“What would you expect at Yoshizumi Nagaya’s restaurant other than typical Japanese precision and simplicity? The flavours are sophisticated, purist and natural, the onus on choice ingredients. The pleasantly reserved, professional front-of-house team are always pleased to offer wine and sake recommendations.”

Source: MICHELIN Guide

Puristic Dinner at Nagaya

In a group of two we showed up at the restaurant without reservation and were lucky enough to get a spot in the otherwise heavily frequented and usually fully booked restaurant. Seated at a table for two with a view towards the sushi bar, we quickly adjusted to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions at the restaurant. Even though all staff had to wear masks all the time, we were able to lift our face covers once we reached our table and sanitised our hands. As one would expect from a fine dining restaurant such as this, the staff ensured we had an amazing experience despite current restrictions.

Since we arrived shortly after 8:30 pm, it was no longer possible to order the set menu option, as this would not have fitted in the remaining opening hours of the restaurant. Without being too disappointed about it, we focused on the sushi part of the menu and decided to order some starters and then share a SUSHI and SASHIMI house set that would take us on a culinary journey throughout the night. The meal started with an amazing miso soup with tofu and fermented vegetables. It was matched by a great glass of Riesling recommend by the sommelier. After the soup we had a roll from goose liver terrine with red beet croquant and hazel nut powder (of which we sadly took no photos).

Nagaya’s Sushi and Sashimi house set

As the main course, a huge plate of sushi, nigiri and sashimi pieces was served with dry ice for visual effects. It covered almost all delicacies from the sushi menu and was absolutely amazing. The plate was served with another matching white wine recommended by the sommelier. It was a 2018 Weingut Keller Silvaner Feuervogel, which was not just perfectly suited for the sushi plate, but an outstanding rich and dry white wine in general.

The SUSHI and SASHIMI house set came with an outstanding california roll – a kani (crab meat) and avocado uramaki (inside out roll) – and a spicy tuna roll – maguro (lean tuna back) maki with chilli mayonnaise – as well as the house roll – a sake (Scottish salmon), maguro (lean tuna back), hamachi (Japanese yellowtail) and ebi (shrimp) futo maki (big roll). The futo maki was absolutely amazing and after some initial scepticism wether so many pieces of fish in one roll would result in a nice composition, it turned out the be the most amazing roll of them all. The plate also came with some basic sashimi pieces, sake (Scottish salmon), hamachi (Japanese yellowtail) and maguro (lean tuna back). The tuna was advertised as a Mediterranean tuna from Spain.

The were also 5 types of nigiri, all of which were pretty amazing on its own. The plate came with tai (Japanese sea bream), aji (mackerel), sake (Scottish salmon), hamachi (Japanese yellowtail) and chu-toro (medium fatty tuna belly) nigiri. The only pieces that were not absolutely breathtaking were the hamachi. Everything else was super rich, had amazing texture and taste that went well with the white wine.

There was room for more…

To round things off, we also sampled few items that were not part of the SUSHI and SASHIMI house set. Most impressively, the unagi (Taiwanese freshwater eel) and hotategai (Breton scallop) nigiri were absolutely jaw dropping. I have rarely enjoyed as amazing scallops anywhere and these two pieces are some of my absolute favourites. The hotategai came with a small dip of chilli sauce, which gave an amazing taste to the contained taste of the scallop. The teriyaki sauce for the unagi was also excellent and the piece was served warm, which is my preference. Even the fresh wasabi and gari (ginger) were excellent.

As a last dish we tried something a bit more crunchy. The ebi tempura (deep fried) uramaki (inside out roll) was a nice finale to the opulent dinner and culinary journey we took during this night.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Nagaya certainly is a one of its kind restaurant. Even among the fierce competition in Germany’s largest Japanese community in Düsseldorf it stands alone as the best Japanese fine dining restaurant around. It ranks well among the MICHELIN star sushi restaurants we tried so far. For a more casual sushi experience, Nagaya recently opened a second branch called Yoshi, which is an outstanding alternative to the fine dining setting of the main restaurant and provides the same quality of sushi dishes.

