For years, the NDSM wharf has attracted restaurants and cafes that use its industrial decor as a mood enhancer. Ryo does the same, but the difference is in what goes on the table. This is not a place where the interior talks louder than the kitchen. The space at NDSM-Plein 30, in the former shipyard area that now serves as a cultural site, has North's signature raw character, high ceilings and concrete walls, but the focus is on what Chef Zau makes behind the sushi counter.
Chef Zau has his background in the city's best seafood and sushi establishments. You can tell by the choices on the menu. The Bluefin Tuna Sashimi (chutoro, four pieces for 48 euros) is there only when seasonal. The A5 Wagyu Roll combines Kagoshima wagyu with caviar, black tiger shrimp, teriyaki and avocado for 35 euros. These are not random combinations, but dishes that show someone is thinking about what goes together. Every day, Zau puts together a Special of the Day, depending on what comes in that day.
In addition to the sushi section, full-fledged Cantonese cuisine runs. Stir-fried Lobster with ginger and spring onion (72 euros), Steamed Lobster with vermicelli, garlic and spring onion (69 euros), and Typhoon Crab in dried garlic and chili (42 euros). That last dish, also called typhoon crab, is a classic of Cantonese tradition that you won't see much of in Amsterdam. The Shortrib in Black Pepper Sauce is slow-cooked and costs 34.50 euros. Two cuisines, no compromise: that's the premise.
Cantonese cuisine and Japanese sushi are two full-fledged cuisines side by side, and that is exactly what sets Ryo apart from most Asian restaurants in town.
Cantonese cuisine and the Japanese sushi section are two full cuisines side by side, and that is exactly what sets Ryo apart from most Asian restaurants in the city. For decades, the NDSM wharf has been a place where things come together that would not coexist elsewhere. Ryo fits right in.