Yatai Sushi Otsumami Bar — Restaurant in Krakow

You know, I was actually planning on some kind of Vietnamese noodle soup for lunch but both places I went to were oppressively packed, and I couldn't get a table I liked, so I ended up at here... Honestly, I hit the jackpot. Look, I've written over 2 thousand reviews on Google Maps and TripAdvisor, so when I say something is exceptional, I mean it. And this place is just that. Bottom line: they cook incredibly well here. The menu has an eclectic variety of Japanese dishes you really don't typically see all together in one Japanese restaurant. At first I was going to describe it as fusion, but it really isn't. It's just that some things have an unusual - better yet unique – twist to it, and the two things I tried were super delicious. Interestingly, I'm told the chef is from Ukraine, not Japan, though she wasn't here today. My waiter Tomas - what a good guy! We had such a great chat or two about the restaurant and menu, a little about Polish food I should try, and a bit about his career path. I'm a tourist here only a few days, so his informative advice was very  much welcome. Tomas = friendly, attentive service. Okay, so for the food: I ordered maguro nigiri sushi, and it was amazing – soft and melt-in-your-mouth, with a deep reddish color one would expect from high-quality akami maguro. I don't know really that much about this, but I was kind of reminded of quality toro when I ate my first piece. The "gari" was also super fresh. But what really made this dish special – it kind of wowed me – was that it had a little bit of yuzu gosho on it. Yuzo gosho is one of my most favorite condiments in the world. I've had it on the various different things that are found in the Japanese winter comfort dish oden, but I've never tasted it on sushi before - brilliant. I can't even remember ever going to a sushi restaurant in Japan and seeing it there, and I've lived there over 8 years. I think I once had it on some yakitori at a yatai in Fukuoka. I want sushi again with yuzo gosho it. Ok, on to the habanero mango ramen from their summer menu. My friend, this ramen was incredible. Do you think I can use these two words together: umami and savory for the same food? This is why I ask: It was a little sweet, yes, but definitely, undeniably spicy and so, so rich. And absolutely savory, even though it had that hint of sweetness you usually associate with the opposite. The noodles? Perfect – not chewy, not mushy, just right. The broth... it was deeply rich, spicy and well blended; I didn't see a splotch of oil in it. Interestingly the panko shrimp wasn't greasy and sort of reminded me of shrimp tempura. Even lying in the broth, they remained unusually dry and crisp. As I told Tomas, I don't eat deep fried foods (I'm too old for that) and was hesitant at first about ordering it. But I think they got their flash frying technique down to a science, so I don't feel guilty at all about eating them. Maybe best of all, the taste of this wonderful dish lasted in my mouth for a while. It was a really, really satisfying dish. I finished it all maybe ten minutes ago, and I swear, it's still lingering. Honestly, for what I paid both dishes – 68 złoty – it was well worth it. I am absolutely coming back here again because I saw so many other things on the menu I want to try. The only problem? It's going to be so difficult not to order that mango...

To be honest, I was expecting a lot and was slightly disappointed, especially considering the price. For the atmosphere and the service, I have nothing to say, it was perfect. Very welcoming staff and atmosphere of the restaurant which is well decorated. I ordered the Kimchi Ramen soup. It was definitely drinkable but just OK. But I was expecting so much more. First, the soup base was the worst part of the ramen, which is quite sad because the soup seems like the most important part in ramen. It was tasteless, barely spicy because of the kimchi, not thick, not brothy, no taste of meat, no fat and no vinegar. It seemed like watermelon juice to me. Second, the noodles were not great for me. Super thin and sticky, it was quite hard to eat the whole thing. The kimchi was good but it felt like it was added in there with red pepper powder and all of the ingredients in the soup seemed to me like an addition of ingredients instead of a harmonious whole. However, the ribs were very tasty, well cooked and had a great sauce on them. I will try to go back to try their sushi and lunch menu which looks interesting. But to be honest, these ramen, though looking good, are simply...

This fairly new sushi restaurant is located in a area surrounded by restaurants with cuisine from across the globe, so it fits well and is likely to get a lot of foot traffic. It was busier than other sushi restaurants i've seen, but this could also be due to being relatively new. Beautifully fresh bamboo style tables and chairs await you, and menus are swiftly presented. Nothing out of the ordinary on offer, but interpretations can vary. Having prdered a sushi set, we had a reasonable sampling of the menu, it seems to be something sweet, something spicy, something umami, and the classic palatte refresher hosomaki's. A real nifty touch was the tablets which with water added turned into fresh hand cleansing towels... suggestion to proprieters, it would be awesome if the water was slightly warmed. The only let down was a lengthy wait for the food to arrive, but I put this down to a customer who seemed to order a huge amount, to take away. After he was served, 4 sets were prepped and dished to various customers swiftly, so certainly not expected every visit. We look forward to returning for a larger set...