My personal highlight: Sitting 3 hours at the counter at Yu-An Zurich observing the owner Ken creating finger licking inside out rolls

Being a food blogger doesn’t mean you have to try every place in town. In my case I try to focus on selected quality food only and on the authenticity of a place. A further criteria for me is the experience which includes the kindness of the staff and a comfortable surrounding. My good nose brought me to Stauffacher this month at the Japanese Restaurant Yu-An located at Werdstrasse 66, Zurich.

Feel the Izakaya Style at Yu-An

In the 1600ies Japanese sake shops started to serve customers skewers and other light bites. This was the beginning of izakayas – literally meaning “sitting in a sake shop”. Nowadays you find these places all over Japan as after-work watering holes that offer an inexpensive and kind of informal dining. This is a philosophy that I guess you truly feel at Yu-An and Kokoro in Zurich.

I knew about the very successfully, Gault-Milliau awarded Japanese Restaurant Kokoro, located in a side street of Langstrasse (since 2015) managed by the same owner Ken Groh and his partner Mioh Suguro. Why not discovering the second project Yu-An run through my mind.

The traditional Izakaya Food Philosophy is a main component of both restaurants. That is what I understand and feel there. You share different warm and cold dishes from seafood to beef and sushi rolls or sashimi.

What to point out at Yu-An ?

The ambience

Dining here throws you back to Japan not only because of the traditional food but also because of the originality of the interior. Some of the picture that hang at the wall contain original rarities of Japanese magazines that belonged to Ken’s grandfather. Sitting at the counter observing the inside out rolls being prepared is something you have to experience. Hearing a Japanese conversation and the pleasant sound of the language makes my ears happy. ( I do no understand a word though).

The food

You have a great selection of warm and cold dishes, all prepared fresh with premium quality products by Chef Tatsunori and the staff. I suggest to try a degustation menu and share plates. You find weekly specials for meat lovers and vegetarians.

My absolute favorites: Their inside out rolls! Choose the Tiger roll that comes with a tempura fried tender shrimp, cucumber inside and outside a spicy tuna avocado. The Salmon Aburi roll has some salmon, ginger, cucumber and shiso, outside a salmon flambé and home made sauce. If you like beef, absolutely choose the Entrecôte Teriyaki roll or the Beef roll flambé! Food porn included.

Guess what makes Yu-An special in town is the really superb choice of rolls!

What else to try beside inside out rolls? Pork and Soft Shell Crab Karage, please!

Go for some seafood! The Soft Shell Karage is a crab marinated and fried. Its taste is very light and spicy.
Add a meat plate: The Buta Kakuni is a slow-coked piece of pork breast with a creamy fat layer melting as butter on the palate. It is spiced up just perfect with a Japanese mustard.

For lunch: Try their Poké bowls, the menu comes with a soup or salad. The one with the onsen egg is a must try! Otherwise get a gourmet lunch menu for CHF 46.5o. It comes with a miso soup, a small salad, sushi & sashimi, beef, salmon or shrimps in a hot pan and Japanese rice.

Opening hours: Tue – Fri  11:30 – 14:30, Tue – Sa  18:30 – 22:30

Address: Werdstrasse 66, 8004 Zürich, Kreis 4

www.yu-an.ch

My personal highlight: Watching Chef Ben creating my miso ramen in the kitchen and explaining to me every detail about what is relevant to get elastic handmade ramen noodles and telling me that I need to slurp my soup to get the best taste

Food rumors are spreading so fast in our tiny city. It makes it very easy t to hear about the new places in town. Yume Ramen is now offering Ramen soups at Reitergasse 6, Zürich.

Behind Yume Ramen stands a heritage of Japanese Cuisine. Lorenz Muster, the Manager of Sala of Tokyo brought this concept to the city with the goal to introduce to Zurich People the authentic Japanese gastro pub lifestyle called Izakaya. In Japan people to stop by at this easy food bar for lunch or after work. The ambience at Yume Ramen is completely like that, easy and homy. The fact that a traditional Swiss “beiz” was here before having a bit of a 80’s and retro interior, makes that place even more authentic.

Chef Ben introduces me to the uniqueness of Yume Ramen. It’s the soup stock that is made fresh from scratch every day and cooked for hours either with pork bones or a veggie stock. The selection of ramen is variegated, guests appreciate that. Pork, Beef, Chicken or Veggie, all available on the menu.

The noodles are from Swiss natural flour (no transgenic crops!). They rest for a few days to mature the perfect taste and get knead by hand carefully. They serve up to 150 ramen soups per day, that is obviously the favorite dish of the guests.

Feeling the passion of Chef Ben and his staff is viral. You understand fast that people here love what they do. The result in your bowl is the prove.

The Yume Ramen menu

Enjoy a Japanese beer and fresh Ramen, Donburi or Otsumami appetizers. Take a Bento Boxes to go if you are in a hurry, meat or veggie. They make fresh home made lemonade with pure fruit pulp. I love the fact that it is not too sweet. Products are from best gastro suppliers.

In the evening the best choice are Otsumami. The variety of the appetizers is fantastic and perfect to share with friends. Get some advises from the lovely staff, they are happy to help you.

The quality/price ratio is absolutely okay. Ramen soups start with 19 CHF.

The selection of Japanese Whisky is the biggest available in Zurich. I am fascinated by the labels of the bottles! Ben recommends the brand Habiki or Nikea. Guests love the label Karuizawa.

www.yume-ramen.ch