Basic math: 17>14>10. (Also, usually: 22≠17)

hamachi (yellowtail) nigiri

Then we had otoro – fatty tuna. This was the best piece of sushi I have ever eaten in my life. It’s just something that you must try. In this city, it’s one of the best delicacies you will come across. The combination of the tuna taste with the fat, just makes your taste receptors extremely happy We proceeded with lean tuna (akami), from the same fish, but cut from near the back. He had cut this fish after we first sat down and let it marinate in soy sauce about 25 minutes. This is called zuke –  it concentrates the flavor and is a traditional preparation before refrigeration existed (in Edo style sushi). It was slightly salty and very new to me.

shirako (cod sperm) lightly grilled

aji (horse mackerel) nigiri

Sushi Guide Verdict

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The restaurant has a small sushi bar with about 8 to 10 seats and some additional regular tables in the back. The atmosphere is cozy, and welcoming although the bright lighting mismatches the otherwise warm experience. The menu offers 10-12 different kinds of fish, served as sashimi, nigiri, maki and temaki, in addition to some select meat options. In addition the restaurant offers a substantial wine and sake menu, allowing for great accompanying drinks for any Japanese meal.

Sashimi and Nigiri Dinner

As a group of three, we decided to start with a 25 piece moriawase sashimi plate that overdelivered on our modest expectations. With previous disappointing experiences at local sushi restaurants in mind, we were very happy with our choice. The nicely decorated plate came with hamachi (yellowtail), chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly), hotategai (scallop). hokkigai (surf clam), tamago yaki (egg omelet), hirame (halibut), sake (salmon), maguro (bluefin tuna back), tako (octopus), kanpachi (amber jack), suzuki (sea bass) and ebi (shrimp). I personally enjoyed the hirame (halibut) and kanpachi (amber jack) most as they had a very unique and intense taste. The sake (salmon) was also very nice and almost seemed like salmon belly in texture. The chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna) was good but not overly special.

After the sashimi plate I got my sake (salmon) te maki which I originally ordered as starter. Then, the dinner went on with an à la carte 12 piece nigiri plate. We chose 4 pieces of chu turo (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly), 2 pieces of ika (squid), 2 pieces of hamachi (yellowtail), 2 pieces of saba (mackerel) and another 2 pieces of suzuki (sea bass). I liked the ika (squid) and saba (mackerel) best and also enjoyed the suzuki (sea bass). After 2 additional pieces of chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly) and hamachi (yellowtail), we were done with our dinner. If there had been room for more, we might have even tried the sake (salmon) and ebi (shrimp) plate that was prepared in front of our eyes. So maybe, we need to come back for that one.

Sushi Guide Verdict

‘Osushi delivers on the promise of being an authentic Japanese restaurant. The atmosphere is very nice except for the bright lighting. The menu options are better than at most other sushi restaurant in Napoli but still leaves some room for improvement. The overall quality and taste of the food was very good. Some locally sourced dishes were especially worth mentioning, such as the ebi (shrimp), hirame (halibut) or suzuki (amber jack). Still, especially the tuna was not as amazing as one might have hoped. The drink menu ist extensive and offers anything one might be looking for in any price range. The service staff was exceptionally friendly and forthcoming. Overall it was a very satisfying experience and while there is plenty room for improvement, I would go back there for dinner and can recommend the restaurant without hesitation.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

 

Review date: November 12, 2017

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Omakase Style Dinner

This time I started out with an omakase style sashimi plate. It came with hon maguro (bluefin tuna), hamachi (yellowtail), aji (horse mackerel), zuke maguro (red wine cured tuna), suzuki (sea bass), hirmae (halibut), king sake (king salmin),  kanpai (amber jack) and ika (squid). Afterwards I had an amazing nigiri plate with zuke chu toro (red wine cured bluefin medium fatty tuna), sawara (cherrywood smoked spanish horse mackerel) and kamasu (barracuda). The last order was an unagi (freshwater eel) nigri, which is always of supreme taste.

Sushi Guide Verdict

The atmosphere at Sushi Ran is truly unique. It is a very cozy and quiet restaurant with an open sushi bar with an overall traditional and exquisite interior design. The sushi menu is extensive, offering both local and sustainable fish with additional special dishes available only at the sushi bar. The food is of the highest quality and the most amazing taste. The wine and sake menu is also extensive, allowing anyone to find what he might desire. Both the sushi chefs and the waiters are exceptionally friendly and forthcoming, making every visit to the restaurant an experience to be remembered.

Review date: September 11, 2013

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“The exceptional quality of our sushi is attributed to a one-of-a-kind combination of fresh ingredients, coupled with 30 years of experience and modern preparation techniques. Never satisfied with the mundane, we are constantly experimenting with innovative culinary methods to refine our menu. Since we’ve begun our culinary adventure, we have only pursued the most sustainable and freshest products available.

