Best place for sushi. DoNOT expect to get a seat without a…read morereservation. People always walk in and are surprised that there are no free tables. They should update their webpage for phone-optimized layout, but on a normal screen you can read everything just fine. Truly an experience to eat there.

Always tried keeping it a secret ... But, I guess it's too late now…read more.. Usually, you have to make reservations for a table around 3-7 days in advance if you are a party of more than one. The quality of the food is great and, prices are more than reasonable for the quality; which doesn't make it all that special. But, the outstanding personnel and the awesome Otoro do!!! I don't recommend trying this for the typical California Roll or Futo Maki fan or "aucthrup" (all-U-can-eat) wolverine since it would be an unpardonable waste. However, if you favor supreme quality and taste over quantity give it a try. You won't regret it!

From the owner: Exquisite japanische Küche - Bewusst genießen…read more Die in der Zen-Lehre verwurzelte Idee, bewusst zu genießen und die exquisite japanische Küche zu vereinen und ein entspanntes Ambiente zu bieten, in dem der Gast den Alltag bei erlesenen Speisen genießen kann - mit Freunden, mit der Familie, aber auch mit Geschäftspartnern. Das ist das Restaurant zen. Die japanische Küche zeichnet sich durch viel Fisch und Meeresfrüchte, frische Zutaten und wenig Gewürze aus. Wert wird auf die Betonung des eigenen Geschmacks der Lebensmittel gelegt. Besonders Sushi ist in Deutschland sehr beliebt. Im Jahr 2013 wurde die japanische Küche von der UNESCO zum Weltkulturerbe erklärt. Die japanische Ernährung sei nicht nur schmackhaft, sondern der Schlüssel zu einem langen Leben. Wir schöpfen daher aus einer alten japanischen Kunst, die von Generation zu Generation weitergegeben wurde. Wir verbinden jahrhundertelange Tradition mit der Moderne. Unser Konzept ist eine moderne Interpretation der japanischen Gastronomie, die mit den Handfertigkeiten der Vergangenheit kombiniert wird, um japanische Küche für heute neu zu kreieren.

Shio ramen, basil cocktail, and matcha/taro Icecream we're all 10/10 amazing. Service is a little…read moreslow.

Authentic Japanese, real solid ramen…read more The spicy chicken ramen really hit the spot, savory broth and perfectly cooked noodles. I was surprised how thick and umami the broth tasted. The takoyaki were also delicious, only wish they came with 6 and not 4. The chicken wings, another home run. The gyoza were a bit on the soggy side, perhaps maybe another 30 seconds in the pan would've made them perfect. Also try the various fruit teas, not too sweet and perfect to wash down the hot noodles with.

Great fresh and authentic sushi/ Japanese food. Friendly and good service from the staff. The miso…read moresoup was excellent, so was the tamagotchi.

Nikko is the best Japanese restaurant I've been to so far. Excellent food, nice atmosphere and good…read moreservice. A Japanese friend confirmed that ingredients and dishes taste pretty authentic. Another good sign it that usually a good percentage of the guests is made up by Japanese people. The launch specials are really very convenient. Prices for dinners are also ok, the price quality ratio is definitely very good.

This was the only sushi restaurant I ever went to when I was living in Germany…read more The owner is super friendly and often would give complementary sushi. Parking isn't always easiest has the street parking would fill up quite quickly. The food here is definitely worth parking a little further away to get to. The owner and sushi chef would serve up some amazing dishes, appetizers as well. I wish we had as of a sushi place and as intimate as this place back at home. I miss living in Germany and having access to such a great sushi spot.

A small high volume sushi place that I happened to see during my walk around the shopping area and…read morepopped in for a spot of lunch. To be honest I had low expectations but this place surprised me with their flavours and quality. This place takes a slightly modern twist to sushi and I loved it. Nice intense flavours that did not take away from the delicate fish and just enhanced the taste nicely. I had the small sushi plate and I could have happily eaten two of them ;-)) Good service, reasonable prices and despite being busy everything was freshly prepared and served fairly quickly. I would happily come here again. The menu is fairly extensive and lots of choice for all.

Authentic Japanese restaurant with Japanese staff/owners…read more The food was just as it should be, and the staff were very kind. We enjoyed a lunch here and all got tendon teishoku lunch sets. While not worth going out of your way for, if you are in the area and seeking Japanese food, then this is a good spot to try real Japanese food (which is not just sushi!). I would be happy to eat here again!

