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.

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

The post Nari Sushi – Simple and Authentic Japanese Dishes in Düsseldorf, Germany appeared first on Sushi Guide.

The restaurant is listed among 5 Places to Go in Düsseldorf by The New York Times and same is its mother restaurant, it is also a one MICHELIN start restaurant:

“Yoshi Nagaya’s second eponymous restaurant is not far from its forerunner, also located in “Japantown”. The food is classic Japanese, the setting stylishly minimalist. Large selection of sakes. The more limited lunchtime offering is great value.”

Source: MICHELIN Guide

Amazed by the recent experience at Nagaya, we desperately wanted to also try its little offspring. We were lucky to get seats at the usually fully booked restaurant. Due to the restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the overall experience was somewhat diminished by the measures to ensure safe distancing within the restaurant. Most strikingly, the seats at the sushi bar were not available and so we had to settle on a nice table for two with good view towards the bar but without being able to be mesmerised by watching the chefs prepare the dishes. Still we were excited and anticipated a similarly outstanding experience.

Sushi Classics and Exlcusives

We focused on à la carte options and decided to start the meal with some classic sushi dishes to sample the variety of fish offered that night. We started out with a moriawase style nigiri plate that came with sake (salmon), shima aji (striped jack), maguro (tuna back) and hamachi (yellowtail). Both the salmon and striped jack were absolutely outstanding and melted in our mouths. Only the tuna cut was not so amazing and ranks more among average. We also had specialty rolls, a ebi tempura (deep fried shrimp) uramaki (inside our roll) and a spicy boston uramaki (inside our roll) with avocado, maguro (tuna back) and a spicy chilli sauce. The rolls were very well composed and even though maki and uramaki are not my favourites as usually the overcompensate the taste of the fish, these were excellent and quite tasty. Especially the fried shrimp was still super crispy and the roll was served at the perfect moment.

For the main course we decided to order from the fish menu rather then sushi menu and opted for one signature dish and one of the monthly special offers. We had a gindara saikyo yaki style (grilled black cod with miso sauce), that is certainly a classic and signature dish with its delicate and buttery textures. It was served with grilled nasu (eggplant) with horenso tempura (fried spinach) and senbei (rice crackers) topping as a side. The miso sauce was outstanding and the cod just melted in our mouths. The other dish was the grilled fish of the month, akamustu (rosy seabass), an amazingly distinct white fish with high fat and slightly sweet flavour. It was served with sliced vegetables on nasu (eggplant) purée. It was similarly outstanding, but a completely different spectrum of flavours and considerably lighter than the miso cod. The presentation of the dishes was impressive but not as amazing as the sushi plate we had at Nagaya.

We paired the initial sushi dish with a matching rich and dry white white wine recommended by the sommelier, a 2018 Weingut Keller Silvaner Feuervogel. For the main course we decided so sample the sake options in the the extensive wine and spirits menu. After lengthy deliberation and consultation with the sommelier, we decided to try a 45% rice polish grade sake, the Yamaguchi Prefecture Dassai 45 by Asahi Shuzo, made if Yamada-Nishiki rice. It was an excellent choice. Its taste was fruity and floral, yet soft enough to not dominate the fish of the main course and it has a clean finish.

