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Sushi Heidelberg

Top 10 Restaurants

Sushi in Heidelberg: A delectable and authentic experience

If you’re a sushi lover, you’ll be happy to hear that Heidelberg has some excellent sushi restaurants. From traditional Japanese sushi to fusion creations and all you can eat restaurants, there is something for everyone. In Heidelberg, you can really live out your passion for sushi and the fun of eating Japanese food.

Top 10 Sushi Restaurants in Heidelberg

Searching for the perfect sushi restaurant, it’s easy to get confused. How high is the quality? How beautiful is the ambience or the view? How creative are the dishes? Or how friendly is the team? With so much to choose from, it can be overwhelming to find the right information and sift through hundreds of reviews. This list of the 10 best sushi restaurants will help you find the perfect cuisine, with the best menu to make your sushi night unforgettable. From a beautiful restaurant with charming tables to a small traditional sushi bar.

Yami Sushi

Heinrich-Fuchs-Straße 100
69126 Heidelberg

0162 9135151

Taumi Heidelberg Sushi & Grill

Grüne Meile 20
69115 Heidelberg

06221 3538836

Sushi Bar SameSame

Steingasse 3
69117 Heidelberg

06221 7291737

Shilling Roofbar

Alte Glockengießerei 9
69115 Heidelberg

06221 7333003

Sakura

Bergheimer Str. 7
69115 Heidelberg

06221 4531872

Kicho

Hebelstraße 3
69115 Heidelberg

06221 160337

KAORU

Langer Anger 42
69115 Heidelberg

06221 6740060

iKoi

Hauptstraße 105
69117 Heidelberg

06221 7256999

Gourmet City

Im Breitspiel 5
69126 Heidelberg

06221 3383590

Choa Restaurant

Zwingerstraße 20
69117 Heidelberg

06221 7288106

Salmon avocado maki on a table

What is sushi?

Sushi is a classic Japanese dish. It is a small rice roll that is combined with raw fish, seaweed, tofu and vegetables or even egg. It’s served in bite-sized pieces. The name, which is derived from the Japanese “sour”, comes from the fact that the rice used, among other things, is mixed with vinegar and thus receives its unique taste.

What makes the perfect sushi?

Sushi is just rice and raw fish, so it should be easy to prepare, right? Not quite, anyone who has ever tried to make it themselves knows how difficult the process can be. In fact, it can take decades to master the skills of sushi preparation down to the last detail. It is especially the details, that make sushi preparation an art.

Sushi rice uncooked

 

Rice

The sushi rice or “Shari” is a special rice that is particularly sticky after cooking. The addition of vinegar, sugar and salt gives it its unique flavor. It is particularly important that the rice is at room temperature when eaten and does not break when grasped with chopsticks or the hand. Only in mouth the rice roll should dissolve and develop its flavor.

 

Neta

The so-called neta is the filling or topping of the sushi. In addition to fish and vegetables, other ingredients such as tofu or egg can also be used as sushi topping. There are countless ways to fill or top the sushi. However, the most important thing is that the amount of toppings fits the amount of rice and is always fresh.

Colorful selection of different sushi variations for several people
Fresh raw salmon in the kitchen

 

fish

Even if the amount of fish in a piece of sushi is small, it should be of high quality. The fish should be firm and shiny and not wet or greasy. The term “sushi-grade fish” describes such fish that is of perfect quality and can be eaten raw without hesitation. Although there are no standards for the use of this term, it means that the fish is of the highest quality.

Different types of sushi

For the production of high quality sushi, the preparation is as important as the ingredients and the proportions. Therefore, some methods of preparation of sushi are presented here. Basically, a difference is made between 2 basic forms of sushi: The Maki and the Nigiri. There are many more variations, but they are all based on these two basic forms.

Maki between two chopsticks

Maki

In maki, rice and neta are rolled into a nori sheet. Whether it’s salmon, avocado, tofu or all together. Maki can be filled with anything, as long as it is delicious. Also from Maki there are most diverse variations their biggest common feature being the form of a roll.

