Samurai, Weststrasse, Zürich
Jan
2009
27. January 2009
Tako-yaki
Assorted Sushi
Japanese places tend to pop up in classy and trendy neighborhoods to cater to people with full wallets. Samurai doesn’t quite follow this pattern. It’s located on Weststrasse, just next to a whorehouse. Depending on the company you’re entertaining this could give you a chance of satisfying all needs of your clientele within walking distance. The owner, the cooks and most of the waiters are Japanese so this seems to be a promising setup. Unlike the more snobby and tacky Sushi places around Paradeplatz and in the Seefeld, this one is rather functional and minimalistic. I order some Tako-Yaki, which is a small dough ball with a bit of octopus on the inside. But the fantastic parts are the bonito flakes which are sprinkled on top and still twitch with the heat of the dough balls. Sushi we had afterwards was a revelation. Fresh, top quality fish, excellent rice, appealing presentation and great prices. Don’t be startled by the sake dish, the wooden cup is called Masu and it’s a bit tedious to drink from it. Apparently this is a traditional way of drinking sake, I’m assuming that the wood affects the taste and find it hard to believe. Still making a small mess seems normal. After having eaten at Samurai there’s no reason to go for Sushi in any other place, especially since the prices are decent for Sushi in Zurich:
Finances
29/01/2009 at 14:24
I love the rainbow roll! And I also like the fact that there is a smoking section, which is unusual for a sushi place. Even though I’m probably the only one who’s happy about that. A reservation makes sense on the weekends, the place is pretty popular. Oh- and don’t try to order a “Gsprützte Suur”, cause you’ll spend more time explaining than drinking. Yeah I know, Banause!
02/11/2012 at 15:24
I absolutely agree. It has been a while since i visited the Samurai, but the quality and prices are very convincing. I don’t mind the surroundings, although i must say some view would be nice. As once seated, you don’t really see much out of the windows. Hence…bring good company. 🙂 Can’t wait to go back as soon as it gets warmer in Zurich.