I picked a nigiri set from the a la carte menu. It came with hotategai (scallop), tako (octopus), aji (mackerel), ika (squid) nigiri, ikura (salmon roe) gunkan and maguro (tuna back), suzuki (sea bass), kani (crab meat), unagi (freshwater eel) and sake (salmon) nigiri. I also picked some additional items from the sushi train, of which overall the unagi (freshwater eel) stood out most.

Sushi Guide Verdict

All in all, Nari Sushi is a basic sushi restaurant that serves what you would expect from a Japanese restaurant. The atmosphere is a bit impersonal as the staff is only providing seats and collecting the money. All main interaction is happening with the sushi train, which is fun for few minutes but gets old quickly. Also, due to the way the sushi train operates, it might take a long time for dishes to arrive that you might want. The menu options are decent and offers a wide variety of options to choose from, including tuna cuts. The quality and taste of the fish is good with some items being really nice. The drink variety is quite basic but covers what you might look for. The service team is not particularly connected to the overall experience, so they do not create a particular comfortable atmosphere.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: July 21, 2021

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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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Traditional Dinner with some Exclusives

This time we started with some small starter plates while we waited for the extensive selection of exclusives items as the main course. Among our small dishes were horenso (spinach in sesame dressing), nasu tempura (fried eggplant) with miso sauce and of course some tako yaki (deep fried octopus balls), which are always a good choice.  

The main plate was extensive and even for two people there is more than enough to choose from. We shared this plate among 2 people and some items were so amazing, that we kept ordering seconds afterwards. The plate came with 2 pieces of tamago (egg omelet), 6 pieces of maguro (tuna back) maki (roll) and then some hotategai (scallop), unagi ( freshwater eel), ebi (shrimp) nigiri pieces, a sake (salmon) gunkan (battleship shushi) with ikura (salmon roe) topping as well as some hamachi (yellowtail), sake (salmon), otoro (fatty tuna belly) and chu toro (medium fatty tuna belly) nigiri pieces, fresh wasabi and gari (pickled ginger).

To say the least, the scallop and unagi are always outstanding at this restaurant. They might even be reason enough to return just to enjoy them again. Also the tuna pieces were outstanding, making Kushi-Tei one of the better choices for tuna belly cuts in Düsseldorf.

And since it was outstanding, we ordered another plate of the best delights to round off the meal. So we had another round of otoro (fatty tuna belly), hotategai (scallop) and unagi (freshwater eel) nigiri. It were certainly the best pieces of the day that melted in our mouths.

Sushi Guide Verdict

The experience at Kushi-Tei of Tokyo was quite satisfying. Even though it was a busy night, we had plenty of time to enjoy our meal. The menu options are extensive and we need to come back to sample more of the exquisite options to choose from. Taste and quality of the fish was excellent and far exceed the average even among the rough competition in the Japanese quarter in Düsseldorf. The service staff was very forthcoming and friendly and made our stay very pleasant. If sushi is something appreciated, for sure Kushi-Tei is an excellent option.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: July 18, 2020

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Walk In Dinner

Even though I had no reservation, I was able to gain a seat at a table on a weekday during the COVID-19 pandemic. With their limited capacity I considered myself lucky as usually most Japanese restaurant a fully booked these days on literally any day. Especially with recent closure of established restaurants such as Kikaku, it is getting tougher to find seats with our reservation. On the way to my seat I was able to get a look at the fridge on the sushi bar and like the suzuki (sea bass), aji (mackerel) and tako (octopus).

Specials of the day

I got distracted from my intention to sample the mackerel and octopus by the staff highlighting the bonito fish exclusive. So I ordered a plate of katsuo (bonito fish) sashimi which was served with negi (green onion) and shoga (ginger). It was a very nice composition and an amazing start to my experience.