To round off the meal, we decided to have another 2 of the sushi specialty rolls. We had a spicy sake (salmon) maki tempura (fried roll) and the house roll futomaki (big roll) with maguro (tuna back), sake (salmon), hamachi (yellowtail), ebi (shrimp) and kani (crab meat). The fried roll was excellent and served at the perfect moment to fully enjoy the crispness. The hose roll is outstanding and easily the best of those we tried. It is the same house roll also served in the mother restaurant and even though it was a bit surprising to see that many similarities, it certainly is an amazing roll to try. Also the gari (pickled ginger) had a very distinct signature taste and the fresh wasabi was well appreciated.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Yoshi by Nagaya seems to be more casual and simplistic with is chic interior design and is clearly catering to the trendy crowd, however the overall experience was very similar to the one at Nagaya. Among the MICHELIN star sushi restaurants we tried so far, it certainly deserves it place but it falls behind its mother and also other alternatives on a global scale. In Düsseldorf however, it certainly it stands alone with Nagaya as the best Japanese fine dining restaurants around. The interior design is cooler and more simplistic but the overall atmosphere and attitude of the staff is very similar. It is darker and more inviting for intimate dinners, however the cold vibe might be not as inviting for long stays as it could be. The menu options are only few, which can be a bit limited to the experience. The restaurant offers an omakase style set menu and few select items à la carte. The taste and quality of the food is outstanding and hard to beat even among the fierce competition of various Japanese restaurants in close proximity of the Japanese quarter in Düsseldorf. The sushi menu is limited to only basic fish, which maybe the main disappointment for true sushi aficionados. The drink and wine menu is extensive as one would expect from a one MICHELIN star restaurant and we were happy with the consultation we received and the choices we made. The service team was most forthcoming and friendly, making the stay a very pleasant experience. Yoshi by Nagaya is certainly an amazing restaurant that can be recommended without any hesitation, yet there are other good options around if more variety is desired. In comparison to the very similar mother restaurant, both are on the same level in almost all aspects, with little winning margin for Nagaya due to its more inviting atmosphere.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: September 1, 2020

The post Yoshi by Nagaya – Japanese Culinary Art in Düsseldorf, Germany appeared first on Sushi Guide.

An All or Nothing Dinner at Jap One

On one of the rare occasions to go out for dining during the COVID-19 pandemic, we stopped by for a late dinner and were in luck to get the last two seats of the night. Based on previous experiences and starving from the search for an appropriate restaurant, we decided to share some of the exclusive dishes on the menu. To say the least, it was worth it. After a small amuse-bouche in form of a taki yaki ball (deep fried octopus) and a sophisticated maguro (lean tuna back) tartar with avocado and kanji (crab meat), we were presented with an amazing ise-ebi (lobster) plate.

The lobster did not just look amazing but was an absolute delight. Seared in an excellent creamy sauce with some grilled seeds and bedded on wakame (dried lobe-leaf seaweed), it was a mind-blowing dish. The lobster had amazing texture and still melted in our mouths. The dish was crowned with the amazing teriyaki sauce on the side, that pushed the taste arrangement over the top for me.

Afterwards we had an omakase style plate of their sushi exclusives, which was also outstanding, even though it was hard to impress after the ise-ebi (lobster) dish. The plate came with sake (salmon), suzuki (sea bass) and hamachi (yellowtail) sashimi, sake (salmon) and mazara ebi (shrimp) nigiri, maguro yaki (grilled tuna) uramaki (inside out roll) with ibodai (butterfish) topping, sake (salmon), suzuki (sea bass), maguro (tuna back) futo maki (big roll), ebi (shrimp) and maguro (tuna back) uramaki (inside out roll), sake (salmon) tempura maki (fried roll) with quail egg and sake (salmon) tempura maki (fried roll).

Especially the mazara shrimps were outstanding and I cannot recommend them enough. If they are on any menu, they should be a must have. the grilled tuna roll with butterfish topping was also amazing and only surpassed bu the fried salmon roll with quail egg topping. Even though this rather feels like an Neapolitan composition than a Japanese delight, it was amazing and a signature dish of the restaurant in my perception.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Jap One is an amazing restaurant and deserves its rank among the best in Napoli. The menu is extensive and covers all basics and exclusives one would wish for. The taste and quality of the dishes is excellent and way above average in comparison to other Japanese restaurant around. The drink menu is also quite good and offers a nice selection of cocktails and both regional and international wines. The service staff was friendly and very forthcoming, but due to the layout of the restaurant we felt a bit left alone in the basement area. In any case, I highly recommend Jap One as one of the best restaurants in Napoli.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: October 9, 2020

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

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

The post Fuki Sushi – Amazing Japanese Cuisine in Palo Alto appeared first on Sushi Guide.

