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.

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.

Quick Dinner

I had an upscale moriawase style plate that came with chu toro (medium fatty tuna belly), otoro (fatty tuna belly), hotategai (scallop), hamachi (yellowtail), sabe (mackerel), suzuki (sea bass) and ebi (shrimp) nigiri, one ikura (salmon roe) and one maguro (tuna back) tartare as well as some maguro (tuna back) maki (roll). Overall it was a bit of an disappointing experience, compared to my last visit. The plate seemed pre-prepared and was not as cold or fresh as I would have liked it. This was not so much of problem for the white fish and shrimp that were all fine, but the tuna variety did not impress that much, which is a contrasting experience to what I was expecting. The scallop was excellent however, so overall I was content with my dish. Even though I might have ordered seconds, I left it at that to not risk adding to the disappointment.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Yabase is catering to its guests with a minimalistic interior that now is a bit obstructed with plastic shield between tables due to the COVIC-19 pandemic. Overall, the resulting atmosphere is quite cool and impersonal, but its great that they found a way to effective run the restaurant in these days. The menu options are extensive and leave little room for even advance sushi aficionados. The restaurant has a particular emphasis on unagi (freshwater eel), but it was sold out during this day. The good quality and taste was mixed. White fish, shrimp and scallops were great, but the tuna was quite disappointing.This is most striking, because of previous contrasting experiences. The drink menu is a bit limited, but sufficient for a nice dinner. The service team was friendly and forthcoming yet the hectic energy of the night did not help in overcoming the disappointments from the moriawase plate. Based on this experience, this restaurant should be considered with caution. It may be excellent or not, without being able predict which way it will go.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: September 24, 2020

The post Yabase – Traditional Sushi in Düsseldorf, Germany appeared first on Sushi Guide.

An All or Nothing Dinner at Jap One

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

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

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

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

Sushi Guide Verdict

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

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: October 9, 2020

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

Rolls and more for dinner

We started of with some light starters, such as a mixed set of gyoza (dumplings) that were nice but nothing special. The seared maguro (tuna back) tartare with sesame came in a unique packaging and was quite nice. Yet, as usual in Napoli, the quality and taste of lean tuna back is rather basic and nothing that special. The tartare was a nice dish, yet other restaurants are able lot make more out of the bland tuna options available locally.

Then we had some sake (salmon), maguro (tuna back) and ika (squid) nigiri, some same (salmon), maguro (tuna back) and suzuki (sea bass) sashimi and then went on to the dominant offers on the menu, makis (rolls) and uramakis (inside out rolls). We tried the ebi tempura (fried shrimp) uramaki (inside out soll) with maguro (tuna back) topping, which was a nice composition with the avocado inside. The maguro (tuna back) maki (roll) with cream cheese topping however, was not that appealing as the cream cheese dominated the dish without adding any special flavour to the mix. The maguro (tuna back) maki tempura (fried roll) with cream cheese topping was better, but also not that amazing.

Also the maguro (tuna back) uramaki (inside out roll) with aioli topping was quite nice and matched well with the visually appealing ebi tempura (fried shrimp) uramaki (inside out roll) with grilled maguro (tuna back) and aioli topping. To our surprise, the most unconventional composition amazed us most. The ebi tempura (fried shrimp) uramaki (inside out roll) with strawberry topping was outstanding and by far the best dish we had at the restaurant.

Sushi Guide Verdict

All in all the dinner at Sushi & Co was nice but nothing overly special. The atmosphere was welcoming but a bit cold and impersonal. The interior design and architecture results in very high ambient noise levels, which makes a loner stay rather unpleasant. Yet, the menu options offers some nice surprises among the otherwise basic dishes to choose from. Taste and quality of the food is good and some dishes were very pleasant surprises. The drink menu is average and focuses on wine rather than Japanese spirits etc. The service was friendly and forthcoming and made the dinner a pleasant experience. Overall it is a good restaurant that stands out among the many sushi restaurants to choose from, but doesn’t rank among the best. Considering the alternatives around, another choice might come with more pleasant surprises.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: February 11, 2020

The post Sushi & Co – Casual Sushi Dining in Porto, Napoli 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.

An Amazing Dinner Experience at Urubamba

The opulent dinner experience started with a nice starter plate with a composition of maguro (tuna back) tartare with crab cream and quail egg, which was an absolute delight, even if it was not particular Japanese or Peruvian for that matter. It was an outstanding start that was followed by some amazing gunkan (battleship sushi) pieces with Mazara ebi (shrimp) – a regional delicacy – and hamachi (yellowtail) with caviar topping served alongside fresh wasabi and ginger. To say the least, the ebi was amazing and if available, Mazara ebi is must have from any menu in Southern Italy. Also the hamachi was excellent and very well matched with the caviar topping. As if this was not amazing enough, we continued with the main dish of the dinner experience.

