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.

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Average

Review date: July 5, 2020

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Lunch Experience at Matsumi

As always, the experience at Matsumi was second to none. Even though I haven’t been there for a long time, my girlfriend and I were welcomed with the same friendly and open atmosphere that I came to love. Immediately, we felt at home and enjoyed a short but nice lunch at the sushi bar. Even though the seating limitations due to COVID-19 resulted in fewer seats being available, we were lucky enough to have a nice view over the counter.

Even though during lunch the menu at the sushi bar is limited and not as extensive as during dinner hours, I was able to pick some of my favourite items. The sake cave te maki (grilled salmon skin hand roll) is one of my absolute favourites and it was as amazing as always. Even after trying similar dishes at many restaurants around the globe, I am confident that this is by far best one. In between the hand roll on and the lunch sushi set that I ordered, we also had a kappa (cucumber) maki (roll).

The lunch plate came with sake (salmon), amaebi (sweet shrimp), tako (octopus), hamachi (yellowtail) and aji (mackerel) sashimi. I always enjoy the mackerel and also the octopus was outstanding. There were also some nigiri pieces with suzuki (sea bass), sake (salmon), unagi (freshwater eel) and ebi (shrimp) of which I liked the eel the most. Unagi is also among my favourites and so I was happy that it was available during lunch hours. Also, there were some sake (salmon) maki (rolls) that were nice as well. Behind some decorative greens, there were also 2 pieces of otoro (blueing fatty tuna belly) sashimi, which were an absolute delight to round of the meal. To say it as it was, it was amazing to be back.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Matsumi is truly a one of its kind restaurant and certainly my all time favourite Japanese restaurant. For more than 10 years I have frequented the restaurant regularly and I cannot get enough of it. The unique and authentic atmosphere and wooded interior and tatami room provide an entry way into another world, even if just for a little while. The menu is extensive and covers all varieties of fish one could dream of with highest quality. Everything is prepared with the utmost attention to detail, truly making dining here an amazing experience. The drink menu is extensive and features Japanese beers, wines and spirits and leaves no desire unanswered. The service is friendly, forthcoming and welcoming and makes the experience what it is for me, a homecoming. I can only recommend Matsumi from the bottom of my heart and am happy to see them open again.

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Average

Review date: May 29, 2020

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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.

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Average

 

Review date: October 13, 2018

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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.

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Average

 

Review date: May 24, 2017

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

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

Omakase Sashimi Dinner

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

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

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

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

Sushi Guide Verdict

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

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

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Average

 

Review date: October 20, 2015

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The restaurant has a small sushi bar with about 8 to 10 seats and some additional regular tables in the back. The atmosphere is cozy, and welcoming although the bright lighting mismatches the otherwise warm experience. The menu offers 10-12 different kinds of fish, served as sashimi, nigiri, maki and temaki, in addition to some select meat options. In addition the restaurant offers a substantial wine and sake menu, allowing for great accompanying drinks for any Japanese meal.

Sashimi and Nigiri Dinner

As a group of three, we decided to start with a 25 piece moriawase sashimi plate that overdelivered on our modest expectations. With previous disappointing experiences at local sushi restaurants in mind, we were very happy with our choice. The nicely decorated plate came with hamachi (yellowtail), chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly), hotategai (scallop). hokkigai (surf clam), tamago yaki (egg omelet), hirame (halibut), sake (salmon), maguro (bluefin tuna back), tako (octopus), kanpachi (amber jack), suzuki (sea bass) and ebi (shrimp). I personally enjoyed the hirame (halibut) and kanpachi (amber jack) most as they had a very unique and intense taste. The sake (salmon) was also very nice and almost seemed like salmon belly in texture. The chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna) was good but not overly special.

After the sashimi plate I got my sake (salmon) te maki which I originally ordered as starter. Then, the dinner went on with an à la carte 12 piece nigiri plate. We chose 4 pieces of chu turo (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly), 2 pieces of ika (squid), 2 pieces of hamachi (yellowtail), 2 pieces of saba (mackerel) and another 2 pieces of suzuki (sea bass). I liked the ika (squid) and saba (mackerel) best and also enjoyed the suzuki (sea bass). After 2 additional pieces of chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly) and hamachi (yellowtail), we were done with our dinner. If there had been room for more, we might have even tried the sake (salmon) and ebi (shrimp) plate that was prepared in front of our eyes. So maybe, we need to come back for that one.

Sushi Guide Verdict

‘Osushi delivers on the promise of being an authentic Japanese restaurant. The atmosphere is very nice except for the bright lighting. The menu options are better than at most other sushi restaurant in Napoli but still leaves some room for improvement. The overall quality and taste of the food was very good. Some locally sourced dishes were especially worth mentioning, such as the ebi (shrimp), hirame (halibut) or suzuki (amber jack). Still, especially the tuna was not as amazing as one might have hoped. The drink menu ist extensive and offers anything one might be looking for in any price range. The service staff was exceptionally friendly and forthcoming. Overall it was a very satisfying experience and while there is plenty room for improvement, I would go back there for dinner and can recommend the restaurant without hesitation.

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Average

 

Review date: November 12, 2017

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

Sashimi Dinner

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

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

Sushi Guide Verdict

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

Atmosphere
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Average

Review date: December 31, 2015

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