Kakinuma — Restaurant in Geneva

We visited Kakinuma in Geneva to celebrate the end of the school year for my son — a special occasion we had been looking forward to. As fans of Japanese cuisine, we ordered generously, including a large sushi and sashimi box. Unfortunately, the experience left us extremely disappointed.

The box, curated at the chef’s discretion, came with no option to specify preferences. We accepted this, trusting in the restaurant’s reputation. However, what we received was far from what we expected:

The salmon sashimi was extremely fatty — so much so that it was inedible.

The tuna sashimi was not the usual lean cut but an excessively fatty version that resembled raw pancetta — again, not something we could eat.

There was also a mystery piece of fish with skin on, and it was unclear whether it was raw or cooked — it was unappealing and left untouched.

The rolls included the same fatty tuna, which again, was not palatable.

We raised our concerns with the restaurant manager, who was polite and responsive. He kindly offered us 3 pieces of lean tuna sashimi and 3 lean tuna nigiri to make up for the issue. While we appreciated the gesture, the overall experience was disappointing and did not reflect the quality we expected from a restaurant of this standing.

One of the reasons we choose well-known establishments is to avoid exactly this kind of letdown. Sadly, Kakinuma did not deliver on its promise of high-quality Japanese cuisine. The restaurant still displays a sign on its window noting its Michelin star from 2021, but based on our experience, that recognition feels out of date and no longer reflective of the current standard. It’s time that sign was taken down.

Regrettably, we will not...

We visited Kakinuma in Geneva to celebrate the end of the school year for my son — a special occasion we had been looking forward to. As fans of Japanese cuisine, we ordered generously, including a large sushi and sashimi box. Unfortunately, the experience left us extremely disappointed.

The box, curated at the chef’s discretion, came with no option to specify preferences. We accepted this, trusting in the restaurant’s reputation. However, what we received was far from what we expected:

The salmon sashimi was extremely fatty — so much so that it was inedible.

The tuna sashimi was not the usual lean cut but an excessively fatty version that resembled raw pancetta — again, not something we could eat.

There was also a mystery piece of fish with skin on, and it was unclear whether it was raw or cooked — it was unappealing and left untouched.

The rolls included the same fatty tuna, which again, was not palatable.

We raised our concerns with the restaurant manager, who was polite and responsive. He kindly offered us 3 pieces of lean tuna sashimi and 3 lean tuna nigiri to make up for the issue. While we appreciated the gesture, the overall experience was disappointing and did not reflect the quality we expected from a restaurant of this standing.

One of the reasons we choose well-known establishments is to avoid exactly this kind of letdown. Sadly, Kakinuma did not deliver on its promise of high-quality Japanese cuisine. The restaurant still displays a sign on its window noting its Michelin star from 2021, but based on our experience, that recognition feels out of date and no longer reflective of the current standard. It’s time that sign was taken down.

Regrettably, we will not...

We visited Kakinuma in Geneva to celebrate the end of the school year for my son — a special occasion we had been looking forward to. As fans of Japanese cuisine, we ordered generously, including a large sushi and sashimi box. Unfortunately, the experience left us extremely disappointed.

The box, curated at the chef’s discretion, came with no option to specify preferences. We accepted this, trusting in the restaurant’s reputation. However, what we received was far from what we expected:

The salmon sashimi was extremely fatty — so much so that it was inedible.

The tuna sashimi was not the usual lean cut but an excessively fatty version that resembled raw pancetta — again, not something we could eat.

There was also a mystery piece of fish with skin on, and it was unclear whether it was raw or cooked — it was unappealing and left untouched.

The rolls included the same fatty tuna, which again, was not palatable.

We raised our concerns with the restaurant manager, who was polite and responsive. He kindly offered us 3 pieces of lean tuna sashimi and 3 lean tuna nigiri to make up for the issue. While we appreciated the gesture, the overall experience was disappointing and did not reflect the quality we expected from a restaurant of this standing.

One of the reasons we choose well-known establishments is to avoid exactly this kind of letdown. Sadly, Kakinuma did not deliver on its promise of high-quality Japanese cuisine. The restaurant still displays a sign on its window noting its Michelin star from 2021, but based on our experience, that recognition feels out of date and no longer reflective of the current standard. It’s time that sign was taken down.

Regrettably, we will not...