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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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

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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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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

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Sashimi and Nigiri Dinner

This time I went with two friends and we made it a special night. The opulent meal started out with an omakase sashimi plate. It came with hamachi (yellowtail), o toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly), chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly), maguro (bluefin tuna back), ika (squid) and aji (mackerel). I always love the aji sashimi and was blown away by the o toro. So we had another sashimi plate with kanpachi (amber jack), o toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly), sake (salmon), ama ebi (sweet shrimp), maguro (bluefin tuna back), hamachi (yellowtail), aji (mackerel), ika (squid), mirugai (long neck clam) and hotategai (scallop) sashimi. With this second plate we probably covered most of the dishes available this night and all of them were amazing.

For a final course we tried some nigiri. We had maguro (bluefin tuna back), o toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly), chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly), hara toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly), aji (mackerel), mirugai (long neck clam), hamachi (yellowtail) and unagi (freshwater eel). The tuna pieces were an absolute delight and smoothly melted in my mouth. The unagi is also among my favourite fishes and I enjoyed as much as ever. With this fabulous finale, we called it a night.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Matsumi is truly a one of its kind restaurant with a unique and welcoming atmosphere. The authentic interior matches the overall experience and always makes me come back. The menu options are extensive with the most exquisite options to choose from. The food quality and taste was absolutely outstanding as always. The drink menu offers anything one could desire and the service was most forthcoming and friendly.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

 

Review date: July 12, 2013

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Sashimi from 5 different cuts of tuna

Among my many visits to the restaurant, this was certainly a very special day in my life as a sushi aficionado. I had the opportunity to try 5 different varieties of tuna with this small but life changing sashimi plate. It had maguro (bluefin tuna back), o toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly), chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly), hara toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly) and kama toro (bluefin extra fatty tuna cheek). I had toro,  chu toro and o toro many times before but I never tried kama toro before. And even I thought I knew all about how amazing tuna sashimi can be, this day will always be remembered. The texture and test was amazing on a whole different level. It was as if the tuna melted in my mouth. Even today I can still recall every minute of this experience. 

Sushi Guide Verdict

As always, Matsumi provided a warm and welcoming atmosphere that feels totally authentic and real to me. The menu is one of most extensive sushi menu’s I have ever encountered and the fish is always of the highest quality and most amazing taste. This time of course, it was from another universe, but it is always outstanding to say the least. The drink menu is vast and offers a large selection of beers, wine and sakes. The service was lovely as always. The staff is always very friendly, welcoming and makes dining at Matsumi a truly unique experience.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

 

Review date: September 10, 2015

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Dinner at otoro81

This is the second time I went to the restaurant and this time we chose a table at the far end of room. In a group of 3 people there was no way to squeeze us in at the bar. We started out with some wakame and maguro (bluefin tuna back) tataki plate as well as an amazing o-toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly) tartare. This was an experience to be remembered and scores among the most unique tuna dishes I ever had.

Afterwards we a plate of mixed sashimi with sake (salmon), maguro (bluefin tun back) and hamachi (yellowtail). Although the sake was very good, the overall experience was a little disappointing in comparison to the first course. Lastly we ordered a unagi (freshwater eel) and sake (salmon) inside out roll, which was pretty good and a few more pieces of the o-toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly) as nigiri, the signature dish of the restaurant.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Overall, dining a otoro81 is an absolute delight. It it is the best sushi restaurant I have been to in Napoli so far and provides al welcoming and totally unique atmosphere. The menu options are good, although this time they seemed limited compared to the previous visit when I was seated at the bar. The food quality and taste is outstanding and also the dink menu provides everything one could desire. The service was friendly but a little bit distanced this time. It was a very busy night, so it probably was because of that. All in all, I recommend to check out this restaurant but would advise to sit at the sushi bar for the best experience.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: April 14, 2018

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Small bites with huge impact

Over the years I did everything from large dinners with huge sashimi plates to quick bites for lunch. In any configuration, I absolutely enjoyed every meal I ever had at the restaurant. This time I had some tiny startes of which I like the marinated tako (octopus) best. It was followed by ebi shinjo (deep fried shrimp dumplings) which are among my absolute favourite dishes at Matsumi, and some sake (salmon) nigiri. The main highlight was a small tuna sashimi plate that was composed of o toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly) and chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly). As always, the tuna sashimi was breathtaking and an absolute delight. The tuna melted in my mouth and is hard to live without.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Matsumi is truly unique restaurant. The interior design is very authentic and warm with lots of wooden elements that always make me feel at home. The menu is outstanding and offer many delicious options apart from typical sushi dishes. As always the fish was of the highest quality and had amazing taste and texture. The drink menu is extensive and offers anything you could be looking for. Lastly, the service was perfect as ever and I really appreciate all the effort the team is putting into making every visit a remarkable experience.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

 

Review date: August 4, 2017

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Sashimi Carpaccio

Sometimes, something extraordinary happens when I visit this restaurant. Already being among my absolute favourites, the sushi chef keeps surprising me with unparalleled dishes with unbelievable attention to detail. This time we were presented with a breathtaking akamutsu (seaperch) carpaccio that topped everything I have ever seen just like that. The slices were so thin, I just looked amazing and tasted even better. The carpaccio was topped some ika (squid) and ama ebi (sweet shrimp) side orders.

After that we went on with an awesome omakase sashimi plate. It came with chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly), ika (squid), ama ebi (sweet shrimp), sake (salmon), hamachi (yellowtail), tako (octopus), hotategai (scallop), akagai (red clam) and mirugai (long neck clam). To say the least, this was an amazing sashimi plate. The texture and taste of the chu toro was exceptional as was the ika. This is almost unfair since everything else also tasted extremely good, fresh and looked so beautiful.

Sushi Guide Verdict

The atmosphere at Matsumi is very unique and feels authentic, warm and ambient. The menu options are almost limitless and offers something for every taste, even for those who never tried sushi or don’t eat any fish. The drink menu it outstanding as well and offers a large variety of Japanese spirits to choose from. As always the staff was friendly, welcoming and warm and made this experience one to be remembered. 

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: April 3, 2013

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

hamachi (yellowtail) nigiri

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

shirako (cod sperm) lightly grilled

aji (horse mackerel) nigiri

Sushi Guide Verdict

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