Naru Restaurant — Restaurant in Barbados

I lived in Japan for 20+ years and had a craving for Japanese food. There are a few Japanese / Asian fusion type restaurants in Barbados and decided to give Naru a shot. Narita was closed on Weds so it is a good idea to give the resturant a call and make reservations prior to going. There is parking in the front of the resturant and we were able to get a seat by the boardwalk The food was good and I highly recommend the sushi. That was hands down one of the best experiences I have had in a long time. I like my food spicy and I believe it was called the devil in one (tempura based Maki) that is seen in the picture that stood out for me. The sashimi was fresh and based on the sushi alone I would have oven the resturant 4.5/5 stars. The harumaki with jerk season was a good fusion taste and the miso soup with noodles had the general taste but was a bit on the salty side. If you are a fan of Kimuchi; it isn’t the core experience you would expect. It was a fusion taste of a little bit of diced kimuchi mixed with a lot of the souse flavor from pudding and souse. I also ordered the beef fried rice but as a heads up; the taste leans more towards bibimbap with a strong vinegary taste and might not be for all. All in all, a good experience but my suggestion is to focus on the sushi experience. I’ll go again to sample more dishes next week but it is worth a trip for the...

Fitted in a 2 hours notice on a Saturday.  Thank you.

At first I was sat near thr beach on a bar stool at what the called the sushi station, although it overlooked some plants and a side wall which was tiled.

With my back to the restaurant and in an elevated position I requested to move to the bar and eat there. I get it, trying to seat a single person at short notice is difficult, sat at the bar was fine. I think they actually over thought where a single guest would like to be and put me near the ocean.

The bar was fine, I ordered -

4 veg spring rolls with spicy tamarind sauce

Crisp, delicate, tamarind was just a hint of tang, no spice I could detect. The little kimchi that came with it was crisp, a nice amount of heat but chopped very fine, would of suited having more texture from bigger pieces.

Pan seared scallops with Thai curry foam and soy beans

Delicate foam with a good amount of flavour that pierced through with just a hint of heat without overpowering the scallops, which were lightly seared but to perfection, good change of texture with the soy beans, the purple sweet potato mash was very heavy and on its own did very little for the dish except add bulk it coated the palate and restricted the other flavours from...

I had high hopes for Naru Sushi given its reputation and beautiful location in Barbados. The ambiance was lovely, and the staff were genuinely friendly, which made the experience start on a good note. Unfortunately, the food – specifically the sushi – did not live up to even basic expectations.

The sushi rolls were massively overpriced and very poorly made. They looked like they were rolled by someone trying sushi-making for the first time. I’ve only made sushi twice in my life, and honestly, my homemade rolls were tighter and better presented than what I was served. For a restaurant that markets itself as a sushi spot, the quality was shockingly subpar. I’ve had better rolls at gourmet delis in New York, for a fraction of the price.

The drinks and appetizers were okay – nothing to rave about, but acceptable. Still, they weren’t enough to salvage the overall experience. I walked away feeling ripped off. With prices that high, you expect a certain level of quality and skill, and Naru did not deliver.

Sadly, this is not a place I’d return to, nor one I’d recommend for sushi lovers. There are far better options out there – even outside of Japan or NYC – that show far more care in their preparation and...