“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

The post Jun Sakamoto – Unmistakable Sushi in São Paulo, Brazil appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Amazing lunch plates

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

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

Sushi Guide Verdict

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

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

 

Review date: May 24, 2017

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

Late Sushi Dinner

This time I went with 2 friends for a late seating. We started out with a sashimi moriawase plate. It came with king sake (king salmon), hamachi (yellowtail), hon maguro (bluefin tuna back), kanpachi (amber jack) and tai (sea bream). As usual, everything tasted really good and the tai was especially amazing. I had this moriawase plate many times, but it remains to be an absolute delight.

After the sashimi, I had a small dish of horenso (spinach) and then opted for some nigiri pieces. I had ainame (greenling), kamasu (barracuda), isaki (grunt fish) and toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly). Obviously the toro was outstanding, but I was also very impressed with the ainame, which I never had before. It was very tasty and a welcome surprise. The isaki was also pretty unique and was a good recommendation by our sushi chef. All of these nigiri pieces were sushi bar exclusives, so it was a good decision to wait for seats at the bar.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Sushi Ran is an absolutely superior sushi restaurant and always a good choice. It provides a very authentic atmosphere and very welcoming and warm setting. The menu options are extensive and the fish quality and taste is among the best to find. The drink menu is also excellent and offers lots of beer, wine and sake options. The service was outstanding, friendly and forthcoming. Although we only stayed for a very brief dinner, it was an excellent choice to make the trip to Sausalito.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

 

Review date: June 2, 2018

The post Sushi Ran – Incredible Sushi Delights in Sausalito, California appeared first on Sushi Guide.

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

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

Omakase Sashimi Dinner

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

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

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

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

Sushi Guide Verdict

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

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

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

 

Review date: October 20, 2015

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

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

The post ‘Osushi Japanese Restaurant – An Authentic Sushi Experience in Napoli, Italy appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Omakase Sushi Dinner

Even though we have visited this restaurant many times, it is always an amazing experience to come back, especially if there is the time for an extended omakase dinner at the sushi bar. This time, the omakase plate was full of amazing surprises and was simply mindblowing. It came with an amazing selection of tuna cuts, chu toro (blueing medium fatty tuna belly), o toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly), maguro (bluefin tuna back) and amazing hara toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly) sashimi. It is safe to say that this was among the best we ever had.

But also the other fish on the plate was outstanding. Beyond the tuna we had ama ebi (sweet shrimp), akagai (red clam), mirugai (long neck clam), hotategai (scallop), kanpachi (amber jack), sake (salmon) and breathtaking ika (squid) sashimi. On the side we also had ebi shinjo (deep fried shrimp dumplings), which are the best deep fried shrimps ever and can only be found on the daily specials menu from time to time.

Sushi Guide Verdict

As always, our visit at Matsumi was an outstanding experience. It authentic atmosphere and kind staff made this stay as warm as one would like with enough time and space to fully enjoy the extensive dinner. Even though we opted for an omakase dinner, the menu options are outstanding and cover a huge range of variety, leaving no desire unanswered. Same goes for the drink menu which is extensive and incorporates a sophisticated sake collection. The service was perfect, warm, friendly and humble and made this one of the reasons why we always come back. Check out more reviews of Matsumi, one of our favourite sushi restaurants on the planet.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

 

Review date: June 11, 2014

The post Matsumi – An Amazing Japanese Experience appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Dinner at Sushi Ran

Seated at a table close to the sushi bar, I opted for a lengthy and opulent dinner. Starting with a moriawase sashimi plate, I was swept away on my gourmet journey. It came with umi masu (ocean trout), king sake (kink salmon) and hamachi (yellow tail) among other things. Afterwards I opted for a huge omakase style sashimi plate that was truly amazing. It came with kanpachi (amber jack), tako (octopus), kamasu (young barracuda), king sake (king salmon), toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly), aji (horse mackerel) and kankachi (amber jack). For a last course, I tried some most amazing unagi (frehswater eel) nigiri and some even more breathtaking wagyu a5 grade strip loin nigiri.

