro (medium fatty tuna belly), otoro (fatty tuna belly) and aji (mackerel) nigiri.

As a fulminant dessert to the meal, I decided to take another 2 pieces of unagi (freshwater eel) nigiri. Unagi is always among my favorites and here, they are usually exceptionally great.

Sushi Guide Verdict

As usual, I was quite satisfied with my meal at Kushi-Tei of Tokyo. Even though the pandemic is putting some constrains on the experience, the sushi was as outstanding as always. The taste and quality is among the best around and despite some limited availability due to the pandemic, the menu has extensive options to choose from. The staff was nice as always and made the lunch and excellent and to be repeated experience.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: June 14, 2021

The post Kushi-Tei of Tokyo – Japanese Excellence in Düsseldorf, Germany appeared first on Sushi Guide.

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

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Quick Dinner

I had an upscale moriawase style plate that came with chu toro (medium fatty tuna belly), otoro (fatty tuna belly), hotategai (scallop), hamachi (yellowtail), sabe (mackerel), suzuki (sea bass) and ebi (shrimp) nigiri, one ikura (salmon roe) and one maguro (tuna back) tartare as well as some maguro (tuna back) maki (roll). Overall it was a bit of an disappointing experience, compared to my last visit. The plate seemed pre-prepared and was not as cold or fresh as I would have liked it. This was not so much of problem for the white fish and shrimp that were all fine, but the tuna variety did not impress that much, which is a contrasting experience to what I was expecting. The scallop was excellent however, so overall I was content with my dish. Even though I might have ordered seconds, I left it at that to not risk adding to the disappointment.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Yabase is catering to its guests with a minimalistic interior that now is a bit obstructed with plastic shield between tables due to the COVIC-19 pandemic. Overall, the resulting atmosphere is quite cool and impersonal, but its great that they found a way to effective run the restaurant in these days. The menu options are extensive and leave little room for even advance sushi aficionados. The restaurant has a particular emphasis on unagi (freshwater eel), but it was sold out during this day. The good quality and taste was mixed. White fish, shrimp and scallops were great, but the tuna was quite disappointing.This is most striking, because of previous contrasting experiences. The drink menu is a bit limited, but sufficient for a nice dinner. The service team was friendly and forthcoming yet the hectic energy of the night did not help in overcoming the disappointments from the moriawase plate. Based on this experience, this restaurant should be considered with caution. It may be excellent or not, without being able predict which way it will go.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: September 24, 2020

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