Japanese Food @ Japan Restaurant Ishihara, Nuremberg, Germany

Finding authentic Asian food in Germany is pretty much a chore, as many eateries tend to adapt their food to the local taste and in the process, the end result suffers. It is always in the larger cities though, e.g. Stuttgart or Munich, where the real deals can be picked out from the duds.

Before going for the Christmas Market in Nuremberg, we decided to go for Japanese food. Prior research led us to Ishihara Restaurant, as the menu looked pretty promising. The restaurant is located nearby Zum Gulden Stern Historische Bratwurstküche which is a famous eatery in the area; famed for their grilled Nürnberger bratwurst and being the first bratwurst kitchen in the world. Great for anyone wanting a piece of the historical action besides the Japanese food.

For lunch, we were led into the Teppanyaki area, where everyone gets an apron irrespective of whether you are having Teppanyaki or not. Most of the patrons I saw on that day were having the Teppanyaki though. The ambience is what you would expect from a Teppanyaki counter with many people seated beside one another. On the day, there were less customers so it was not overly crowded or rowdy. We were seated on a counter opposite a Japanese family. Decoration is simple and understated, lighting is sufficient; just how we like it in Japanese restaurants.

There is a separate lunch menu, so we did not get to look at the dinner menu.Some green tea while having a browse through the menu.

Chef in action.

I had the Unagi don which came with a beansprout appetiser and a miso soup (€16.50). The portion was HUGE, which completely surpassed our expectations. The unagi was beautifully grilled, well complemented by the seaweed and the sticky rice.

Miso Soup

Large slabs of unagi

My dining companion opted for Teppanyaki Ebi, Sake, Tara, Ika no Toriawase (€24.00) which alongside the main of prawns, salmon, cod and squid included an appetiser, miso soup, salad, rice and various vegetables. We loved the freshness of the seafood and also its smokey taste especially the squid.

Appetiser

Salad

Teppanyaki being prepared. Smokin' hot!

Done!

On a second visit, I had a sashimi starter (€12.00 for 9 slices) and "sukiyaki" cooked teppanyaki style (€13.80). The sashimi featured salmon, prawn and maguro; with the fattier salmon being my favourite of the lot. The sukiyaki consisted of chunks of beef, tofu, vegetables, mushrooms, noodles and a raw-egg dip served in an onion-made bowl. Instead of the conventional hot pot version, the ingredients were cooked on the teppanyaki counter. The beef was tender and flavoursome with hints of the sweet sukiyaki broth. Paired with the egg dip and rice, it was just wonderful to eat.

Pre-appetiser of cucumber and seaweed.

Trio of sashimi

"Sukiyaki" being prepped

Don't expect this dish in a hot pot!

List of awards and decorations on their wall.

Verdict: From the lunch menu, we decided that we have seen and tasted enough to warrant another visit to the restaurant in the near future, should we visit Nürnberg again. Good food at relatively affordable prices places this restaurant as one of the best japanese restaurants in the area.

Opening times: 12:00 to 14:30 for lunch, 18:00 to 22:00 for dinner, Closed on Sundays

Service: Good

Location: Japan Restaurant Ishihara, Schottengasse 3, 90402 Nürnberg, Germany.

Tel: +49 0911 22 63 95

Website: http://www.ishihara.de/

*This is a guest post by The Unc. All photos taken with the iPhone 4S.