The main course was a moriawase style plate that came with maguro (tuna back), chu-toro (medium fatty tuna belly), ebi (shrimp), hamachi (yellowtail), hotategai (scallop) nigiri pieces, a ikura (salmon roe) gunkan (battleship sushi), some maguro (tuna back) maki (roll) and sake (salmon) nigiri served with fresh wasabi. The scallop was outstanding and is one of my favourite pieces anyway. The tuna was also quite good but not as outstanding as I hoped it would be. All in all it was an excellent plate and even the salmon, that usually does not impress in other restaurants around, was excellent.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Nagomi is small and somewhat inconspicuous restaurant. It is easy to walk by and was not on my radar prior the recent increase in fully booked Japanese restaurants. However, the atmosphere is a bit sterile and too bright for my taste, leaving mixed impressions. The menu options are good but exhaustive. All basic needs are covered and some select exclusives present nice surprises. The taste and quality of the food is very good but in some areas there is room for improvement. The drink menu is basic but covers what one would expect for any dinner. The service staff was very friendly and forthcoming and made this an enjoyable stay. Overall the restaurant ranks among the average competitions but that is not a bad thing considered the number of decent Japanese restaurants in the area.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: October 14, 2020

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Unagi Kabayaki and other delights

Beyond claiming to serve always fresh and high quality fish, Yabase has also a considerable reputation for unagi (freshwater eel) dishes, which is what attracted us to check it out. We started the dinner with an amazing plate of unagi kabayaki, which is basically split, gutted, boned, butterfried and grilled freshwater eel. I was served with teriyaki sauce, of which there could have been even more. This was an amazing dish and among the best unagi I have ever had. They also served some fried eel bones, which were nice to try, but it is not a must on this dish.

As a main course, we opted for an omakase style luxury sushi plate that came with 10 pieces of nigiri and 8 pieces of sashimi and was a very representative selection of the sushi menu. The plate came with sake (salmon), maguro (tuna back) and hamachi (yellowtail) sashimi. Both the salmon and yellowtail were of excellent taste and texture and were even surpassed by the outstanding lean tuna back. It made us wonder about the tuna belly cuts they also had on the menu, but we will get back to that.

Then there were zuke chu toro (seared medium fatty tuna belly), maguro (tuna back), unagi (freshwater eel), sake yaki (grilled salmon), suzuki (sea bass), hotategai (scallop), hamachi (yellowtail), ebi (shrimp) and saba (mackerel) nigiri pieces, and ikura (salmon roe) gunkan (battleship sushi) and tamago (egg omelet). The chu toro was mind-blowing, as was the scallop and mackerel. It was clear that we hat to sample the menu a bit more, to make the most of the experience.

And so we ordered another small plate with chu-toro (medium fatty tuna belly) and o toro (fatty tuna belly) nigiri pieces, which were absolutely outstanding. To round things off, we had another small plate with unagi (freshwater eel), saba (mackerel), hotategai (scallop) and ika (squid) nigiris. squid is also one of my favourites and even though it had fierce competition this night, it was an excellent close to an outstanding dinner.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Yabase is simple but authentic restaurant with very minimalistic interior. It is neither stylish nor particularly traditional, it is simple, effective and provides a somewhat cool atmosphere. Even though it serves well as a backdrop to the experience, it is not the most inviting of all Japanese restaurant around. The menu options are extensive but leave few things to desire for demanding sushi aficionados looking for a complete experience. The food quality and taste was outstanding and rank this restaurant among the higher tier places around. The drink menu is a bit limited, but there is decent selection of wine and sake to choose from. Considering the fierce competition in Germany’s largest Japanese community, this is quite an achievement. The service team was friendly and forthcoming and made this stay and enjoyable visit, despite the glass shields between tables and somewhat steril vibe of the night.

There have been mixed reports about Yabase in recent months, so this experience has to be taken with a grain of salt. Based on this experience, this restaurant can definitely be recommend. We will be back to double check.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: July 31, 2020

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The restaurant has a few seats at the sushi bar and a spacious seating area with many tables for small and large groups. Even though the capacity is now limited, the restaurants can cater to a larger audience than most other Japanese restaurants around. There is also an outside seating area that does not provide the same authentic feel as inside dining, but is a very nice alternative, especially during the summer when outside dining is the preferred option. For this visit, we opted for the outside option because it was pleasant and warm night. Also, the restrictions inside the restaurant felt a bit uninviting. So we were happy with our choice and in luck to get seats outside.

Sampling the Kushi-Tei of Tokyo Menu

We decided to go with a selection of the menu exclusives and ordered a moriawase style set to get things started. While we waited, we also had some nice starters. Even though not a typical item on a Japanese menu, we sampled the iwashi tempura (deep fried sardines), which resembled a somewhat Mediterranean experience. The vegetable gyoza were nice and were obviously self made. Another classic were the outstanding tako yaki (deep fried octopus balls) with teriyaki sauce. Even though it were heavy bytes for a hot summer night, it was a good start.

