We opted for one of the limited outdoor dining tables and started the meal with an exquisite dish of ise-ebi (lobster), that was served as a whole with a very nice and creamy dressing. Paired with a nice Fiano di Avelino white wine, the dinner was ready to evolve.

The main course was served as a huge luxury sushi plate selected by the chef that covered more or less what the menu had to offer that night. It came with sake (salmon) and ibodai (butterfish) sashimi as well as some super outstanding karuma ebi (tiger prawns) from Mazara. It is always a delight and if you ever come across Mazara shrimp in southern Italy, it is an indication that you are in a good place. Also the maguro (tuna back) nigiri was quite nice, which is rare in Napoli.

The plate then featured sake (salmon) uramaki (inside out roll) with quail egg toppings, which is a certainly uncommon but nice combination. Another set of sake (salmon) uramaki (inside out roll) came with ika (squid) topping and was also nice. There were some maguro (tuna back) tartare tempura uramaki (inside out roll) with sake (salmon) topping as well as a nice maguro (tuna back), sake (salmon), ebi (shrimp), kani (crab meat) futo maki (big roll) alongside an ebi tempura (fried shrimp) uramaki (inside out roll). All in all, the variety was nice, but a lot of the rolls were quite similar and not as amazing at it was at previous dinner experiences here. Anyway, it was certainly enough to satisfy the needs for this night.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Even if in international comparison there is much left to be desired, Jap One is certainly one of the prime options for Japanese dining in Napoli. The restaurant is upscale and elegant and caters to its tenants with stylish interior, and upscale cocktail and wine menu and a very decent sushi menu. The variety of the menu has decreased a bit in recent months and years and tuna cuts became rare, but anyway the menu is among the best around. The food quality and taste is excellent and also the service is always friendly and forthcoming. Overall, the restaurant has moved a bit more towards mainstream taste in its more exposed location. In its previous back allay location, it had much more specialties to choose from, that are to be missed.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: January 7, 2022

The post Jap One – Japanese Delights 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.

I ordered some a la carte items from the menu. They also had a large number of pre-defined sets, but most of them did not speak to me. Most sets were heavily based on sushi with avocado as a key component, which is something I don’t particularly like. I chose some ebi tempura (fried shrimp) maki (roll), sake (salmon), maguro (tuna back), sake yaki (grilled salmon) and maguro yaki (grilled tuna back) nigiri. Then I took two uramaki (inside out rolls) with ebi tempura (fried shrimp) and maguro (topping) and the other one with ebi tempura (friend shrimp) and tobiko (flying fish roe) topping. I also took 4 pieces of their sake (salmon) maki tempura (fried roll), which stood out among the selection.

Sushi Guide Verdict

All in all, I have mixed feelings about DEN Home. The restaurant itself seemed nice, but not special. The staff was very friendly and forthcoming and I was almost sad that I could not stay due to the restrictions. In the end, I took the takeout food to the terrace and ate there, which was allowed. The menu options were a bit disappointing as most dishes were variations of the same base components, mainly salmon, tuna back and shrimps. The taste and quality was good, but for a full meal, more variety would be better. Drink options were simple but sufficient for quick bites or casual meals.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: June 16, 2021

The post DEN Home – Sushi Takeout in Düsseldorf, Germany 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.

All You Can Eat Dinner

The prices and menu options at Osaka Japanese Restaurant differ slightly between lunch and dinner, so I chose dinner to sample the full breath of the menu. Although the menu is extensive, most dishes did not really appeal to me. The restaurant has a strong focus on ebi (shrimp) and fried food, which is common in Napoli. After some browsing, ordered some amaebi (sweet shrimp) and ebi (shrimp) wrapped with sake (salmon) sashimi, some taco yaki (fried octopus), sake (salmon) tempura make (friend rolls) and ebi (shrimp) and cani (crab) tempura futo maki (fried big roll). As expected the quality of the shrimp was quite good and the fried tolls lived up the Neapolitan standard.