Sushi Guide Verdict

As always, Sushi Ran caters to its tenants with its traditional approach and the cozy atmosphere induced by the uniquely designed interior. The menu options are up and beyond anything you could desire with the most amazing quality and taste of every fish I had. The extensive wine and sake menu invites people to enjoy themselves even more while being served by the most friendly and forthcoming people. It you get a seat at the sushi bar, you can chat with the sushi chefs, who gladly share exciting anecdotes. If you are looking for more privacy, any table in the restaurant or on its lovely terrace will do just as fine. I can also recommend it as a very romantic restaurant within the picturesque and dreamy backdrop of Sausalito. Whenever you are in the area, make sure to get a table at Sushi Ran.

Review date: November 6, 2012

The post Sushi Ran – An All Time Classic appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Sashimi Dinner

I started the dinner with a sashimi platter composed with kanpachi (amber jack), sake (salmon), ika (squid), maguro (tuna), hotategai (scallop), hamachi (yellowtail) and ama-ebi (sweet shrimp). The fish of superior quality and taste and was a perfect light dinner. As I couldn’t resists the day’s special menu, I also tried sake toro (salmon belly) nigiri. This definitely was the best salmon belly I had in a very long time and made sure that I visited Busshari frequently.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Busshari is superior Japanese restaurant with a good selection of fresh fish and other authentic dishes. The interior design of the restaurant is very pleasant, although some might consider it too dark for a restaurant. I enjoyed the atmosphere very much and would recommend it for romantic dinners as well as for quick bites. The menu is awesome and offers daily specials with a certain rarity. The taste and quality was great, only the drink menu somewhat scarce. The restaurant’s staff was very friendly and forthcoming, making this sushi restaurant one of the few in Sydney to be recommended.

Review date: May 6, 2016

The post Busshari – An Authentic Japanese Restaurant appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Sashimi Plate

This time I just had a quick dinner with an amazing sashimi plate. It came with kanpachi (amber jack), maguro (tuna), sake (salmon), walu (white tuna) & hamachi (yellowtail) and was just as amazing as I hoped it would be. With little time left in Miami Beach, I couldn’t stick around for dessert, but I will whenever I come back to Miami.

Sushi Guide Verdict

As expected, the atmosphere didn’t change over the few days between my visits to Toni’s Sushi Bar. The dark and cozy setting of the restaurant made me feel at home. Once again the menu offered a great selection of fish. The quality and taste of the fish was very good although I was unable to try items from the daily specials menu. They were already sold out. The drink menu offers a good variety sake options. The service team was very polite and everything smoothly.

Review date: January 10, 2016

The post Back at Toni’s Sushi Bar Again – A Definite Recommendation for Miami Beach appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Operating since 1987, Toni’s Sushi Bar claims to be the first sushi restaurant in Miami Beach. High Zagat ratings underline the ongoing success of the restaurant. The menu ranges from soups and salads to large entrees such as Toni’s duck or Toni’s steak. The Sushi selection is quite good and offers various choices of both moriawase or omakase style sashimi plates. Toni’s Sushi Bar leaves nothing to be desired on terms of menu options.

Sashimi Dinner

The omakase sashimi plate was quite amazing with cobia (finfish), hamachi (yellowtail), kanpachi (amber jack), maguro (tuna) and sake (salmon). I ordered some additional aji (horse mackerel), tai (red snapper) and toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly) from the daily specials menu. All of these were amazing and if the toro hadn’t sold out, I would have ordered even more.

I finished the dinner with a sake cava temaki (grilled salmon skin handroll), an unagi (freshwater eel) nigiri and a anago (sea eel) nigiri. I never had anago before and liked it very much. Still it falls behind the unagi, one of my absolute favorites.

Sushi Guide Verdict

The atmosphere of at Toni’s Sushi Bar is cozy and familiar. It is quite dark and one feels at home even when the place is packed. Although there is no particular style to the interior design, it feels like a very original place. The sushi menu offers a great selection of fish with additional items on the daily specials menu. The quality and taste of the fish was outstanding and far better than to be expected. The drink menu offers a good variety of wine, beer and premium sake options. The service team was very polite although there were some language issues from time to time.

Review date: December 31, 2015

The post Toni’s Sushi Bar – A Traditional Sushi Restaurant im Miami Beach appeared first on Sushi Guide.