Bota Oyster & Sushi Bar, Dubrovnik 10-2012

I would never have thought I'd select a sushi place in Dubrovnik. My reasoning was based on Japanese food in London being expensive and poor quality, that I hadn't had any sashimi for 9 months, Dubrovnik and Croatia generally having reasonably priced and excellent quality local seafood and good reviews online.

The chef I had the pleasure of chatting to is a young man named Marejan, who was taught locally in only a few weeks how to make sushi a few years ago. He since opened Bota to share his skills and make a living. He has never been to Japan and so was keen to ask my feedback on his food.

Unfortunately there was no toro available the day I visited.

- Fresh Oysters €12pp - mild sweet with thin meat only (same as from Kamenice);
- Tiger Prawn Tempura HRK14pp - warm sweet prawns with crisp coating;
- Rainbow Roll (shrimp in panko tempura, avocado, Philadelphia cream cheese, tuna/greater amberjack/salmon on outside) HRK38 - crisp tempura inside surrounded by soft rice with softer varied sashimi outside, nice flavour and texture combination overall;
- Nigiri Salmon & Nigiri Seared Salmon HRK13pp - quality local fish with rich salmon flavour but with more rice:fish than standard nigiri. Rice is also much more strongly vinegared than standard, but this is something I like;
- Salmon Skin Roll (salmon skin, cucumber, avocado, lightly seared salmon/sweet miso/unagi on outside) HRK36 - warm roll good for a colder night with smooth salmon and sweet eel flavours;
- Layered Cake of soft dough base, banana, smooth chocolate on top - this was an experimental dish by Marejan given complimentary to me. It was a tasty topping of deep dark smooth chocolate cream with banana combination. The base was like a doughy flat bread which I wasn't overly fond of. 

Next time I would order the Rainbow and Salmon Skin Rolls as they are the most interesting rolls on the menu. Nigiri is good as the fish quality is great, but you may prefer more fish or weaker rice vinegar if you are used to it. The Tuna Tartar a la Bota also looks like an interesting creation. Also if there is any toro available, I would order it as the price is incredibly cheap.

Support Marejan and eat here.

Lokanda Peskarija, Dubrovnik 10-2012

Just outside the east gates of Dubrovnik and connecting onto the harbour sits Lokanda Peskarija. What was interesting is that the reviews suggest a decent venue for seafood but without the prices you'd expect to be inflated for sitting alongside the harbour front.

For my last night, I ventured here to see for myself. I'm glad I did - it is well worth the combination of location, price and food.

Although on my own, I couldn't help but order enough food to several of me:

- Plata Peskarija (marinated and salted anchovies, fish pate, cheese kept in oil, octopus salad) HRK100 - anchovies were simple and satisfying, octopus salad was tender, fish pate was quite plain and cheese was a cheddar quite weak in flavour;
- Lignji na Caru (grilled squids) HRK75 - an intensely flavoured collection of whole grilled and charred squids in a delicious pool of salty oil and topped with lemon to be absorbed by bread. 

Next time I would order the Grilled Squids for an amazing flavour to make you smile. If there was enough appetite or people, the Platter Lokanda sounds nice to share and I'm sure they'd do a tasty Cuttlefish Risotto also.