Nagaya certainly caters to upscale clientele with its chic and conservative interior design. The warm atmosphere and welcoming staff made our visit quite enjoyable and a unique experience. The menu options are a bit limited since the restaurant offers an omakase set menu each night and some additional items á la carte. Never the less, the quality and taste of the food is outstanding and second to none. The drink and wine menu is extensive as one would expect from a one MICHELIN star restaurant. We were especially satisfied with our choices of wine and can highly recommend to trust the sommelier’s recommendations for matching the dishes if desired. The service team was most forthcoming and catered to us with a good mix of restraint and initiative. Overall, this was an amazing experience and Nagaya certainly is a must for any serious sushi aficionado living in or visiting Düsseldorf.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: July 14, 2020

The post Nagaya – Japanese Sophistication in Düsseldorf, Germany appeared first on Sushi Guide.

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

Source: MICHELIN GUIDE SÃO PAULO 2019

An Exquisite Dinner Experience at Jun Sakamoto

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

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

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

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

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

Sushi Guide Verdict

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

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: October 20, 2019

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

Dinner a la Carte

I went there for an early dinner on a Saturday and got a nice table outside that they set up just for me as all other seats were already taken or reserved. The menu ist not that extensive and covers the usual basics of a restaurant of this kind. The Peruvian twist is apparent but not dominant and mostly focusses on sauces and other accents for the traditional sushi selection.

The meal started with a tara (codfish) gyoza tempura (fried dumplings) that were quite nice, but not outstanding. Codfish is a very common fish in Napoli, which made the dish rather Neapolitan than Peruvian. Afterwards I samples the Victor Roll of the specialties menu, which was a sake (salmon), suzuki (sea bass), hirnmasse (amber jack) uramaki (inside out roll) with red ebi (shrimp) topping. The shrimps were advertised as coming from Mazara in Sicily and were in fact outstanding. The roll was nice but the distinct taste of the individual fish got lost in the mix.

As a final plate I tried the premium nigiri selection, which in fact was more a plate of classical items rather than anything special. It cake with sake (salmon), suzuki (sea bass), maguro (tuna back), ebi (shrimp), tai (sea bream) and sake yaki (grilled salmon) nigiri. The salmon was of good quality and also the tai was nice with the mango sauce they served it with. The ebi was not the same type from Mazara and therefore a bit disappointing. Same goes for the tuna which is usually nothing special in Napoli’s sushi restaurants. On the plus side, the plate looked very nice, much better then it was from a culinary perspective however.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Cariño Nikkei is tiny but stylish sushi restaurant that offers a nice vibe on a square with many other restaurants and bars. If you like being in a hectic and compressed place, it could rank among a cool place to hang out. However, it doesn’t invite for a romantic or quiet dinner. The menu options are quite nice, but do not extend beyond very typical fish to choose from. Rarities are not available. The quality and taste of the fish is average and nothing special apart from the Mazara shrimp, which is outstanding. However, many Japanese restaurants around serve excellent shrimp. The drink menu is simple but fitting for the setting of the restaurant. The service team at Cariño Nikkei was friendly and forthcoming, but since the place is rather busy, they didn’t create a very personal atmosphere. Considering the rather high price point of the restaurant, I would recommend it for small snacks or lunch, but an extensive dinner will be quite expensive and not worth the money compared to other options around.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: June 22, 2019

The post Cariño Nikkei – Peruvian Japanese Kitchen in Chiaia, Napoli appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Midnight Bites

While exploring San Francisco and it’s cultural offerings time passed quickly. Since many restaurants close pretty early in the night compared to other regions (e.g. the Mediterranean), options rapidly decrease at late hours. Still, some restaurants are in for a surprise. Way after midnight on a weekday we entered the small underground sushi restaurant for some quick bites on the go. The cocktail bar was very good (we had vodka with cucumber and mint served in a classical martini glass) and also the music selection was excellent with a resident DJ.