All You Can Eat Dinner

The prices and menu options at Osaka Japanese Restaurant differ slightly between lunch and dinner, so I chose dinner to sample the full breath of the menu. Although the menu is extensive, most dishes did not really appeal to me. The restaurant has a strong focus on ebi (shrimp) and fried food, which is common in Napoli. After some browsing, ordered some amaebi (sweet shrimp) and ebi (shrimp) wrapped with sake (salmon) sashimi, some taco yaki (fried octopus), sake (salmon) tempura make (friend rolls) and ebi (shrimp) and cani (crab) tempura futo maki (fried big roll). As expected the quality of the shrimp was quite good and the fried tolls lived up the Neapolitan standard.

Afterwards I tried some more ebi (shrimp), amaebi (sweet shrimp) and ika (squid) nigiri, all of which were quite nice but not outstanding. Some more ebi (shrimp) maki (roll) and sake (salmon) uramaki (inside out roll) were followed by some ebi (shrimp) and kani (crab) uramaki (inside out roll) with tobiko (flying fish roe) and ebi (shrimp) uramaki (inside out roll) with tobiko (flying fish roe). All in all it felt a bit repetitive and the taste of the ebi was not quite enough to keep me excited throughout the entire dinner.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Osaka Japanese Restaurant is among many options to choose from. It is a huge restaurant, probably the largest sushi restaurant in Napoli and does provide a canteen atmosphere rather than an intimate setting for a nice dinner. The menu options seem extensive at first glance, but are limited at best. There is a strong focus on shrimp (that might or might not be locally sourced) and salmon. The quality and taste of the food is not great in general, but above average for all you can eat restaurants around. The drink menu offers a good selection of basic items at fair prices. The service was forthcoming but a bit distanced at times. Overall, the restaurant ranks above other alternatives and might belong to the better all you can eat options around. However, it is not a remarkable sushi restaurant.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: June 19, 2019

The post Osaka Japanese Restaurant – Bites with a Neapolitan Twist appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Exceptional Dinner

With a group of colleagues we arrived at the restaurant for an early dinner. We were seated at a nice table with a good view over the sushi lounge and were served some nice sake tempura (fried salmon) as an amuse-bouche to kick of the dinner. We decided to sample the premium selection plates and ordered some individual premium items on top and were set for an amazing experience.

First, we had an amazing otoro (fatty tuna belly) tartare, which was absolutely breathtaking. It was followed by an sashimi plate with maguro (tuna back), hamachi (yellowtail), sake (salmon), suzuki (sea bass), hotategai (scallop) and ebi (shrimp) of which the scallop and shrimp were most amazing. We also sampled an hamachi (yellowtail) carpaccio with jalapeño dressing, which also excellent.

The next plate came with same hamachi (yellowtail), suzuki (sea bass), maguro (tuna back), sake (salmon) and ebi (shrimp) sashimi as well as hamachi (yellowtail), sake (salmon), maguro (tuna back), suzuki (sea bass), kuruma ebi (tiger prawn) and red ebi (shrimp) nigiri. The hamachi was excellent but surpassed by the outstanding texture and taste of the tiger prawn and red shrimp. Although this was a simple plate with standard items, it already was a remarkable dinner.

We then opted for some more toro (tuna belly) dishes. We tried the otoro (fatty tuna belly) tartare gunkan (battleship sushi), otoro (fatty tuna belly), otoro (fatty tuna belly) nigiri with maguro (tuna back) nigiri. All of these items were jaw dropping and rank among the best quality and taste of tuna in Napoli.

