Review of Restaurant Oni

For great tasting sushi in a trendy setting, you can't go wrong with Oni.

I might never have ventured into this little hotspot if it wasn't for the personal recommendation by Dutch Michelin star chef Marcel van der Kleijn. To be honest, the bright orange, blue and pink lighting and uncomfortable seating would've put me right off.

Yes, the interior is minimalist, modern and cool, but I like a bit of comfort after a long day. And, while I prefer the upstairs seating with regular chairs to the monastery style wooden benches downstairs, the sushi and service here make up for a lot.

We had a list of recommendations from Marcel, which made ordering particularly easy, and the fact that our waiter was eager to tell us about each dish made it all the easier. We went with the spider crab maki (Euro 16,50), oni ebi katsu (deep fried king prawns, Euro 11,50) and California rolls (Euro 15,00).

Next, we ordered the salmon sashimi (shake sashimi, Euro 10,50) - not one of Marcel's recommendations, but something I can't resist. Same goes for nigiri unagi (eel sushi, Euro 9,00). Our salmon sashimi was cut into generous coral-colored slabs, and served beautifully presented with the usual accompaniments. The unagi was melt-in-the-mouth good.

Our spider crab maki was hands-down the highlight of the meal - the tastes and textures of this dish are simply magnificent. We also particularly enjoyed the prawns. They were deep fried in a tangle of tempura strands, which made for an interesting texture, but were not the least bit oily. Foodwise, there was nothing here that wasn't superb.

Our wine, a smooth blended Australian wine (Nepenthe Tryst 2007) at Euro 27,50 complimented the delicate flavors.

While sushi is seldom cheap, the prices are reasonable compared to what we've had elsewhere in the Netherlands, and the quality, presentation and service very good. Living up to its name, which means unique, Oni is sure to see us again!