The main plate came with tamago (egg omelet), sake (salmon) gunkan (battleship sushi) with ikura (salmon roe) topping and 6 pieces of maguro (tuna back) maki (roll). The selection of nigiri pieces was composed of hotategai (scallop), unagi (freshwater eel), ebi (shrimp), hamachi (yellowtail), sake (salmon), otoro (fatty tuna belly) and chu toro (medium fatty tuna belly). Of course, they also served some gari (pickled ginger) and fresh wasabi. To say the least, the tuna cuts were outstanding and so delicious that I would come back anytime just for that. The melted in my mouth and had an amazing but subtle texture. The scallop was so amazing, it might very well be the best in town. Also the eel was great even though the chef was a bit shy with the topping. Even the salmon, that usually does not impress me much, was outstanding and delightful excitement. Encouraged by this plate, we decided to get seconds.

Browsing through the menu prompted us to pick some of our favourites from the moriawase dish and add some more specialties. We picked some more pieces of hotategai (scallop) and chu toro (medium fatty tuna belly), which definitely were the best of the night. Beyond that, we went for some karuma ebi (Japanese imperial prawn), hamachi toro (yellowtail belly cut) and aji (mackerel) nigiri pieces. I consider mackerel among my favourite fish and was pleasantly surprised. Most impressively, the yellowtail belly cut was also amazing and absolute joy. It is certainly a rare find even among the fierce competition of Japanese restaurant in the area. Even though we should could have taken even more, we had to call it a night. In my mind, I was already scheduling my next visit to build on this experience.

Sushi Guide Verdict

This dinner at Kushi-Tei of Tokyo was just amazing. It was a busy night, but were lucky to get seats outside and could enjoy the summer night with this excellent meal, even if the outdoor atmosphere is not comparable to the restaurant’s interior. The menu options are extensive and have some rare finds among them that might take a few visits to discover. Taste and quality of the fish was excellent and absolutely among the best options around. Considering the fierce competition in the Japanese quarter in Düsseldorf and the high expectations of local patrons in the largest Japanese community in Germany, this is quite an achievement. The service staff was friendly and forthcoming, but a bit overwhelmed with the high demand during the night. We had an excellent time and enjoyed out experience. For any sushi aficionado, Kushi-Tei is an excellent choice and it can be highly recommended.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: August 3, 2020

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Light Sushi Dinner at eatTOKYO

In a group of 3 we ordered some light dishes for dinner on a hot summer day. One bento box came with tamago (egg omelette), maguro (tuna back) and sake (salmon) nigiri pieces and sake (salmon) uramaki (inside out roll) with avocado. As omakase sets and specialty boxes were unavailable, we ordered some other dishes á la carte. It started with a Dragon Roll composed of ebi tempura (deep fried shrimp) uramaki (inside out roll) with unagi (freshwater eel) and ikura (salmon roe) topping. The roll was excellent, even though it doesn’t match my all time favourite dragon roll at Tokyo Subway in Menlo Park, the three decades-long staple that closed its doors in December 2014 when owner Toshio Akabori retired. Ever since I am on a quest to find a similar culinary delight, so far without success.

Another favourite of mine is unagi (freshwater eel) temaki (hand roll), which excellent even though there could have been bit more unagi inside the roll that was mainly composed of rice with just some small pieces of unagi on top. Yet the roll itself was very nice and the nori leaf was very crispy and tasty. The highlight of the meal was composed of some of my favourite nigiris, hotategai (scallop), blu-toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly) and otoro (bluefin fatty tuna belly) with fresh wasabi. The scallop was outstanding and truly is on of my favourites almost anywhere. The chu-toro was nice but nothing special, the otoro on the other hand was breathtakingly amazing as well. It melted on content with my tongue and its texture and taste was subtle yet distinct. It was a worthy finale to this meal.