Subsequently we had two orders of the large signature mix plate that offers the most premium pieces the restaurant has to offer. It came with sake (salmon) maki, a amazing sake (salmon) uramaki (inside out roll) with seared sake (salmon) tartare topping, otoro (fatty tuna belly) nigiri with otoro (fatty tuna belly) tartare topping, sake (salmon), hamachi (yellowtail) with uni (sea urchin) topping, suzuki (sea bass) nigiri, ebi (shrimp) with ika (squid) and tobiko (flying fish roe) topping), kani (crab), kuruma ebi (tiger prawn) and ika (squid) nigiri with caviar topping.

To say the least, this plate was amazing. The combination of flavours created by the carefully picked toppings was outstanding and the quality and taste of the items was excellent. Most amazing were the yellowtail with the sea urchin, the squid with caviar and tiger prawn. It was only surpassed by the fatty tuna belly, that was as excellent as ever.

All in all, this was an absolutely excellent dinner that ranks among the best sushi experiences I ever had in Napoli. Just recently I resampled all the top choices in town and Otoro81 definitely outperformed the competition.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Otoro81 is an excellent Japanese restaurant with an amazing interior design and modern atmosphere. The lounge is very stylish but uses warm colours, so it feels comfy and cozy despite the cocktail bar and DJ setting. It invites for long stays that extend beyond the dinner. The menu options are extensive and offer both classic and highly exclusive items that are otherwise hard or even impossible to find in Napoli. The quality and taste of the food is outstanding. Although not on the same level as high end options globally, it certainly is one of its kind in Southern Italy. So far, it is the only restaurant that servers tuna at a high quality and also offers fatty tuna cuts that are excellent. The drink menu is extensive and offers anything you could hope for from cocktails to wine and spirits. The service team is excellent, friendly and forthcoming and creates a good vibe. For sure I will be back at Otoro81.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: June 1, 2019

The post Otoro81 – Upscale Japanese Cuisine in Chiaia, Napoli appeared first on Sushi Guide.

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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Moriawase Dinner

The menu seemed extensive and offered many options that are hard to find in other sushi restaurants in Napoli. The chef also offered a special menu around caviar, but this felt not entirely like what we had in mind for this night. So we opted for a set moriawase menu and explored the average dishes served at this restaurant. The first plate came with hamachi (yellowtail), maguro (tuna back) and sake (salmon) sashimi, maguro, sake, suzuki (sea bass) and tai (sea bream) nigiri. Both the sake and hamachi were excellent. The tuna was not very convincing however, which made us skip the o-toro options on the menu. The plate was followed by an uramaki (inside out roll) plate with sake and kani (crab meat) variations. The rolls were surprisingly good and all ingredients tasted fresh.

Afterwards, we tried a maguro (tuna back) tempura maki (deep fried roll) with sake (salmon) topping. This roll was excellent as well and had a very tasty sauce that added a sweet note to the dish. As fried dishes are very popular in Napoli, this was well in line with high expectations for fried food. We ordered some final pieces and finished our dinner with an uni (sea urchin) gunkan, unagi (freshwater eel) and blue ebi (shrimp) nigiri and piece of glorious wagyu beef striploin nigiri.

Sushi Guide Verdict

OMU is a fancy restaurant with stylish interior catering to upscale clients. The atmosphere is cozy but the bright color of the indirect lights installed in the restaurant can feel a bit cold. Due to the clean granite walls, the restaurant gets very loud even with few tenants present. The menu options are extensive and among the largest in Napoli for sure. The menu offers anything a sushi aficionado might look for and even has some special delicacies, such as 5 types of ebi. The food quality was very good for most dishes, but some basics clearly lack in quality. The tuna was just mediocre, which is a common issue in many sushi restaurant in town. However, overall the taste and texture of the dishes was good and everything felt fresh and prepared with care. The drink menu is also extensive and covers all needs for a long night out. The service was friendly and forthcoming and made us feel at home. The restaurant is nice addition to the few sushi restaurants that stand out in Napoli.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: December 1, 2018

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