Haarlem now has 2 new all-you-can-eat concepts thanks to TATSU
Do you love Instagrammable sushi, all-you-can-eat dining and food as an experience? Then the new TATSU in Haarlem is the place to be.
I love Japanese food. Not only that, Japan has been on my wishlist for years, quite apart from the food and drinks. Now, I’m not such a fan of all-you-can-eat dining, but my curiosity (fortunately) often wins out over my initial reaction, so I headed to Haarlem for the opening of the new TATSU.
An experience
And it has to be said: for an all-you-can-eat restaurant, this location on Haarlem’s Riviervismarkt really does look cosy. Intimate corners alternate with tables where you can sit down with several people, there’s a DJ booth and a cocktail station where a bartender shakes cocktails – there’s a choice of more than 15 cocktails and G&Ts. Because, as co-owner Ming Hua Huang explains at the table: “it’s not just all-you-can-eat, but also an experience.”
This word always makes me a little queasy, as does the question “are you familiar with our concept?”, because I mainly come for the food, and I can create that experience myself. But the concept is that TATSU is more than an all-you-can-eat restaurant – it is the only Japanese all-you-can-eat restaurant in the Netherlands with its own cocktail station, “so that makes the experience just that little bit more special,” says Ming.
Colourful sushi
The menu is packed with nigiri and maki, but also features gyoza and dishes such as ‘Veggie Udonsoup’ and ‘Sesame balls’. Each of the sushi dishes is striking in its own way. They go all out with an endless quantity of little swirls (blue and red mayonnaise, for example, “all without colourings, but made from natural ingredients such as beetroot!”), decorations and herbs (cress on your sushi, for example). In addition to the regular menu, there is also a ‘Deluxe menu’.
The flavour
The sushi tastes fine, although you might wonder exactly what blue or red mayonnaise adds. But of course, you mainly come here for the experience, and the eye-catching sushi contributes to that. If you like a bit of craziness on your plate, an explosion of colours and plenty of lively noise around you, you’ll feel right at home here.
Two different locations
At both TATSU locations you can enjoy the same all-you-can-eat menu, but the interiors and overall looks are different. The TATSU on Riviervismarkt takes you to a bustling Japanese metropolis at night, with parasols on the ceiling, dark colours and gold accents.
The location on Oude Groenmarkt has a somewhat more traditional appearance. The wall is decorated with a life-size, handmade Japanese mural, and life-size bamboo plants with various Asian orchids and blossoms hang here and there. Both TATSU locations have a terrace.
In shifts
Both TATSU locations are open seven days a week and – for the time being due to the coronavirus measures – open from 12:00 to 22:00/22:30. TATSU works with two-hour shifts, the first of which starts at 12:00. Lunch costs €21.50 for adults and €13.50 for children. In the evening, children pay €15.95 and adults €29.50 from Monday to Wednesday and €31.50 from Thursday to Sunday.