Nigiri

A rice roll, or a small rice ball, on which fish or other ingredients are placed is called nigiri. There are many different types of nigiri. With some the fish is simply loosely put on it, with others the topping is fastened with a strip of the nori leaf (seaweed leaf) and again others are even wrapped with it and filled like a bag.

8 pieces of different nigiri on one plate
Classic nigiri and gunkan freshly served in a beautiful ambience

Gunkan

Gunkan means warship and is a special form of nigiri sushi. Gunkan are ship-shaped cubes of sushi rice wrapped by a long strip of seaweed to form a shell that can be filled with a topping.

Uramaki

Uramaki is a variation of the classic maki where the rice is on the outside of the roll. This type of sushi is often called inside-out sushi because the rice is on the outside and the ingredients, as well as the nori sheet, are on the inside.

Maki in a different way: The nori leaf inside, the rice outside. This is Ura Maki
Sashimi served on a wooden board like in traditional Japanese sushi bars

Sashimi

Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy, made from fresh, raw fish cut into thin slices. The raw fish is usually eaten with soy sauce and/or wasabi.

The best sushi side dishes

In addition to the classic garnishes such as soy sauce, wasabi or pickled ginger, there are many others that complement your sushi menu perfectly.

Edamame

Edamame freshly cooked, unsalted

One of the most popular side dishes is edamame. The unripe harvested soybeans are cooked and seasoned before they are perfect as a snack or even as a side dish to some delicious salmon nigiri.

Misosuppe

Japanese dish: Miso soup in a sushi bar

Whether as an appetizer, dessert or simply in between. The miso soup is an absolute classic in Japanese cuisine and is offered in every sushi restaurant. Combined with a sushi platter and a drink, it makes the perfect menu for one person.

Goma Wakame

One of the classic Japanese dishes: Goma wakame or algae/seaweed salad.

Goma Wakame or seaweed salad is another very well-known sushi addition. The Japanese salad fits because of the slightly salty, spicy flavor excellent to quite a few Japanese dishes.

Is sushi healthy?

In terms of health, the Japanese food has contributed significantly to longer life expectancy. This is in some part due to the fish that the Japanese eat. Many of the varieties found in sushi are high in EPA and DHA fatty acids.

For those who want their dish to be especially healthy, it is best to order healthier types of fish, such as salmon and tuna, which are low in mercury. Low-sodium soy sauce is also a good choice, and if the restaurant doesn’t have it, other healthy flavor enhancers such as wasabi or pickled ginger should be the primary choices.

The various combinations of different vegetables and fish have a very health-promoting effect on the body. For example, it can help improve intestinal health and strengthen the immune system. It also helps improve heart health and promotes thyroid function.

So versatile and incredibly delicious, you simply can’t go wrong with these little rice bites.

And what about this sushi?!

Fortunately only stop motion 😀

Heidelberg Sushi FAQ

Is there vegan sushi?

Surprisingly, sushi can be vegan. Although the term “sushi” is often used as a synonym for raw fish, sushi is in fact cold rice dressed with vinegar, moulded into any shape and garnished with raw seafood or vegetables. It is therefore possible to order vegan sushi without fish. The usual vegan ingredients include avocado, cucumber or tofu and takuan (pickled daikon radish).

If you are interested in other vegan dishes, take a look at our article on vegan restaurants in Heidelberg.

Is sushi gluten-free?

Yes, sushi is basically gluten-free. The main ingredients rice, fish, vegetables and nori leaves are gluten-free and can be eaten by people with gluten intolerance or celiac disease. However, you should be careful if breaded or treated ingredients are included. In this case, it is always suitable to ask the staff for advice.

Is Heidelberg known for sushi restaurants?

In fact, Heidelberg is not particularly known for sushi, but this does not mean that there are not outstanding sushi restaurants in Heidelberg. With over 15 sushi restaurants in the city of 160,000 inhabitants, there is more than one sushi restaurant for every 10,000 inhabitants, which very clearly shows the love of the people of Heidelberg for sushi.