As a group we shared some tobiko (flying fish roe) gunkan and a selection of avocado uramaki (inside out roll) with hamachi (yellowtail), ebi (shrimp), ika (squid), aji (mackerel), sake (salmon), maguro (tuna back) and tai (sea bream) topping. The texture and taste of the fish was excellent way beyond anything we expected at such a late hour. As a last call for the kitchen we had some nice maguro (tuna back) futo maki (big roll) and some sake (salmon) uramaki (inside out roll).

Sushi Guide Verdict

Ryoko’s Japanese Restaurant is an authentic and particular sushi restaurant in the heart of San Francisco. It is a tiny place that tries to convey the vibe of a Tokyo sushi bar and is frequented by many Japanese customers as well. The menu options are quite good and the food quality is excellent. The drink menu is average and the service was friendly and forthcoming. Especially on a midnight stroll, this restaurant is a very good option for some sushi snacks.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: June 8, 2019

The post Ryoko’s Japanese Restaurant – Quick Sushi Bites 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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All you can eat

Despite my general dislike of all you can eat menu options, I was tempted to try the restaurant for a some quick bites during lunch. Although the menu offers extensive dishes, only a subset is focussed on Japanese cuisine and and even smaller part of the menu is available within the all you can eat offer. So I decided to der some basic dishes to get an idea about the average dishes available. I started with some ebi tempura (deep fried shrimp) uramaki (inside out roll), sake yaki (grilled salmon), tako (octopus) and sake (salmon) nigiri. The salmon was actually surprisingly good and the fried uramaki was convincing enough to try another one. I also had a sake (salmon) o-nigiri, which was filled with mayonnaise to my disappointment. The tai (sea bream) was ok but nothing special. I also tried a maguro (tuna back) tempura maki (deep fried roll), but it was uninspiring and I actually forgot to take a photo.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Ristorante Hokkaido is a very basic restaurant with a rather uninviting atmosphere. The place is tiny, but offers additional tables on the top level. Overall the interior looks uninspired and is not maintained in a very good way. As I suspect the restaurant to be frequented mostly for quick meals during lunch and dinner, it might not be a big problem for most. Still, I would not go there for a nice meal. The menu options are extensive, but only a subset is focussed on Japanese cuisine. The biggest part of the menu seems more like basic Chinese cuisine with some Indian elements. All in all a strange menu composition. The food quality was ok. The fried dishes were tasty but this is almost to be expected in Napoli, where fried dishes are very common. The quality and taste of the fish is not worth mentioning. The drink menu is good and fits the overall setup of the restaurant. The staff was friendly but not especially forthcoming. Overall I would only go to this restaurant for very quick bites.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: December 5, 2018

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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

The post OMU – Elegant Japanese Restaurant in Santa Lucia, Napoli appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Simple Sushi Dishes

The menu features some appertizers, such as edamame, wakame our soups, and a broad selection of nigiri dishes. The sashimi options a very limited and the largest portion of the menu is made of maki, uramaki, te maki and some additional fried dishes. Some other dishes seem to have a little asian influence and would best be described as simple and huge.

