Urubamba is a Peruvian Japanese fusion restaurant close to the Villa Communale in China, Napoli. It opened recently and caters to the upscale clientele in the posh neighbourhood with excellent menu options and a stylish decor with a large windows front, offering nice views over the promenade. Among the many sushi restaurant around, it seems very popular which is why reservations are a necessary even on regular weekdays. Also the restaurant seem to focus on locally sourced fish and imported options only for varieties otherwise not available at local markets (mainly for bluefin tuna).
Amazing Sashimi and Nigiri Dinner
I went to the restaurant on a weekday’s night with a friend and we were determined to sample the Japanese portion of what the menu has to offer. We sampled the cocktail and wine menu, which offered a nice selection of international wines and Peruvian flavour inspired cocktails. Ruffly 50% of the dishes on the menu seemed very strictly Japanese, so we started out our dinner with an amazing sashimi plate. We had maguro (tuna back), ebi (shrimp), chu toro (bluefin medium fatty tuna belly), sake (salmon) and hamachi (yellowtail). This plate definitely was among the best I had in Napoli. The ebi was locally sourced and was outstanding, but also the hamachi and sake were excellent. Most amazing was the chu toro, something that is rare to find in Napoli.
For a second course we opted for some ebi (shrimp) tempura and hot unagi (freshwater eel) tempura maki. These came topped with some delicious sauces as well as sweet potato chips. These toppings were introduced as Peruvian elements to us and added a nice twist to the dishes. The chips were nice but more visually appealing than anything else. Still the sauces were very tasty and closely tuned to the taste of the ebi and the unagi. I usually focus on sashimi and nigiri, but these makes were surprisingly good. As final course we tried some nigiri pieces, all of which were amazing. We could chose between grilled or raw serving for the fish, which offered a nice variety to the usual nigiri experience. We had raw suzuki (sea bass), grilled beef striploin and grilled ika (squid), of which the ika was mind-blowing.
Sushi Guide Verdict
Urubamba is a very modern and stylish restaurant that walks a fine line between cold elements, such as glass and steel, and warm lights and decoration. It’s atmosphere is fitting to the intended target group and provides a welcoming and posh feel. The menu options are very good with a variety of traditional Japanese and Peruvian as well as cross-over dishes to choose from. The quality and test of the raw fish is outstanding and among the best in Napoli. The drink menu is extensive and offers cocktails, wine and spirits for every budget. The service staff was friendly and welcoming. Overall it was a very pleasant experience with some potential for improvement to be ranked among the top sushi restaurants in Napoli.
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Average
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Review date: April 14, 2018
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