Japanese Ramen and Sushi in Rome

Putting raw fish on a piece of rice does not make sushi. But here it seems to suffice. This is my short list of places to get decent sushi and ramen in Rome.

Kohaku: This is a new restaurant in the Ludovisi neighborhood. It’s a warm elegant place and I am trying to try everything on the menu. So far, their soy sauce ramen (they have three types) is the best I’ve found here.

Shoyu ramen from Kohaku.

Hamesei: This is an old reliable place. Very quiet and and elegant. Down near the Spanish Steps and very busy.

Sashimi from Hamasei.
Noodle soup from Hamasei.

Sushisen: This is also an old staple down by the pyramid so far away from the tourist area. Down in a basement and with a sushi conveyor belt.

Sushisen conveyor belt.

Yusa Ramen: Way out to the south in the southern part of Rome.

Ramen from Yusa Ramen.

Akira: There are several branches in Rome. This is a go-to place for ramen. I thought the meat was tough.

Akira ramen.

Mama-ya: This is a bit to the south in Rome but they seem to have a loyal following.

Mama-ya ramen.

Hiromi: Although this is a pastry shop, they do sell savory items like ramen and curry.

Ramen broth was excellent at Hiromi, but it was from a packet. The noodles were terrible, and handmade.

There are other places that I have not tried yet, like Rokku, but as there are so many Japanese restaurants in Rome, I had to draw the line somewhere. I’m not obsessed.

Best Sushi in Santo Domingo

rnSQheZhm7nz_ArdDB5HGoqpHojHZXG32XMoTW_GHUH4IvtBrreMwsxCKwNux3cfHdUMnBoj96Xm0--E_SXZnfw9xdsTVl0yVmKyGE1l3ZyfGlZVwyJWYDWWp-rSaem3nIkDZmxnYYXeOEcGpXLVfS69mRb6d5fcl35ppOQPjbWIi_wTiEjmIz1SabI didn’t expect to find a good sushi restaurant in Santo Domingo (sorry, don’t be offended, DR!) but I did. Shibuya is located on the ground floor of the Blue Mall (one of the most expensive high end malls in the city) and it is part of the SBG restaurant chain. SBG has a cafe on the same floor. While Shibuya is Japanese, the dishes are a fusion of Japanese-Peruvian dishes.

ATMpoBjWiFtROkEZn6sdydy_OFjQ8LbB2t283ejU-2_nSr8uK69psYXqZ-NunEjPtqWmUFHk3reBesEGmo4i9M5fftRkdWCi1Kb-yEBUPWTuIeInpw6xWcCj-JjL9iEwqhmehyHKU3vRSl8j1PwDeU5xdhPX5POBnN34zrpJCc5rroEhmJGNwIaTjUFirst, yes, they have a Japanese chef… for those who use this as a marker for a good Japanese restaurant. I don’t think he works every day so I imagine that sometimes the Japanese food is made by non-Japanese hands…

-7nSXy9n4-1OaRa9WOfxHigPGcNOmTFlQucYJFWjiHX9APK8NkT3aqDrPOR4jfcoRI888paTHCZroTmhtXxSP1Vj2AaAVfIC37xLbMo9Dfh8S9RZXZMKkdlMXP_44uCl6yB63hS1C_bPaLTw3tamykrZN6k1j2X4OclN-i7XDp2m37GdT-UTApOV_LThe sushi place has excellent sashimi (raw fish like the salmon in the first photo — a double portion), tiridito dishes (Peruvian “carpaccio” of fish — thin slices with sauce. See the photo of the fish in the yellow sauce, above.), and ceviches (classic Peruvian style in photo above, with deep fried sweet potato deep and Peruvian corn). Many of the other dishes are good as well, as are their cocktails. I liked their “tuna tartare” which was like a large portion of Hawaiian “poke” (raw fish salad mixed with soy sauce, green onions, sesame seed oil, and chili or mayonnaise… you get the idea) with extra ingredients.

CqE2xJy5A5PjmNkdoBglp4BIw3zPQxMZ1FI4g-go2vNa1LNDAYrmMwVFw23t3Q7xgk6jnynQfhDoLWdt3VTGKTpGF9Oaxv-G2aTCPPBWgDjmkcsKK3qxxdO2GpwqBQOjt8Eh9uJGAStxY3VLoC4xWrxpaEFSXJmShxkeKLCdrmviNX8i5PHeqO4V3II ate that this restaurant more than ten times and had almost everything on the menu. Their fried rice is super crunchy. I think they toss quinoa in it to make it extra crunchy.

NXmEAj5nlX-RBFJZvg2FsgKcQmhQtZB_n1nvL0Y8ItoAUK6vzB6TdhbkMgKNT7a04quiDFEvsZZHLzPZn8qD8AGwWoLUp5NJg7kKTERoq-81LQ2HzP76DD7HMyxfkHc6MBKEAf7t8rJoI1yvD2f9GIcCvANbSvMhlRMJhFQUtXTIyNiDVl0PTAFBtmAnother surprise at this place is their coconut cake dessert. Not at all Japanese, but is a nice nod to the Caribbean. Try it! I wasn’t convinced as I recall the straw texture of desiccated coconut… this cake tasted like warm apple pie.

As for this place being the best sushi place in the DR, I didn’t eat at too many sushi places but this place was so good that I looked forward to eating there. Who needs to go anywhere else? It’s not this local fish place…

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Best Hair Colorist and Hair Dresser for Expats in Bogota

IMG_1122Her name is Reiko, she’s Japanese, and she speaks very good English. Plus, I have seen the hair that she colors and I would never have guessed that the hair was anything but natural.

She works independently out of the French hair dressing salon in Atlantis mall up on the third or fourth floor. She is the first hair dresser who knew instinctively how to cut my hair. For a simple hair cut the price was 70,000 (I think).