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

The post Otoro Lab – Japanese Bites in Chiaia, Napoli appeared first on Sushi Guide.

I went for an extensive dinner and even though I knew better, I started off with some fried options. As fried food is the prime discipline of any Neapolitan kitchen, fried dishes are always tasty and outperform international competition, but they are also very heavy and add quite a load for the rest of the meal. I hat some ebi tempura (fried shrimp), takoyaki (fried octopus) and few pieces of sake (salmon) maki tempura (fried roll). I am a big fan of takoyaki and have to say, that usually these are outstanding in Napoli as the ability to fry food is superior to most other regions I have been to.

Orders are managed though iPads, making the overall experience a bit impersonal. By now this is common in most all you can eat sushi restaurants in Napoli. On the upside, its easy to keep track of all the dishes for the review, so I did not need to take notes. I ordered some suzuki (sea bass) and tako (octopus) sashimi alongside sake zuke (grilled salmon) and maguro (tuna back) nigiri. The tako was outstanding and also the sake was nice. As usual in Napoli, the maguro was not so interesting. So I took another oder of the sake zuke (grilled salmon) and added some ika (squid) nigiri alongside some hotategai (scallop) sashimi. The hotategai was also very nice and overall I was impressed with quality of the food and variety of options to choose from.

Usually, all you you can eat restaurants have limited options available and focus on salmon, tuna back and shrimp. Here, there were a lot of interesting things to discover. I ordered some more sashimi. It came with sake (salmon), ibodai (butterfish), ika (squid), ama-ebi (sweet shrimp) and hokkigai (red clam), which is a rare find in any sushi restaurant around. Also the ibodai was actually the best I had in Napoli so far. Therefore I went for another round of nigiri with ibodai (butterfish) and ama-ebi (sweet shrimp) to close the meal.

Sushi Guide Verdict

All in all, I was super happy and satisfied with my experience at Sushi Sapporo. The atmosphere of the restaurant is welcoming, even though it is quite large and loud. The menu options are outstanding for an all you can eat restaurant and easily outperform the competition in Napoli. The taste and quality of the fish was very good and some pieces rank well even compared with upscale Japanese restaurants around. The drink menu is a bit limited but offers enough options for a nice night out. The service staff is friendly and welcoming, but interactions are limited due to the fact that all interactions are managed through the iPads. Apart from being seated and paying the bill, there are few interactions. I can recommend Sushi Sapporo as a nice option in Napoli and the best all you can eat sushi restaurant in the area.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: October 25 2021

The post Sushi Sapporo – All You Can Eat Sushi Dining in Vomero, Napoli 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.

The website looks super nice, all black with high quality photos of varies dishes and sets to choose from. The menu sees extensive and evolves mainly about preconfigured sets to choose from. Upon taking a closer look, most dishes are somewhat identical and use the same base ingredients – mostly salmon, tuna back and shrimps – mixed up with different dressings. Presentation is everything with Steffen Henssler, so the options on the website certainly also delivered on that promise.

I made some choices and received a call shortly after the order was made. Some items were not available and I was suggested some alternatives to choose from. I was quite happy with the service and curiously waited for the delivery. The sushi came in simple but beautiful packaging, matching the high quality look of the website. Even the chopsticks and soy sauce came in nice black packaging.

The meal started out with two amazing pieces of sake (salmon) nigiri, which made me really optimistic about the rest of the menu. I then tried the spicy maguro (tuna back) futo maki tempura (fried big roll), which was also nice but not as impressive. Also until here, I was also quite happy with the presentation and the overall experience.

The main package contained my individually configured set. Even though I can appreciate the intention behind the overall setup and design of the package, the unpacked food looked far less appealing as I expected it to look. The rolls looked quite messed up and pieces moved around in transit, leaving greasy traces across the glossy package. It’s not relevant for the culinary experience per se, but certainly dampened the mood as I had higher expectations.

