Roji - Antwerp

A survival from when you come in to the outside. Super friendly service and a top kitchen. Every dish is a flavor bomb and well done... read more A survival from when you come in to the outside. Super friendly service and a top kitchen. Every dish is a flavor bomb and well done...

Happy with this discovery! It's obvious that Roji has been loved under the Kenners... behind a visually inactive vertebrae, you step out the door... read more Happy with this discovery! It's obvious that Roji has been loved under the Kenners... behind a visually inactive vertebrae, you step out the door...

Great! We're reserving soon, we're delicious! read more Great! We're reserving soon, we're delicious!

I 've eaten sushi all over the world and there can be many differences. So when I heard about this great place, I wanted to try it out. Let me put it this way:... read more I 've eaten sushi all over the world and there can be many differences. So when I heard about this great place, I wanted to try it out. Let me put it this way: if you want your sushi without too much taste, in an old cellar that smells like an old cellar and pay way too much money for small portions, then this is the place to be. Otherwise: go to a supermarket. Same quality, much cheaper and you can eat it in a less smelly environment.

The experience starts off on a very exciting note only by trying to find the entrance of this hidden jewel. It feels like they want to give the impression of a... read more The experience starts off on a very exciting note only by trying to find the entrance of this hidden jewel. It feels like they want to give the impression of a hidden jewel, as you first have to find the restaurant to which you can only enter after having walked down the stairs that would lead you to an underground restaurant. Open the ancient doors and a different world opens to you. You can feel the excitement already, just by looking at the decor that hits you. It is really amazing and mesmerising. Those arched vaults giving you the impression that you're under some kind of secret monastery. The atmosphere is very intimate with dimmed lighting and candles everywhere. And then the fireplace that finds itself in the very cosy bar section contributes to this coziness as well. Even though the place seems to go for being a trendy and hip restaurant, it does not feel pretentious at all thanks to the interior decor. You can guess that I was very impressed. What else impressed me? The staff. Top notch, super professional and super friendly. It's been a long time that I haven't experienced this kind of service and it felt good. They were very attentive. My husband and I came here with our 2-year old baby daughter and even though it wouldn't look like a place where you'd bring a baby, they made sure that her experience would be great as well. They brought out some extra bowls and cutlery for her, so she could use her own. When they served us some appetizers on the house (some cucumber mixed with spicy sweet and sour sauce), they brought an extra portion for her with just cucumbers. I thought all that was very thoughtful when we didn't even ask for all of it. So I can come to the conclusion that this place is very kids-friendly in their attitude. And now the food. The food is exquisite. Fresh and original. A very good place to taste something different and experience a creative cuisine I'd say. The sushi itself is very fresh. They have a nice variety of fish and the makis they create are original, mixing different tastes, which makes it a total different experience of other more traditional Japanese (and that is what you have to keep in mind when you try out this restaurant). However, the only downside for me is that it is very expensive for what it is offering. And I'm not against a splurge once in a while. However, food-wise, for the same price or even a little cheaper, some other (traditional then) Japanese restaurants in Belgium offer better sushis/sashimis. But then of course, you'd go back to the more traditional food, whereas here, you'd go for some high quality fusion food. So, I personally believe if you want to discover a different culinary experience in an impressive atmosphere, Roji is the place to be: a fancy and trendy place to hang out, while having some delicious bites as long as you're willing to spend. It does impress and reminds me of some places in NYC. Therefore, I would not hesitate to come back whenever coming back to Antwerp.