Sushi, soba, ramen − just a small taste of the culinary delights on offer in Düsseldorf’s Japanese quarter

Welcome to Little Tokyo. Japanese food is right on trend at the moment. Foodies are blogging about ramen, posting pictures of all its variants. As they bite into taiyaki with blissful grins, they try to outdo each other with well-guarded insider tips. But that sort of thing merely raises a wry smile in Düsseldorf, home to the third-largest Japanese community in Europe. A community that boasts an extraordinary culinary diversity when it comes to Japanese cuisine. We’ve put together a selection of six top tips for you.

Masterful − Soba-An

The Soba-An is run by Germany’s only female soba master. There are just a handful of genuine soba masters working across the whole of Europe, but Tamaki Hamano is something even rarer: a female chef who has taken the making of soba noodles to masterly perfection. She has been in Düsseldorf for eight years, bringing her unique take on one of Japan’s most popular dishes – right up there with sushi and ramen – to Little Tokyo. Soba noodles are made primarily from buckwheat flour and served with various broths, or with tempura or meat, as they are at Soba-An on Klosterstrasse. Tamaki Hamano spent three years learning how to make soba in Hokkaido before completing her training in Tokyo. The preparation of the noodles is time-consuming and physically demanding, and Hamano can only manage four sessions a day, which equates to 80 portions. Word of the high quality of her cuisine has spread far and wide, so with foodies travelling from all over Europe just to try this delicious treat a reservation is absolutely essential.

@sobaan_duesseldorf

Traditional − Naniwa Noodles & Soups

The queues that form along Klosterstrasse during lunch and at dinner time have become the stuff of legend. For 38 years, Naniwa has been offering primarily ramen in its many variants, and few can match this traditional restaurant for quality. Its secret? That’s simple enough. It’s the consistently high standard of excellence it has maintained since it first opened back in 1986. Every morning, the kitchen prepares 20 types of ramen, along with dishes such as yakisoba (fried noodles), tenshin-han (rice with crab), toriteri-don (teriyaki chicken with rice), gyoza (stuffed dumplings) and chahan (fried rice) from scratch. The three most popular ramen soups are tantan men with ground pork, stamina ramen with kimchi and vegetable ramen. For vegetarians, head chef Mr Kobayashi will even prepare the last one with a vegetable broth on request, although he swears by the distinctive hearty pork broth he uses for his soups. He also recommends Kirin beer as the perfect accompaniment to his delicious fare.

Creamy − Tokyo Ramen Takeichi

This popular restaurant on Immermannstrasse now also has a location on Bismarckstrasse. A quick look at the menu confirms what the name suggests: from shoyu to shio or miso, fans of Japanese noodle soup are well catered for in this authentic Tokyo-style eatery. The Takeichi specialises in a rich white chicken broth. Many of its ramen soups feature this deliciously creamy broth that is a popular alternative to the traditional pork broth in Japan. You can find them on the menu under ‘Nouko Tori Paitan Ramen’, and there’s a special version with marinaded egg and an extra helping of chicken. The starters are also authentic Tokyo cuisine. Try the oysters cooked in soy sauce or the fried sardines with plum mayonnaise, for example. You can’t get much more authentic than that. Even Michelin-starred chef Yoshizumi Nagaya, owner of Japanese fine-dining restaurants Nagaya and Yoshi by Nagaya, agrees.

takeichi-ramen.eu

Hand-rolled − Nagomi

Near Düsseldorf’s main train station is a place where sophisticated Japanese cuisine meets urban diversity. The Nagomi restaurant provides traditional Japanese food for its discerning guests, who watch sushi master Hitoshi as his skilful hands form elaborate makri or nigiri and cut very thin slices of sashimi. The majority of the customers are Japanese, and they appreciate the attention to detail just as much as the wide choice on offer. Starters include aromatic miso soup with Venus clams or crispy fried tofu. If you’re having trouble deciding on a main course, try chirashi, a mixed sushi bowl. Or how about the Nagomi sushi platter − a selection of master Hitoshi’s exquisite sushi creations?

nagomi.de

Alternative – Takumi chicken and vegetables

Attention vegetarians! Are you looking for tasty ramen in a vegetable broth? At Takumi Chicken & Veggie that is the rule rather than the exception. The restaurant on Klosterstrasse also serves other Japanese delicacies. Unlike the traditional and perhaps better known version of this popular Japanese staple, which is based on pork broth, the Takumi only uses – as the name suggests – chicken or vegetable broth in its ramen dishes. The vegetarian options are available in the standard variants of shoyu, shio and miso. And they can easily hold their own against meat-based broths. What’s more, this Little Tokyo restaurant doesn’t just score highly in terms of taste. With its casual interior design and stylish plates and bowls it’s also a great place to relax and unwind.

@tori.veggie

Cute − Bing Go

Do you like taiyaki? Then head for Immermannstrasse. These cute fish-shaped cakes that look like they’ve been made by a kid with a sand mould are a must-try for any visitor to Little Tokyo. Fillings change on a regular basis, but matcha cream and red bean paste are always among the standard options. Speaking of matcha, at Bing Go it also turns up in latte, brownies and ice cream. Soft ice cream is another big seller at Bing Go, and is available in a variety of tea flavours − either in a cup or combined with taiyaki. In addition to all the sweet treats, taiyaki also comes with a range of savoury fillings. Try one accompanied by a blueberry white cake latte – it’s truly divine!

Sushi, sake and Japanese lifestyle
Nowhere else in Germany can you experience the Japanese way of life as authentically as in Little Tokyo. We’ll show you where to find the best sake, which sushi is most highly prized by locals and what manga comics are currently the most popular. Bonus: the tour includes four opportunities to sample food and drink.
For further information, visit visitduesseldorf.de.

Text: Visit Düsseldorf
Photos: Visit Düsseldorf
The main photo shows Takumi chicken and vegetables.
Photo of Soba-An: Brickney Europe