Sushi Guide Verdict

eatTOKYO at Immermannstraße is decent sushi restaurant with very fierce competition in immediate vicinity. There are many outstanding options to choose from in Düsseldorf’s infamous Japanese quarter. The atmosphere of the restaurant is somewhat basic with not so much attention to detail or interior design. They have a nice terrace on the corner of a street, which is a nice option for eating outside. Inside, there are few tables and not dedicates seats at the sushi bar, which is surprising for a Japanese restaurant in Düsseldorf. Even though menu options are extensive, many items were not available (which could be due to the COVID-10 pandemic). The quality and taste of the food is excellent and on bar with many other Japanese restaurants around. With the largest Japanese community living in Düsseldorf, this seems a must to thrive as sushi restaurant around here. The drink menu is average and doesn’t make this restaurant a first choice when looking for upscale Japanese spirits. Yet, all Japanese basics are covered. The service was friendly but slightly overwhelmed and disorganised. The restaurant seems to be quite popular and with 6 branches in UK, Japan and Germany it also seems to be quite successful. Despite the positive experience, there are many alternatives around that provide similar or even better experiences. Also, it is worth mentioning that this is cash only restaurant.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: July 5, 2020

The post eatTOKYO – Authentic Sushi in Düsseldorf, Germany appeared first on Sushi Guide.

“Thanks to his larger-than-life personality, Leonardo Jun Sakamoto has left his unmistakable mark on this discreet restaurant where you won’t find any signage. Here, you will savour what may well be the finest nigiri in the city.”

Source: MICHELIN GUIDE SÃO PAULO 2019

An Exquisite Dinner Experience at Jun Sakamoto

As a large group reservations are in order on any day, especially if the desired seats are those at the bar. The restaurant caters to its patrons with a stylish and modern atmosphere and huge open bar where guests can witness the sushi chefs preparing the amazing served at the restaurant. The extensive drink menu offers everything on could wish for and has an expensive selection of sake to choose from.

The dinner started with some light starters, like an huramaki some ebi tempura (fried shrimp), unagi tempura (friend freshwater eel) with rice topping and and outstanding maguro (tuna back) tartare with ikura (salmon roe) topping. The unagi tempura and maguro tartare were excellent and immediately set the bar for the experience to follow.

With seats at the bar, it was nice to witness the chefs preparing one plate after the other. It certainly added to the otherwise already excellent culinary experience of dining at Jun Sakamoto.

Over the course of the opulent dinner, there were some sake (salmon) and suzuki (sea bass) nigiri, a plate of kanpachi (amberjack) and tai (sea bream) nigiri, another plate of breathtaking aji (mackerel) and kamasu (barracuda) nigiris and absolutely outstanding hotategai (scallop) and hokkigai (surf clam) nigiri. Of course, also the uni (sea urchin) gunkan (battleship sushi) had the be sampled. Like all other pieces, it was of incredibly taste and made this an outstanding experience unlike any other.

Then, the grand finale was serves with some amazing tuna pieces that were prepared at the sushi bar. Both the maguro (tuna back) and the toro (fatty tuna belly) nigiri were excellent and a worthy and triumphant close to this amazing meal. Even if it is hard to imagine, there was still room for a little scoop of green tea ice, rounding the experience off nicely.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Dining at Jun Sakamoto is certainly a unique and unmistakable experience. The restaurant caters to upscale clientele with warm and modern atmosphere, excellent menu options and excellent drink menu. The experience was outstanding and quality and taste of the fish was among the best anywhere. The service was friendly and welcoming and like you would expect from a MICHELIN start restaurant. Overall, this is a must for any sushi aficionado living in or visiting São Paulo and it deserves its spot among the MICHELIN start restaurants Sushi Guide sampled.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: October 20, 2019

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Omakase Dinner

This time we went in a group of three and decided to opt for an omakase style dinner to sample the premium options available. The meal started with some tobiuo (flying fish) uramaki (inside out roll) that was simply amazing. The remains of the fish were later served to us after it had been fried, making it a truly complete and Japanese experience.

We then got some very decent sashimi plates with maguro (tuna back), hamachi (yellowtail), ebi (shrimp), katsuo (bonito fish), sawagani tempura (fried crabs), suzuki (sea bass), sake (salmon) and ika (squid) sashimi with some tamago (omelette) on the side as well as ikura (salmon roe), aji (jack mackerel), kani (crab), hotategai (scallop) and an quail egg . The squid and bonito fish were excellent and absolutely outstanding in texture and taste. Even more so the mackerel and scallop were absolutely delicious.

