I ordered some nigiri pieces. The unagi (freshwater eel) was cold and there was only little dressing to enjoy. The tako (octopus) and ika (squid) were kinda tasty, but the saba (mackerel) tasted very bland and did not exactly feel super fresh. The sake (salmon) and maguro (tuna back) sashimi was not any good and poorly cut to say the least. The sake (salmon) temaki (hand roll) was also not very convincing. Then I had an avocado uramaki (inside out roll) with wasabi and hotategai (scallop) topping and a ebi tempura (fried shrimp) uramaki (inside out roll). Both were ok, but nothing special. All in all it was not super bad, but also nothing I would repeat.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Overall, the experience was not that encouraging. Even though I was one of 2 parties ordering take out food, it took almost 30 minutes for the few items to be ready. The atmosphere inside was very cold and uninviting, but then again I was there for takeout food. The menu options were extensive, but lacked in variety and only covered a basic variety recombined with dressings etc. The quality and taste of the food was really not convincing. Even though I would hope that during regular restaurant operation the quality would be better, I would not go there based on the experience I had. The drink menu is quite nice and the bar also offers a large selection of cocktails. For takeaway, the options were quite constrained. The service staff was not unfriendly per se, but generally not interested in any interaction beyond the absolutely necessary. All in all, I would suggest to look somewhere else for decent take away sushi in Düsseldorf.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: June 17, 2021

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This time I went with a close fried and it really developed into an extensive meal that covered all the variety and depth that Matsumi had to offer. We were able to get our favourite seats at the sushi bar and were able to watch the chef preparing our dishes, one after the other. Even though the sushi bar is now equipment with a glass shield due to the pandemic restrictions, we still had an amazing view and enjoyed the experience. Sadly, it limits the opportunity for interaction with the chef, which is something I always loved and enjoyed. In any case, for any sushi aficionado that enjoy watching, the setup at Matsumi can be highly recommended.

The Finest of Matsumi

With our order quickly growing into an opulent and extensive list of à la carte items, we also decided to insert a considerable variety of staters and side dishes, some of which were on the limited specialties menu of the week. We were surprised by an amazing amuse-bouche that kicked off the experience. It was an avocado, sake (salmon) and taco (octopus) ceviche and it was an amazing competition that greatly complemented each other. It was almost sad that we could not order a larger dish of it. We also had two varieties of konomono, which are composed of differently seared, pickled or aged vegetables. These are especially delicious at Matsumi and always a well received surprise. One of my personal favourites is horenso (spinach in sesame dressing), which cannot miss during any of my visits at the restaurant. Another absolute delight is the rare but always amazing ebi shinjo (deep fried shrimp dumplings). The shrimp is packed in tofu skin, which is then deep fried along with some fried lotus root pieces. It is just amazing and comes with an amazing composition of negi (green inions), grinded ginger and a mysterious spicy sauce that delights me even time. If this is on the specialty menu, it is a must have.

Another amazing specialty is a selection of hotategai (scallop) pieces served in some seared miso sauce along with some vegetables and shitake (Japanese forest mushrooms). The dish is served raw on a stove, which is the lid so we could prepare the scallops to our liking. It is an amazing composition and the sauce is key to the experience. The scallops were amazing as always and this combination is easily among my favourite hotategai dishes. The sauce is so nice, that even after finishing the scallops, vegetables and mushrooms, it cannot be wasted and but is an absolute joy on its own. Interestingly, this is only achieved through boiling the dish. When the dish is served, the sauce does not taste good, not even pleasant. But once the scallops are done, it is an absolute delight.

Another set of my favourites followed suit. Sake cava temaki (handroll with grilled salmon skin is just about the most amazing piece of Japanese food I can imagine. Being a long time aficionado of this dish, Matsumi is the only place on the planet where this is not just beyond all others in amazingness, but it consistently impressed even after more than a decade of sampling it regularly. The salmon skin is seared and grilled to the point of perfection and the teriyaki style sauce used in this dish is just over the moon. The sauce on its own would be something to die for and of course a well kept secret, so I cannot even report what it is exactly. Another few delights we had were tamago (egg omelet), uni (sea urchin) gunkan (battleship sushi) and unagi (freshwater eel) nigiri. The sea urchin was excellent and a fresh interlude among the heavy items with teriyaki sauce etc. The unagi (freshwater eel) is also one of my absolute favourite and hard to beat.