Afterwards I tried some more ebi (shrimp), amaebi (sweet shrimp) and ika (squid) nigiri, all of which were quite nice but not outstanding. Some more ebi (shrimp) maki (roll) and sake (salmon) uramaki (inside out roll) were followed by some ebi (shrimp) and kani (crab) uramaki (inside out roll) with tobiko (flying fish roe) and ebi (shrimp) uramaki (inside out roll) with tobiko (flying fish roe). All in all it felt a bit repetitive and the taste of the ebi was not quite enough to keep me excited throughout the entire dinner.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Osaka Japanese Restaurant is among many options to choose from. It is a huge restaurant, probably the largest sushi restaurant in Napoli and does provide a canteen atmosphere rather than an intimate setting for a nice dinner. The menu options seem extensive at first glance, but are limited at best. There is a strong focus on shrimp (that might or might not be locally sourced) and salmon. The quality and taste of the food is not great in general, but above average for all you can eat restaurants around. The drink menu offers a good selection of basic items at fair prices. The service was forthcoming but a bit distanced at times. Overall, the restaurant ranks above other alternatives and might belong to the better all you can eat options around. However, it is not a remarkable sushi restaurant.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: June 19, 2019

The post Osaka Japanese Restaurant – Bites with a Neapolitan Twist 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

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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.

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 Moriawase Dinner

The dinner started out with some light appetisers, such as edamame and absolutely amazing gyoza dumplings. Although the gyoza were very nice and had an excellent texture, the wakame had strangely perfumed taste, almost as if it was marinated in meat stock. But even before we could think to much about it, we were served the sake (salmon) carpaccio with ikura (salmon roe) and caviar. The salmon was smooth and very tasty but the caviar was uninspiring. It felt more like a collection of buzz words than a well composed dish. So all in all the appetisers were nice, but not amazing.

Then we had some gunkan bytes, all of which were absolutely great. The ebi (shrimp) maki with caviar was very intense and way above average ebi around. The sake (salmon) maki with ikura (salmon roe) was nice but easily surpassed by the breathtaking suzuki (sea bass) with hotategai (scallop) with green tobiko (flying fish roe). It was simply amazing. The kappa (cucumber) roll with kinoko (mushroom, and I don’t remember what kind) was also a nice piece to try.

When our main moriawase plate arrived, we were presented with amazing ebi (shrimp) tempura maki (deep fried roll) with quail egg and caviar topping. It was outstanding and set the bar very high for the entire plate.

And what an amazing plate it was. It covered all we could hope for. We had some maguro (tuna back) uramaki (inside out roll) with caviar, maguro (tuna back) uramakai (onside out roll) with ikura (salmon roe), some sake (salmon) maki with caviar topping, ebi tempura (fried shrimp) uramaki (inside out roll) with green tobiko (flying fish roe). We were really impressed by the tarabagani (king crab) maki (roll) with green tobiko (flying fish roe) as well as with the simple but great sake (salmon) nigiri. Then there was ebi tempura (fried shrimp) uramaki (inside out roll) with ikura (salmon roe), sake (salmon) maki tempura (deep fried roll) with ibodai (butterfish), some maguro (tuna back), sake (salmon) and hamachi (yellowtail sashimi) as well as some ebi tempura (fried shrimp) and sake (salmon) foto maki (big roll).

Sushi Guide Verdict

Dining an Jap One is an amazing experience. The sushi bar is absolutely outstanding and offers very limited seats at the bar and various table on two floors for groups of different sizes. The menu options are extensive and cover all basics and some exquisite dishes to choose from. The taste and quality os very good and outstanding for some select options. The drink menu is excellent as well as the restaurant also features a nice and chic cocktail bar. The service was very friendly and forthcoming but remained a bit detached, something that I felt as the main loss compared to my experience in the previous location. All in all, I highly recommend this restaurant as one of the best in Napoli.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review Date: February 21, 2019

The post Jap One – A new Japanese Experience in Chiaia, Napoli appeared first on Sushi Guide.