Akiko’s offers traditional-contemporary sushi along with a variety of eclectic seafood items. We pride ourselves on using the finest quality of local and seasonal fresh fish, which arrive daily from local purveyors and Japan’s Tsukiji Fish Market. Maintaining a sensitivity to environmental demands, it is our practice to source out overfished stock in favor of rare and sustainable marine products. We are committed to using as much sustainable, organic and local products as possible to ensure an ecologically-minded component to your eating experience at Akiko’s.”

Source: Akiko’s Sushi Restaurant

Omakase Menu

Although the a la cart menu is filled with many amazing choices of fish, the omakase style menu seems to be best option when one is seated at the sushi bar. It is offered as either sashimi or nigiri and the sushi chef at the bar will gladly incorporate some of your preferences if you want him to.

I started out with an awesome sashimi platter composed of sake (king salmon), maguro tuna (big eye tuna), suzuki (sea bass) and hirame (halibut). Afterwards I was presented with another 7 piece platter, totally blowing me away. It entailed hamachi (yellow tail) and ika (baby squid), ayu (sweet fish), hotategai (scallop), umi masu (ocean trout), sustainable chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna) and ankimo (monkfish liver pate). For the grand finale I had two more pieces of unagi (freshwater eel) nigiri. Luckily I took some picture.

Some information about my visit to Akiko’s Restaurant can be found at moritzrecke.com

Sushi Guide Verdict

Akiko’s Restaurant provides a very modern atmosphere with open brick walls and an open bar at the core of the restaurant. The fish was absolutely delicious and of supreme quality. All dished were served in a traditional manner and the menu offers a wide selection from all seas and some select specialties. The drink menu is falling behind the great food options. While there is a decent beer selection, wine and sake options are limited. The service was outstanding with absolute nothing left to be desired. As with many other high class sushi restaurants, it might be worth mentioning that Akiko’s Restaurant is also rather pricy. But considering the menu variety and food quality, it is absolutely worth it. Since some of the personal also worked at Sushi Ran before, there is a somewhat familiar touch to dining at Akiko’s Restaurant.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: June 6, 2014

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“Welcome to KUSAKABE, it is always my pleasure to serve our guests. At KUSAKABE, we serve a multi-course sushi dinner that is based on the principle of Japanese “Kaiseki” cuisine. When I create my Omakase menu, it is my challenge to include a variety of seafood presented with creativity and offering a harmony of fresh flavors with every bite. Please join me and our capable staff at KUSAKABE for what we hope is an unforgettable dining experience.”

Source: Mitsunori Kusakabe – Owner/Chef, World Sushi Technical Skill Champion

Omakase menu

Kusakabe only offers omakase style set menus starting at $98 and allows additional orders a la carte only after the omakase menu has been served. The 7 piece menu tends to include a soup, sushi, sashimi and selected special plates with oysters or caviar. If that’s not enough, one can always go for the 10 piece set menu for $168. The a la cart menu offers some amazing highlights as well such as Toro (Low temperature aging Bluefin fatty tuna belly), Zuke Chutoro (Soy sauce cured bluefin medium fatty tuna), Negitoro (Fatty tuna with micro onion & roasted “Nori” temaki), Wagyu (A5 grade Miyazaki Wagyu strip loin), Aori Ika (Low temperature aging big fin reef squid) and many others. All of those might or might not have been part of the set menu of the day. Paring wine is offered at $125 or one can choose from the limited beer but decent wine or commendable sake selection.

During the dinner I was served an amazing zuke chu toro (sustainable bluefin medium fatty tuna) sashimi as a starter, followed by a soup and some salmon sushi rolls. It got more interesting after that with some delicious nigiri dishes.  I was served hirame (halibut), ebi (prawn), uni (sea urchin) and some wagyu (A5 grad moyazaki wagyu strip loin) as the finale of the 7 course set menu. I ordered additional dishes from the a la cart menu. I tried aji (wild-caught horse mackerel) nigiri which I enjoyed very much. After that I was blown away but a chu toro (sustainable medium fatty bluefin tuna cured in soy sauce) nigiri and an even more amazing toro (sustainable bluefin fatty tuna belly) nigiri. Luckily, I took some pictures.

Some information about my Kusakabe visit can be found at moritzrecke.com

Sushi Guide Verdict

The setting of the restaurant is a rather modern mix of raw brick walls and lots of bamboo elements and might seem a little cold or steril at times. Although the omakase style set menu offers a good variety of choices, it might not be perfect for sushi aficionados who really know what they want. It is not allowed to alter any menu items which leads to a rather low rating for the menu, although technically the a la carte menu offers a great selection of fish. The food quality it self is amazing and definitely one of the best around. Every fish had an intense and differentiating taste and everything was served very traditionally without any fancy mayonnaise sauces that are so common in California. The drink menu was very well composed, although one might consider the pairing wine option to be a little on the pricy side compared to the regular menu. Considering the overall cost for a dinner at Kusakabe however, this might be a neglectable notion. The service was outstanding with nothing to complain about. Some of the personal also worked at Sushi Ran before, giving the visit at Kusakabe a somewhat familiar touch.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: June 3, 2014

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