With Buddha statues, a tree-filled terrace, and wooden floors and ceilings, the entire atmosphere of ZenChiBar is very… well, zen. This well-designed restaurant, tucked away around a corner of the Patershol district, has chosen the appropriate name. As they explain on their website; Zen is a life philosophy, Chi is the Asian concept of "energy" contained within every element in the universe and Bar is a place to have a drink and relax. While they have lovely set menus, their focus is more on overall Asian food and less on just sushi.
One of the first on the sushi scene, the year 2007 saw Amatsu open its doors to a steady stream of discerning clientele. Noted as authentic Japanese cooking in Michelin’s 2011 guide, Amatsu is pricey but worth it. The menu highlights the diversity of Japan’s well-known dishes such as Unadon – grilled eel for €34. For sushi, there are a limited amount of Western classics like the California roll. Alternatively, trust the chef and go for a tasting menu created of either sushi (€43) or sashimi for (€47).
One of the three restaurants to open in 2010, the Chinese owners of Ocean Sushi are friendly and have created an airy place with a comfortable atmosphere. The menu is pretty basic, but what stands out is the balance between quality and price. It isn’t too expensive, the portions of sashimi are just right, and the quality is what you want in a seafood restaurant.
Located next to Sint-Baaf's cathedral in Ghent, this small shop has prepared dishes ready to take away. While relatively basic in its offerings of rolls and sashimi, this is the best solution when the weather is hot and cooking is unbearable. Eight to12 pieces make up the single portion packs which range from €12 to €14, or double the price for dinner for two.
The third and most recent sushi restaurant to open its doors, Sushi Palace in the Oudburg, has been consistently busy thanks to its well-priced sushi and inventive rolls. Here the hand rolls combine some of the most surprising ingredients for fun and creative results. The Nepalese owners know what they’re doing – make sure you try the €9 inside-out dragon roll with spicy tuna on the outside filled with red snapper, salmon and more tuna.
Right down the road from its Oudburg neighbor is a less busy, less cosy version that also opened up last year. However, with outdoor seating, different opening days and best of all, delivery service, it remains competitive. The prices are pretty impressive with options like the Ikura Bridge featuring an amazing deal of 46 pieces of sushi and sashimi for only €50.
If you want to eat as much as you can, opt for all you can eat in the suburb of Sint-Martens-Latem. You order from an extensive menu, three items at a time. Sushi, sashimi, tempura, and meat off the grill means you can introduce yourself to some unfamiliar items or simply get greedy and eat as much as possible. However, the portions are small, and the quality of the rolls aren’t top notch. But with a price tag of only €25, it’s a fair deal.
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