Sushi Poel — Restaurant in Ghent

Atmosphere and Arrival: After a great first experience, we decided to return to Sushi Poel. The atmosphere is simple yet pleasant. Despite the restaurant being full, we managed to get a table for three without a reservation, which was a nice surprise.

Service: The staff was very friendly and attentive, creating a relaxed start to our meal.

Food: As before, we ordered the sushi boat. At first glance, it was beautifully presented, and the ingredients seemed fresh. However, we noticed that the rice appeared slightly off – the sushi pieces fell apart easily when picked up with chopsticks, suggesting the rice may have been improperly prepared or not sticky enough.

Quality and Execution: Toward the end of the meal, we also noticed that many sushi pieces were unevenly shaped – some were too thick or loosely rolled, something that wasn’t obvious at the beginning due to the fullness of the platter.

Staff Response: We politely mentioned this to our server, who relayed the feedback to the kitchen. She later explained that they had a new chef working that day who was still in training, and assured us that the rice was indeed fresh. That would have been an acceptable explanation, but she continued by saying we were the only ones who had raised this issue and that all other guests were satisfied.

Conclusion: While we understand that presentation may not matter to every guest, it is important to us – especially in a restaurant aiming for a higher standard. I have extensive experience in this area, and for this level of establishment, such inconsistency is simply not acceptable. There was nothing personal in the feedback; it was meant as a constructive remark to encourage more attention to detail in the future. Sushi Poel has potential, but consistency and execution matter just as much as first...

We went here twice in the span of two weeks just because of how amazing the food and the service was. We ordered the all you can eat sushi boat and it was the best! They ask for any food restrictions and allergies beforehand and are very conscious about it. The atmosphere, the staff and the food is all very good, so if you're in doubt which Sushi restaurant to go to, your search is over. Will continue going...

The sushi was so delicious and fresh! Even though we bought it for takeout, the freshness of it tasted as if we were sitting at the bar and receiving it directly from the chef. Amazing. The amount of rolls they serve with mango is large, and much appreciated.

I also appreciated the little containers they use to send soy sauce as I have never seen these used before (so small and reusable - and they...