Oshibori, Nethergate

Oshibori has been part of Dundee’s food scene since it opened as our first ever Japanese restaurant back in 2014. Known for its authentic food and aesthetic, this is one of the few places in Dundee that do sushi and ramen.

Browsing through the menu I was initially going to order my usual Prosecco – that’s right, I’m that girl who loves cheap bubbly; I don’t care that you judge me for it! However, when I saw their cocktail menu and the Japanese twist, I went against the norm and asked for their recommendation based on my love of fruity and long cocktails. Out came the Midori Koko, a beautiful mix of kin shiro shochu, midori, malibu and pineapple juice. This will set you back just £8.50. It’s tropical, light and felt like the ideal pairing for sushi.

For starters, we battled over what to order because everything sounds so good! We were on the cusp of ordering the soft shell crab tempura – but spoiler alert, someone decided to go for a soft shell crab main taking that option off the cards…I type bitterly. 

So, instead, we shared their beef Yakitori, chicken gyoza, and had a hearty little bowl of miso soup each. The Yakitori was absolute perfection, generous cubes of steak cooked rare, smothered in an incredible sticky sauce. I’m not ashamed to admit (although I probably should be) I even lapped some of that sauce up with my fingers when we were finished with the actual steak! Fabulous. 

The gyoza were also delicious, crispy on the outside with savoury chicken and a little crunch of fresh spring onion on the inside, served with an Asian spiced mayonnaise. Everything you want in a dumpling. 

Onto the mains and surprise, surprise, Dominic went for the Crabdon rice bowl; a giant bowl filled with crispy soft shell crabs – I reckon around two or three palm sized crabs – done in a spiced tempura, served with rice, a sweet and salty sauce, and a plethora of little vegetables. Obviously I had to try some (since he tore away my chance of having a smaller version of this for my starter). Well, after three large bites Dominic had to tear the rest out of my chopsticks before I devoured the whole crab. The flavours in the tempura were superb, very rich and salty with a pinch of spice, but not overpowering in any way. 

Sushi is something I crave almost daily, especially salmon when it’s served with lashings of fresh wasabi. So I inevitably went for one of their sushi platters – the Shomi. This consisted of one california with salmon and avocado, three salmon sashimi, two salmon nigiri and two tuna nigiri. Served beautifully on a large wooden serving plate, I adored the presentation. The california might have been my favourite, tightly wrapped and fresh, I used up more than half my wasabi on four of these alone. 

With such generous portions, I ended up taking half my sushi home with me to enjoy for lunch the next day.

Which of course…magically left a little room for dessert. We shared their recommendation “Death by Chocolate”. Described as “layers of hot dark chocolate cake, chocolate brownie, crunch, chocolate mousse, simply delicious!” and that’s exactly what it was! It also came with some fresh blueberries, a lovely little surprise hidden beneath some light foamy cream, that gave a lovely little crunch and sweetness to balance that chocolate overload.

For me this was the perfect dessert to share as I don’t have too much of a sweet tooth; but this was the perfect way to end a truly delicious meal.

The Verdict

Service 4/5
Drinks 5/5
Food 5/5
Atmosphere 4/5
Value for Money 4/5

Overall Rating 22/25

Information

Monday – Friday: 12:30–3:30 pm, 5:30–10:30 pm
Saturday: 12:30–10:30 pm
Sunday: 5:30–10:30 pm

Address: 162 Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4EE
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oshiboridundee/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oshiboridundee

Reservations: https://oshiborirestaurants.co.uk/events/