Oamakase Style Sashimi at Matsumi

For the main course, we had an amazingly composed plate of an omakase style sashimi selection. It came with shima aji (striped jack), otoro (bluefin fatty tuna belly), chu toro (medium fatty bluefin tuna belly), madai (red seabream), ika (squid) and maguro (bluefin tuna back). The striped jack was a new addition to the menu and something totally unexpected. Visually, it could be easily confused with hamachi (yellowtail), but is was a totally different experience all together. The texture and taste was amazing and quite distinct. The squid is usually also among the best items at Matsumi and should not be missed. The was also a small side dish of seared yuba (tofu skin) with wasabi. It was just the smallest bowl on the side, but it was an amazing surprise. It provided a fresh and acute sensation that was amazingly balanced with the spicy wasabi and a nice complementary element to the sashimi plate.

The selection of different tuna cuts was as amazing as it looked an amazing journey through a variety of tastes that is difficult to attribute to the same fish. Even the subtle differences in texture always amaze me and even though this might be an somewhat obvious observation shared by many, the otoro cut is the absolute most amazing piece of fish. It is amazing to experience again and again how this extreme level of quality is as consistent as night and day at Matsumi and am already fantasising about my next visit.

To round things off, we then had a final selection of some favourites. Paired with another sake cava temaki (handroll with grilled salmon skin), we had another piece of otoro (bluefin fatty tuna belly), madai (red seabream) and unagi (freshwater eel) as nigiri. As a final composition to melt in our mouths, we decided to take a piece of zuke chu toro (seared and flambeed bluefin medium fatty tuna belly) nigiri, which was a culminating finale of the meal. With the extensive breadth of our selection, we had to cut the dessert short and just opted for an umeboshi (salted and seared plum), which was also amazing and just about the perfect contrast to balance of the entire meal.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Matsumi always surprises and even after more than a decade of patronage, I am still mesmerised by its constant delivery of the most outstanding Japanese dining experience. It is truly a one of its kind restaurant and deserved its rank among the best around. As a pillar of traditional Japanese cuisine in an authentic atmosphere in a familiar setting, it is a must for any sushi aficionado and a perfect choice for anyone new and curious. The restaurant provided an encapsulated and unique experience with its wooded interior, open sushi bar and tatami room. For me it is almost like stepping into another world and being on vacation. The menu options are so extensive, it can just be describes with being as complete as it could get. All varieties of fish one could dream of can be found and the taste and quality is absolutely outstanding. Preparation and presentation of the dishes is done with extreme attention to detail and deep pasha for perfection. The drink menu is extensive and features many Japanese spirits and beers to choose from. The service team is friendly, welcoming and most forthcoming. Even on busy nights they take the time to engage in conversation and truly make the experience as amazing as it is. Matsumi is truly amazing and I can recommend it without hesitation to anyone and I cannot wait to get back.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: September 4, 2020

The post Matsumi – Most Exquisite Japanese Dining in Hamburg appeared first on Sushi Guide.

Quick Dinner

Looking in the sushi bar fridge, I was able to assess the options available and was a bit disappointed by the limitations despite the outside advertising that seemed to promote an extensive selection of fish to choose from. Still the chef seemed nice and well invested in preparing the dishes, so I wanted to sample some of the highlights. While I was waiting, I also noticed a screen with video recordings of the chef cutting various types of fish. It was very interesting and the time passed quickly.

I decided to try one of my favourite Japanese dishes, a sake cave temaki (hand roll with grilled salmon skin). It was quite nice, even though it cannot be compared with the best ones I had. Yet, it made me optimistic about the rest of the meal. My main plate with selection from the menu came with unagi (freshwater eel), ika (squid) nigiri, kani (crab meat) uramaki (inside out roll) and a promising ebi tempura (fried shrimp) uramaki (inside out roll) with unagi (freshwater eel) topping with teriyaki sauce. The eel and scallop were outstanding and I was certainly impressed my the taste and texture of the squid. The most impressive piece of the meal was otoro (fatty tuna belly) nigiri, which was so amazing, I could not believe it. Considering the competition around, this was a surprise.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Sushibar Fujiyama is simple and down to earth restaurant with a cozy and somewhat uninspired atmosphere. The most interesting part of the restaurant’s overall setup is the screen with the videos about preparing different types of fish. The menu options are decent but lack behind some of the fierce competition around. All to be expected basics are there, yet the range of specialties is limited. The food quality was surprisingly good and test was excellent. The drink menu is not worth mentioning and just covers the basis. The service staff was very friendly and forthcoming and made my visit and enjoyable experience. For a quick dinner or nice lunch, this is definitely a nice option. For a journey though the vast dimensions of Japanese cuisine, there are better alternatives around.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: October 13, 2020

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