It came with some flambéed sake (salmon) and maguro nigiri with seared onions. Even though maguro usually is not that good in regional sushi restaurants in Napoli, the composition with the onions compensated for this fact white well. We also had some ebi tempura (fried shrimp)with flambéed cheese and sake (salmon) with suzuki (sea bass) topping uramaki (inside out rolls). There were some maguro (tuna back) maki with guacamole, some maguro (tuna back) with sake, few more ebi (shrimp) and lastly sake (salmon) with avocado and hotategai (scallop) uramaki (inside out roll).

The flambéed pieces really stood out and also the ebi (shrimp) uramaki (inside out roll) with mayonaise and fried sweet potato had a nice Peruvian touch to it. We also really enjoyed the sake (salmon) uramaki (inside out roll) with suzuki (sea bass) ceviche topping. But the most delicious highlight was the sake (salmon) uramaki (inside out roll) with avocado & hotategai (scallop) topping. It was breathtakingly delicious. Even though we would have loved to sample more items from the menu, we had to come to a close after this huge plate of the restaurant’s finest pieces.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Even though the Peruvian twist makes Urubamba a less Japanese restaurant than we would like, it ranks among the best options for sushi in Napoli. It is a very modern restaurant with stylish atmosphere that fits the target audience of posh night life customers in the area. Menu options are excellent and we especial appreciate the focus on sustainable sourcing of their fish and other ingredients. The Japanese and Peruvian cross-over seems well balanced and compensated well some taste deficiencies especially in the tuna range. The overall quality and test of the raw fish is excellent and among a short list of outstanding sushi restaurants in Napoli. The drink menu is extensive but focusses heavily on cocktails and night out drinking rather than fine dining. Overall this was a very nice experience and the restaurant can be recommend as an excellent choice for a nice dinner.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: July 24, 2019

The post Urubamba – Peruvian Japanese Delights in Chiaia, Napoli appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Sushi Bites

Even though the menu options are a bit limited to standard sushi items and various fried dishes, which is a common theme in Napoli, I found some nice dishes to try. I had a sake (salmon) tartare gunkan (battleship sushi) wrapped in sake(salmon) and it was quite tasty. I ordered one uramaki tempura (deep fried inside out roll) with sake yaki (grilled salmon), avocado and cream cheese. It was very tasty but not particularly Japanese. At last, I chose some more traditional nigiri pieces of tako (octopus) and aka (squid). Both were nice, but I had better octopus at other places in the area. The squid however was very good and a delightful finale for the quick dinner.

Sushi Guide Verdict

It is safe to say that even though It’s Sushi will not rank among the better choices of sushi restaurants in Napoli, the restaurant improved a lot since my last visit. The atmosphere itself is still lacking and doesn’t stand out. The menu options however have improved and offer some nice surprises. The overall quality and taste of the fish was quite good, especially considering it is mainly take out restaurant. Drink options are still basic, but fitting the setting of the restaurant. The service was nice and forthcoming and it feels like a valid option to grab some quick bites before having a night out in Chiaia. For a full features dinner experience I would not recommend this restaurant. There are many better options around.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review Date: July 5, 2019

The post It’s Sushi Bar – Simple Sushi Bites in Chiaia, Napoli appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Some Basic Sushi Bites

My choices were out in a plastic box even though I dined at the restaurant which underlined the grab and go vibe I had while inside. Yet, as I was on the move anyhow it matched my individual situation. The options were somewhat limited to basic options, so I had some sake (salmon) tartare, suzuki (sea bass), maguro (tuna back) and sake (salmon) nigiri and then some kappa (cucumber) with cream cheese uramaki (inside out roll) with sake (salmon) topping, sake yaki (grilled salmon) uramaki (inside out roll) with sake yaki (grilled salmon) topping and lastly some sake (salmon) and avocado uramaki (inside our roll). All in all everything was kind of average and nothing stood out in particular. The salmon was perfectly fine but nothing special. Only the tuna back was a bit tasteless, something quite common in my experience in southern Italy.

Sushi Guide Verdict

I cannot say much about the Daruma restaurant chain in general, but from my visit to their Parioli restaurant, I was not impressed very much. Reminding me of the Giappo sushi chain, they cater the modern trend of casual sushi dining and take away food. The atmosphere at this restaurant was very cool and uninviting. This was underlined by the obvious emphasis on take away orders. The menu options are quite limited but among the usual standard sushi dishes they offer a good variety of bento boxes to choose from. The food quality is average. Even though I was hoping for more, the quality is ok for take out. The drink menu was very limited and basically only covered essentials. Service was focussed on quick sales and not particularly inviting. Based on this experience, I think I would explore other options next time I am around.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: July, 4, 2019

The post Daruma Sushi Roma – Quick Sushi Bites appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Exceptional Dinner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sushi Guide Verdict

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

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: June 1, 2019

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