I decided to stick with classical sushi dishes and tried the sake (salmon) and suzuki (sea bass) sashimi and some ika (squid), saba (mackerel), tai (red snapper) and tako (octopus) nigiri. The suzuki was nice and the ika was so good that I ordered another two pieces. However, the second two pieces were not convincing. I also tried the sake cava te maki (grilled salmon skin hand roll) which sounded very appealing. Unfortunately the grilled salmon skin was also deep fried, which dominated the taste of the hand roll. I also tried a tako tempura (deep fried octopus) uramaki (inside out roll), which probably was the best dish during the dinner. The last order was a sake (salmon) maki tempura (deep fried roll) that was also too dominated by the fried taste.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Koi Sushi is a very busy and super crowded and therefor extremely loud restaurant. On all three stories the restaurant has a dark asian decor that feels a little depressing. Still everything looked well maintained and on brand. The menu options are extensive but at the same time very limited in their variety. There only few different fish and the taste and quality of the dishes was average. Due to the all you can eat policy, most dishes come with plenty of rice and certainly well suited to fill guest up quickly. Drinks are not included in the fixed menu price, but still the drink menu is rather basic. The service team was very forthcoming and friendly. However, the crew is super busy so waiters are difficult to catch and for some dishes the wait was more than 30 minutes. Overall the restaurant provided everything one could look for in an all you can eat restaurant, but the quality of the food could be better. Compared to other restaurants in Napoli with similar offers, I would recommend to go somewhere else.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

 

Review date: October 13, 2018

The post Koi Sushi – Japanese restaurant in the center of Napoli appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Amazing sushi dinner

The dinner started out with an awesome moriawase sashimi plate with umi masu (ocean trout), hamachi (yellowtail), maguro (big eye tuna) and fresh wasabi. The hamachi was absolutely amazing and among the best I have ever had. The umi masu was also delicious and melted in my mouth. Only the maguro was rather average. With this impressive start, I decided to try more specialties from the menu.

The nigiri plate I ordered was absolutely amazing. It came with tai (sea bream), hotategai (scallop), kamasu (barracuda), inada (baby yellowtail), hotaru-ika (firefly squid) and bincho toro (albacore tuna belly). It is difficult to say, what was most amazing. The hotategai was very creamy and an absolute delight, the inada was even better then the previous hamachi sashimi. The hotaru-ika was delicious and the bincho toro just melted in my mouth with an amazing texture and mild bus very distinct taste. It was amazing.

Sushi Guide Verdict

ICHI Sushi is an amazing restaurant in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights with a very classy and chic interior design. It’s a very small place and when its full, it also is extremely loud, the only downside to the otherwise very authentic restaurant. The menu options are exclusive but not very extensive and a advertised as sustainably sourced. The quality and taste of the fish is outstanding and among the best in the area. The drink menu is good and features many options for a nice night out. The service was friendly and welcoming but we I had to wait for my dishes for a long time. Apart from this restaurant just being too busy, it is an awesome choice and I highly recommend it.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

 

Review date: June 8, 2018

The post ICHI Sushi – Amazing sushi on Mission Street in San Francisco, California appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Amazing Sushi

The menu is extensive and offers everything I could hope for. I started with a moriawase sashimi plate that came with maguro (bluefin tuna back), tai (sea beam), hamachi (yellowtail), sake (salmon), hotategai (scallop) with ikura (salmon roe) topping and ika (squid). I also had some katsuo (bonito fish) sashimi, kappa (cucumber), shitake (forest mushrooms), sake (salmon) with cream cheese and seared maguro (bluefin tuna back) with ikura (salmon roe). The sake and tuna was very good, gut I especially enjoyed the hotategai and the katsuo.

As the menu had so many amazing options to chose from, I tried some more nigiri specialties. I was especially amazed by the toro (bluefin fatty tuna belly), the hamachi toro (yellowtail belly) and sake toro (salmon belly). The ika (squid) and unagi (freshwater eel) was also great but was easily outperformed by the madai (red sea bream) and katsuo (skipjack tuna) nigiri. All in all, it was amazing and difficult to name a clear dominant winner.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Fuki Sushi is a one of its kind sushi restaurant. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley it has been around for decades and lives up to is reputation. The atmosphere is very authentic and cozy, providing an ideal setting for a night out. The menu options are extensive and cover anything one could hope for. The food quality and taste is outstanding and absolutely amazing. The drink menu is ok and typical for a restaurant of this esteem. The service was also perfect. The team was and welcoming and made my visit a experience to remembered.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

 

Review date: June 6, 2018

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