The set cam with maguro yaki (grilled tuna back) sashimi, kappa (cucumber) uramaki (inside out roll) with sake (salmon) topping, ebi tempura (fried shrimp) uramaki (inside out roll) with sake (salmon) tartare and caviar topping. The cucumber roll was really not that amazing, the shrimp roll was better but due to the distinct taste of the salmon and caviar. Overall, the pieces were covered in sauce, all of which were not bad, but took away any taste of the fish. The dish also came with three pieces of maguro (tuna back) futo maki tempura (fried big roll) with maguro (tuna back) tartare and tobiko (flying fish roe) topping. It sounded better that it was. Also here, the tartare dressing took away most of the distinct taste of the tuna, rendering the sushi experience a bit mute in my opinion.

Certainly, the overall look, quality and taste is quite nice. It is certainly above average sushi, but it comes at a really upscale price, resulting in higher expectations in terms of taste, presentation and mostly variety in the dished. Overall, the pieces that I got, based on staff recommendation, are all quite similar and lacked any surprise.

Sushi Guide Verdict

All in all, I am happy with the presentation, menu options and service offered when ordering at GO by Steffen Henssler. However, even though the menu looks very appealing, the variety is highly limited and mainly uses salmon, tuna and shrimp as base ingredients, basically the most standard of all sushi components. In combination with the heavy use of sauces and dressings, it seems as if the menu caters less to sushi aficionados than I hope for. The quality and taste of the food is quite good, it is just not very close to anything that I expect from a sushi experience. The site offers limited drink options, but for takeout food, it is certainly sufficient. All in all, I am undecided if I would order there again. If dining in a large group, the offered sets are good options, for a nice Japanese dining experience, I would definitely look elsewhere.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: September 6, 2021

The post GO by Steffen Henssler – Upscale Sushi Takeout in Düsseldorf, Germany 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.

I ordered a basic nigiri set that came with hotategai (scallop), maguro (tuna back), ebi (shrimp), sake (salmon), ika (squid), tako (octopus) and unagi (freshwater eel). Beyond that, I had a ebi tempura (fried shrimp) uramaki (inside out roll) and another set of unagi (freshwater eel) and hotategai (scallop) nigiri.Considering that it was takeout sushi, I was pleasantly surprise by the variety and also the quality of the set. Especially the scallop, squid and octopus really stood out as excellent.

Sushi Guide Verdict

The overall experience was better than expected but still not great. Event hough I was pleasantly surprised by the variety and even the quality of the scallop, squid and octopus, the rest was really not very appealing. The restaurant itself also did not stand out as a place for a nice dinner, so I would go back for an in-house experience. The menu options are average, as is the overall food quality. The drink menu is limited and the service was friendly but nothing special to be mentioned. Kinsho is an option for delivery food, but nothing beyond that.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: September 15, 2021

The post Kinsho – Quick Sushi Bites in Düsseldorf, Germany 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.

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.

I ordered some a la carte items from the menu. They also had a large number of pre-defined sets, but most of them did not speak to me. Most sets were heavily based on sushi with avocado as a key component, which is something I don’t particularly like. I chose some ebi tempura (fried shrimp) maki (roll), sake (salmon), maguro (tuna back), sake yaki (grilled salmon) and maguro yaki (grilled tuna back) nigiri. Then I took two uramaki (inside out rolls) with ebi tempura (fried shrimp) and maguro (topping) and the other one with ebi tempura (friend shrimp) and tobiko (flying fish roe) topping. I also took 4 pieces of their sake (salmon) maki tempura (fried roll), which stood out among the selection.

Sushi Guide Verdict

All in all, I have mixed feelings about DEN Home. The restaurant itself seemed nice, but not special. The staff was very friendly and forthcoming and I was almost sad that I could not stay due to the restrictions. In the end, I took the takeout food to the terrace and ate there, which was allowed. The menu options were a bit disappointing as most dishes were variations of the same base components, mainly salmon, tuna back and shrimps. The taste and quality was good, but for a full meal, more variety would be better. Drink options were simple but sufficient for quick bites or casual meals.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: June 16, 2021

The post DEN Home – Sushi Takeout in Düsseldorf, Germany appeared first on Sushi Guide.