When you think of Japanese cuisine in Istanbul, Chef Shunichi Horikoshi is one of the first names that comes to mind. Horikoshi is the creator and chef of Itsumi, which was launched in 2003. His new eatery Hori, which recently opened at the Grand Hyatt, is a traditional and authentic Japanese restaurant where Japanese melodies gently play in the background and where simplicity reigns in each detail, from the ingredients to the presentation and the décor.
The interior is inspired by the family crest of Shunichi Horikoshi, with an abundance of bonsai, fine sand details and hardwood. The restaurant also features a Japanese-style Tatami Room that can be rented out for special events.
The extensive menu features noodles, pasta soups, plenty of rice (including rice balls), grilled or steamed meat, vegetables, fish or ginger pork, classic Japanese shrimp (ebi), vegetables (yasai), fried options (tempura), Japanese omelets, three types of soup (miso, seafood or seaweed), salads and many other possibilities.
What we recommend for the summer are of course the sushi and sashimi. Served on ice with some greens alongside, the sashimi are our favorite, with flavors like salmon (shake), tuna (maguro) and fatty tuna (toro) ranging from 26-40 TL. Hori also offers assorted sushi platters for sharing, which range from 52-68 TL.
Don’t forget to try the plentitude of carpaccio at Hori, where you’ll pay anywhere from 26 to 45 TL for octopus (tako), sea bass (suzuki), sea bream (tai), tuna with spicy sauce, and yellowtail with anchovies in a special sauce. For an accompaniment to your meal, stick to one of the classics like sake, green tea, cold green tea or jasmine tea.