Sometimes you wonder why ... There are a lot of reviews on…read moreYelp that rated this restaurant excellent, even calling it the no. 1 Sushi bar in Cologne. That was the main reason for coming here with high expectations. The interior is kept in a clean, welcoming Sushi bar style. We started out with some warm Sake. Unfortunately, it was one of those you can buy for 12€ a bottle in any supermarket. I guess it was also warmed up in a microwave causing the typical strange aftertaste. Next was a Spicy Tuna Maki roll and Unagi Nigiri. The Maki came w/ just a tiny bit of Maguro but lots of rice inside. The spicy taste was generated by a generous Tabasco shot. The Unagi tasted somewhat artificial. !!! Don't forget to order Wasabi for 0.50€ extra since there is none served with the Sushi dishes !?!??? Also, we received some kind of veggie Tempura we didn't order. I tried it but didn't like it. Fortunately, we didn't have to pay for it. Bottom line: The Kintaro has a promising, comfy interior. But, quality of its food doesn't reach expected standards. At maximum it's about average and, I cannot recommend this restaurant for Sushi. There are quite a few restaurants around that serve better Sushi for the same price or less, three of them w/in 600ft walking distance.

Extremely fresh sushi and great variety of tea. We got the…read moresushi boat and also some extra sushi variety. The extra sushi was forgotten and I could see that they were cleaning up for the night. My friend reminded them and they not only quickly made our sushi, they also gave us sushi "on the house" to apologize. Later, they waved at us at the train station! Lovely people!

Some place does not have to be big, to have a big taste!…read more This mini sushi restaurant is the example! Very mini japanese/korean restaurant hidden between the busy street of Gereonsviertel, where the bars and some clubs are located. The small place is decorated so neatly with very asian taste. The whole tea placements and typical asian decorations will caught your eye the moment you enter the restaurant. What i like most: They have simple menu, so i guess people would not have to think very long on what to order. Competitive pricing for the quality and freshness of the sushi. Friendliness of the waiter/waitresses. Sushi boat! (What is it, you ask? - just see their menu and you will understand) What i dont like: Ummm, lemme think about it.... Wait... A.... Second.... I guess......? Nothing!! - i like this place so much i cant find anything i dont like. So in short, this place is "Oishii!" And i would definitely bring anyone or recommend it to anyone!

Being from California, I've never had to wait in a queue for ramen, especially in the cold. I…read morecontemplated leaving, but was glad that I waited. The ramen was pretty good for Cologne standard. I ordered the traditional Tokyo shoyu ramen. The servers were attentive even though the restaurant was busy. It's definitely worth the wait!

Good ramen in Germany is hard to find, but Takumi makes great ramen. Not the best in my life, but…read morereally good for Germany, so it gets full stars for someone that has been stuck in Germany and hasn't been back to Japan for 2 years. You have to ask for pepper for your ramen and rice vinegar for your gyoza, but that is a bit minor. They have no raw garlic toppings and this was a disappointment for me. You have to ask for more sesame toppings if you desire. They had a tap for Kirin beer, but they told me at lunch time that they were sold out. 5 stars egg noodles 5 stars Miso soup 3 stars Chasyu, was tasty, but really thin and they gave you one slice. 0 stars No raw garlic topping 5 stars Gyoza, because they had Nira in them 0 stars No Kirin beer on tap Gute Ramen sind in Deutschland schwer zu finden, aber Takumi macht großartige Ramen. Nicht die besten in meinem Leben, aber wirklich gut für Deutschland, also bekommt es volle Sterne für jemanden, der in Deutschland festsitzt und seit 2 Jahren nicht mehr nach Japan zurückgekehrt ist. Man muss um Pfeffer für den Ramen und Reisessig für die Gyoza bitten, aber das ist ein bisschen wenig. Sie haben keinen rohen Knoblauch als Belag, und das war eine Enttäuschung für mich. Sie müssen um mehr Sesambelag bitten, wenn Sie möchten. Sie hatten einen Zapfhahn für Kirin-Bier, aber sie sagten mir beim Mittagessen, dass sie ausverkauft seien. 5-Sterne Eiernudeln 5 Sterne Miso-Suppe 3 Sterne Chasyu, war lecker, aber wirklich dünn und man bekam ein Stück davon. 0 Sterne Kein roher Knoblauch-Topping 5 Sterne Gyoza, weil sie Nira in sich hatten 0 Sterne Kein Kirin-Bier vom Fass

About two years ago I wrote my first review about this place. For whatever reason it disappeared…read more But, that doesn't matter. In general my opinion didn't change. Just that last time I gave a conservative 3 stars, this time some optimistic 4 stars. Why? 'cause they did some cosmetic improvement about the place and the menu. Quality of the fish is decent. The liquor, beer and wine selection very good. However, everyone has to decide himself if the food is worth the buck.

Tiny Japanese spot down the block from us. Of the 3 sushi places I've tried on Koeln, this was the…read morebest one. No frills, good food albeit at a higher price. The fish was fresh and good ratio vs rice. Udon tempura hit the spot on a rainy day. Broth was on point, not overly salty. We were able to order, drop off some stuff at apt, and came back just in time for food! They also have black sesame ice cream....time for dessert :)