An all time classic

Since decades Akio Ando is serving sushi to go in his various Maruyasu outlets across Düsseldorf. The prime location however, seems to be the sushi bar in the Schadow Arkaden where also Akio himself can be found on most days behind the counter. At its long counter, a huge variety of different sushi dishes can be found, among which usually is a huge selection of premium nigiri pieces to choose from. Most interestingly, the selection usually features a variety of bluefin tuna cuts, as can be seen in this video (among other nice impressions).

This time I went for a nice selection of nigiri pieces for a quick meal. I chose 2 pieces of otoro (fatty bluefin tuna belly) and chu toro (medium fatty bluefin tuna belly) nigiri, which on its one would be reason enough to revisit the restaurant any day. I was told it was off a 300 kg tuna that was received and cut just some days ago and this day was perfect for trying the new arrival. It was certainly so and an absolute delight.

Also the rest of my nigiri plate was outstanding. I had some hamachi (yellowtail), hotategai (scallop), sake zuke toro (grilled salmon belly), karei (founder), unagi (freshwater eel), aburi sake (roasted salmon), ika (squid) and katsuo (bonito fish) nigiri. Needless to say, that all of these were of excellent quality and taste. Especially amazing were the scallop, squid and ell, which usually rank among my favorites. Also the bonito was great and is a rare find among the options in Düsseldorf. As a small gift from the kitchen, I also received two pieces of gyuza, which where also nice.

As always, the experience was outstanding and even though the concept is more that of a takeout shop, I appreciate the canteen style in house dining options for my visits. If I could take the tuna variety with me everywhere I go, I would really look anything else.

Sushi Guide Verdict

The atmosphere at Maruyaso is always a mix between very nice and welcoming and a bit cold and transitory. The sushi to go approach renders the restaurant not super inviting for in-house dining, but it is possible and certainly worth it. The menu options are extensive and cover even rare and exquisite fish to choose from. Most intriguingly, the tuna variety is excellent and of the highest quality. The drink menu is limited as the main focus of Maruyasu is not in-house dining. The service team is always super friendly, forth coming and happy to share about the amazing options they have on the menu. It is also always a special delight to experience Akino Ando behind the counter, serving as a sushi chef since 1983.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: December 28, 2021

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Sunny Sushi Lunch

Apart from the traditional restaurants interior, they also serve meals on outside tables on the sidewalk in the Immermannstrasse, which is not just nice during the pandemic but on any sunny day. This time, I opted for some grilled skewers to start, sake (salmon), ika (squid) and hotategai (scallop), which is my favorite.

Then followed a set of premium nigiri pieces that I selected a la carte since the usual luxury nigiri set was out of stock. I enjoyed some sake yaki (grilled salmon), chu toro (medium fatty tuna belly), otoro (fatty tuna belly) and aji (mackerel) nigiri.

As a fulminant dessert to the meal, I decided to take another 2 pieces of unagi (freshwater eel) nigiri. Unagi is always among my favorites and here, they are usually exceptionally great.

Sushi Guide Verdict

As usual, I was quite satisfied with my meal at Kushi-Tei of Tokyo. Even though the pandemic is putting some constrains on the experience, the sushi was as outstanding as always. The taste and quality is among the best around and despite some limited availability due to the pandemic, the menu has extensive options to choose from. The staff was nice as always and made the lunch and excellent and to be repeated experience.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: June 14, 2021

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I chose a mariawase sushi set that came with unagi (freshwater eel), karuma ebi (tiger prawn), hamachi (yellowtail), sake (salmon), chu toro (medium fatty tuna belly), otoro (fatty tuna belly) and ebi (shrimp) nigiri as well as some maguro (tuna back) maki (roll). In addition I tried some hotategai aburi (roasted scallop) nigiri, which were especially awesome.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Even though the takeout options looses largely in comparison to in house dining, the experience is still above and beyond the competition. I was quite satisfied with my choices from the Kushi-Tei of Tokyo menu. The sushi was as outstanding as always and taste and quality is among the best around and despite some limited availability due to the pandemic. I cannot wait to get back there once they are open again but until then, this is certainly a welcome addition to the take out or delivery options around in Düsseldorf.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: April 6, 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

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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

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Traditional Dinner with some Exclusives

This time we started with some small starter plates while we waited for the extensive selection of exclusives items as the main course. Among our small dishes were horenso (spinach in sesame dressing), nasu tempura (fried eggplant) with miso sauce and of course some tako yaki (deep fried octopus balls), which are always a good choice.  

The main plate was extensive and even for two people there is more than enough to choose from. We shared this plate among 2 people and some items were so amazing, that we kept ordering seconds afterwards. The plate came with 2 pieces of tamago (egg omelet), 6 pieces of maguro (tuna back) maki (roll) and then some hotategai (scallop), unagi ( freshwater eel), ebi (shrimp) nigiri pieces, a sake (salmon) gunkan (battleship shushi) with ikura (salmon roe) topping as well as some hamachi (yellowtail), sake (salmon), otoro (fatty tuna belly) and chu toro (medium fatty tuna belly) nigiri pieces, fresh wasabi and gari (pickled ginger).

To say the least, the scallop and unagi are always outstanding at this restaurant. They might even be reason enough to return just to enjoy them again. Also the tuna pieces were outstanding, making Kushi-Tei one of the better choices for tuna belly cuts in Düsseldorf.

And since it was outstanding, we ordered another plate of the best delights to round off the meal. So we had another round of otoro (fatty tuna belly), hotategai (scallop) and unagi (freshwater eel) nigiri. It were certainly the best pieces of the day that melted in our mouths.