We then moved on to an nigiri plate that came with unagi (freshwater eel), ebi (shrimp), maguro (tuna back) and hamachi toro (yellowtail belly) as well as hotategai (scallop) gunkan (battleship sushi) and some excellent toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly) nigiri. Needless to say that the toro was amazing, but also the yellowtail belly was excellent.

Therefore we had a final plate of hamachi toro (yellowtail belly), sake toro (salmon belly) and hotategai (scallop) nigiri to finish up the meal. All of these pieces melted in our mouthes and were truly remarkable. These pieces alone are worth any trip from nearly anywhere.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Fuki Sushi is a very traditional and authentic Japanese restaurant. With its wooden and warm interiors and traditional decor if creates a very comfy and welcoming atmosphere. The menu options are extensive and range from typical sushi classics to the most exquisite rarities to be found. The quality and taste of the fish is outstanding and ranks among the best around. The drink menu is fitting for this upscale restaurant and leaves nothing to be desired. The service team is very friendly, forthcoming and makes every visit a most enjoyable experience.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: June 5, 2019

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Moriawase Dinner

In a group of 7 people we went for an extensive dinner and sampled all premium dishes on the menu. The meal started out with some lights starters, a sake (salmon), suzuki (sea bass) and hamachi (yellowtail) zuke (marinated) sashimi plate and a hata (grouper) tartare. Especially the suzuki and hamachi had excellent taste and texture. They easily surpass the average options at most sushi restaurants around. The hata tartare was amazing and is certainly a rare find, not only regionally but even on an international level.

As a next plate, we opted for a premium sashimi selection that came with tai (sea bream) and o toro (fatty tuna belly). Although the selection seemed a bit disappointing at first, both the tai and the o toro were of good quality. Although the o toro most likely was Yellowfin tuna, it was nice as toro is generally hard to find in Napoli. The subsequent moriawase plate came with maguro (tuna back) sashimi, cooked maguro (tuna back), shiromi (white fish) and kani (crab meat) with ibodai (butterfish) and truffle topping uramakis (inside out rolls) and some more sake (salmon) sashimi. The makis were not particularly interesting and overall we were a bit disappointed with this plate. Especially the strong focus on the maguro resulted in a rather bland experience. This is a common theme in Neapolitan sushi restaurants.

Tabi Signature dishes

We decided to try some of the signature “Tabi” dishes offered and sampled the gunkan (battleship sushi) selection. The red ebi (shrimp) with ikura (salmon roe) and white ebi (shrimp) with green tobiko (flying fish roe) were absolutely amazing. Another large plate of premium pieces came with red ebi (shrimp), cooked maguro (tuna back) uramakis (inside out rolls), sake (salmon) maki tempura (fried roll) with sake (salmon) tartare and quail eggs as well as some o toro (fatty tuna belly) nigiri and hamachi (yellowtail) sashimi.

Considering our previous dishes, all of this felt a bit repetitive, but still most of the items were quite good/ Especially the combinations of sake (salmon) and quail egg as well as red ebi (shrimp) with caviar topping were a nice surprise . After the delightful selection of o toro (fatty tuna belly) nigiri we ordered our last dish, a wagyu beef tartare, for which we had very high expectations. It was nice, but nothing out of the ordinary.

All in all it was huge meal with a great variety of fish and interesting combinations of flavours and accents. The quality and taste was good, even great for some very select items, but was not matching the overall expectations and the reputation that precedes the restaurant.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Tabi is a medium size restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. It’s modern interior design might be appealing to some, but could feel a bit sterile to others. Compared to other posh sushi restaurants in the area, the atmosphere and overall vibe is less interesting and ranks more among average sushi restaurants. The restaurant is located close to major tourist attractions, probably resulting in a different clientele then other fancy alternatives. The menu options are extensive, however, the plate combinations are a bit too similar and lack in interesting surprises. The quality and taste of the fish is good and definitely ranks the restaurant among the better ones around. However, compared to the top alternatives, it still lacks behind considerably. The drink menu is adequate but compared to other premium locations with a high focus on cocktails and highballs, it is rather average. The service team was forthcoming, but there were too many waiters involved in our service and the team felt a bit disconnected from everything. Overall, Tabi is a above average Japanese restaurant and can be recommended with some hesitation, especially in consideration of the prices and the reputation of the chefs. If you are looking for the top location in Napoli however, other alternatives come to mind.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: May 14, 2019

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