Sakana

A solid, excellent Japanese dining experience. I’ve only had sushi with fish this fresh in Tokyo, Japan, and at Sakana you can find rare and delicious cuts of fish like otoro, the fatty tuna which literally melts in your pith. Besides from supremely executed sushi, cooked dishes are tasty and fun, with delicious soups (ramen and soba), fried dishes and specialties such as the grilled tuna cheek. As in real Japanese restaurants they serve Asahi beer on tap, and, added bonus, their desserts are fun and yummy, very unusual for a Japanese restaurant. Don’t be fooled by the many other non-​legit wannabe Japanese restaurants in the neighborhood, Sakana is the real deal. Book a table because the place is packed even on night you might consider «slow».

I stayed in Rome for two weeks and sadly only ate here once. It’s an informal place in a hip little district filled with restaurants and bars. Sakana has table and kaizen sushi service and as I was eating alone I sat at the Kaizen which was nicely made out of dark woods and felt more like a dining table than a fast food experience. By the way excellent English was spoken by every staff member I encountered that night though of course your experience may differ.
The meal was excellent. Sakana has an extensive non sushi menu so I started with a plate of Zaru soba, the dipping sauce (Tsuyu) lacked favour but this was something I had noticed in another Japanese restaurant in Rome so I added the onion and wasabi and a little extra soy and it was fine.
I then enjoyed some sushi and sashimi and a few pieces of freshly cooked ebi tempura from the trays passing before me before ordering two pieces of Yakitori. Again this was very good but it was highly sauced, I prefer Yakitori with salt but as I didn’t say that when I ordered then it’s my own fault.
I was still a little hungry and for some reason ordered two dishes of beef teriyaki and Yakitori with salt. However these were main course dishes but hey-​Ho I set about them with gusto even though I had eaten quite a but by that point.
My error in ordering two main course dishes may have had something to do with the two large Kirins I had drunk as well as an excellent bottle of unfiltered sake that was on offer but not on the menu.
The meal was a little more expensive than you would expect for one person but that was entirely due to the large quantity of food I had both ordered and enjoyed.
I ate out every night for two weeks and if I find myself back in Rome for long enough to tire of Pasta again I shall definitely return to Sakana, and what better recommendation can you give a place than repeat business