Sushi Guide Verdict

The experience at Kushi-Tei of Tokyo was quite satisfying. Even though it was a busy night, we had plenty of time to enjoy our meal. The menu options are extensive and we need to come back to sample more of the exquisite options to choose from. Taste and quality of the fish was excellent and far exceed the average even among the rough competition in the Japanese quarter in Düsseldorf. The service staff was very forthcoming and friendly and made our stay very pleasant. If sushi is something appreciated, for sure Kushi-Tei is an excellent option.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: July 18, 2020

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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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Walk In Dinner

Even though I had no reservation, I was able to gain a seat at a table on a weekday during the COVID-19 pandemic. With their limited capacity I considered myself lucky as usually most Japanese restaurant a fully booked these days on literally any day. Especially with recent closure of established restaurants such as Kikaku, it is getting tougher to find seats with our reservation. On the way to my seat I was able to get a look at the fridge on the sushi bar and like the suzuki (sea bass), aji (mackerel) and tako (octopus).

Specials of the day

I got distracted from my intention to sample the mackerel and octopus by the staff highlighting the bonito fish exclusive. So I ordered a plate of katsuo (bonito fish) sashimi which was served with negi (green onion) and shoga (ginger). It was a very nice composition and an amazing start to my experience.

The main course was a moriawase style plate that came with maguro (tuna back), chu-toro (medium fatty tuna belly), ebi (shrimp), hamachi (yellowtail), hotategai (scallop) nigiri pieces, a ikura (salmon roe) gunkan (battleship sushi), some maguro (tuna back) maki (roll) and sake (salmon) nigiri served with fresh wasabi. The scallop was outstanding and is one of my favourite pieces anyway. The tuna was also quite good but not as outstanding as I hoped it would be. All in all it was an excellent plate and even the salmon, that usually does not impress in other restaurants around, was excellent.

Sushi Guide Verdict

Nagomi is small and somewhat inconspicuous restaurant. It is easy to walk by and was not on my radar prior the recent increase in fully booked Japanese restaurants. However, the atmosphere is a bit sterile and too bright for my taste, leaving mixed impressions. The menu options are good but exhaustive. All basic needs are covered and some select exclusives present nice surprises. The taste and quality of the food is very good but in some areas there is room for improvement. The drink menu is basic but covers what one would expect for any dinner. The service staff was very friendly and forthcoming and made this an enjoyable stay. Overall the restaurant ranks among the average competitions but that is not a bad thing considered the number of decent Japanese restaurants in the area.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: October 14, 2020

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

The restaurant has a few seats at the sushi bar and a spacious seating area with many tables for small and large groups. Even though the capacity is now limited, the restaurants can cater to a larger audience than most other Japanese restaurants around. There is also an outside seating area that does not provide the same authentic feel as inside dining, but is a very nice alternative, especially during the summer when outside dining is the preferred option. For this visit, we opted for the outside option because it was pleasant and warm night. Also, the restrictions inside the restaurant felt a bit uninviting. So we were happy with our choice and in luck to get seats outside.

Sampling the Kushi-Tei of Tokyo Menu

We decided to go with a selection of the menu exclusives and ordered a moriawase style set to get things started. While we waited, we also had some nice starters. Even though not a typical item on a Japanese menu, we sampled the iwashi tempura (deep fried sardines), which resembled a somewhat Mediterranean experience. The vegetable gyoza were nice and were obviously self made. Another classic were the outstanding tako yaki (deep fried octopus balls) with teriyaki sauce. Even though it were heavy bytes for a hot summer night, it was a good start.

The main plate came with tamago (egg omelet), sake (salmon) gunkan (battleship sushi) with ikura (salmon roe) topping and 6 pieces of maguro (tuna back) maki (roll). The selection of nigiri pieces was composed of hotategai (scallop), unagi (freshwater eel), ebi (shrimp), hamachi (yellowtail), sake (salmon), otoro (fatty tuna belly) and chu toro (medium fatty tuna belly). Of course, they also served some gari (pickled ginger) and fresh wasabi. To say the least, the tuna cuts were outstanding and so delicious that I would come back anytime just for that. The melted in my mouth and had an amazing but subtle texture. The scallop was so amazing, it might very well be the best in town. Also the eel was great even though the chef was a bit shy with the topping. Even the salmon, that usually does not impress me much, was outstanding and delightful excitement. Encouraged by this plate, we decided to get seconds.

Browsing through the menu prompted us to pick some of our favourites from the moriawase dish and add some more specialties. We picked some more pieces of hotategai (scallop) and chu toro (medium fatty tuna belly), which definitely were the best of the night. Beyond that, we went for some karuma ebi (Japanese imperial prawn), hamachi toro (yellowtail belly cut) and aji (mackerel) nigiri pieces. I consider mackerel among my favourite fish and was pleasantly surprised. Most impressively, the yellowtail belly cut was also amazing and absolute joy. It is certainly a rare find even among the fierce competition of Japanese restaurant in the area. Even though we should could have taken even more, we had to call it a night. In my mind, I was already scheduling my next visit to build on this experience.

Sushi Guide Verdict

This dinner at Kushi-Tei of Tokyo was just amazing. It was a busy night, but were lucky to get seats outside and could enjoy the summer night with this excellent meal, even if the outdoor atmosphere is not comparable to the restaurant’s interior. The menu options are extensive and have some rare finds among them that might take a few visits to discover. Taste and quality of the fish was excellent and absolutely among the best options around. Considering the fierce competition in the Japanese quarter in Düsseldorf and the high expectations of local patrons in the largest Japanese community in Germany, this is quite an achievement. The service staff was friendly and forthcoming, but a bit overwhelmed with the high demand during the night. We had an excellent time and enjoyed out experience. For any sushi aficionado, Kushi-Tei is an excellent choice and it can be highly recommended.

Atmosphere
Menu Options
Food Quality
Drink Variety
Service
Average

Review date: August 3, 2020

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“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

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