Yamaharu is one of the famous companies specializing in seasonal seafood at Toyosu Market. The company opened its first sushi shop at Toranomon Hills. The sushiya is a tachigui, stand and eat, style. I love these casual type of restaurants or drinking spots. Easy spots for solo diners or for small groups of friends. There…
Tag: sushi
Tokyo Shortlist
Where to eat in Tokyo? So many amazing meals. Hard to get a bad one. Here are some of my favorites: For Eater: https://www.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-tokyo-japan For Food & Wine: https://www.foodandwine.com/yukari-sakamoto-8603981 For AFAR: https://www.afar.com/authors/yukari-sakamoto My Tokyo Guide for the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/japan/tokyo-local-guide/ For Tokyo Weekender: https://www.tokyoweekender.com/author/yukari-sakamoto/ Kanazawa for Food & Wine: https://www.foodandwine.com/worlds-next-great-food-cities-7484717 Cathay Pacific on Kyoto: https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_KR/inspiration/dining/best-restaurants-in-kyoto.html…
Yoshinozushi Honten
No When working at Nihonbashi Takashimaya I sometimes would have lunch at Yoshinozushi Honten. The sushiya dates back 140 years. Yoshinozushi is famous for being the restaurant where fatty tuna was first called toro. It is a fifth-generation restaurant. When I was going about 20 years ago there was a young apprentice, Takuya, who was…
Kanazawa Maimon Sushi
Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures are on Toyama Bay and famous for seafood. Part of any trip to Kanazawa always includes a sushi meal. We love Maimon Sushi, a kaitenzushi conveyor belt sushi chain famous for getting seafood deliveries twice a day, ensuring the freshest seafood. There are a few branches in the city. There’s a…
Hand Roll Sushi Party
Sushi party for dear friends in Minnesota. In the past we made maki zushi rolls but I much prefer the Japanese homestyle version of temaki zushi hand rolls. No rolling or slicing so hand rolls are so much easier to make. Simply put some vinegared rice on the nori, add your fillings, and roll up…
Tenka
Tenka Zushi is a kaitenzushi, conveyor-belt sushi, chain with a branch near Kichijoji Station. What makes this different from the other big chains is that the sushi is made by hand, not by a sushi robot machine. That means the rice is still warm. My girlfriend has been telling me for years how she loves…
Inari Zushi
Inari zushi is sushi made with deep-fried tōfu. Often these are packets that are stuffed with vinegared rice. There is a new style at #Ginza #Matsuya #depachika called at a shop called @tsukijitenko that makes inari zushi from @matsuyama_age. Matsuyama agé is fried tōfu that is dried so it is shelf stable. The fried tōfu…
Kaitenzushi Haneda Ichiba at Tokyo Station
Haneda Ichiba is a kaitenzushi conveyor belt sushi inside of Tokyo Station. The company sends seafood directly from the fisherman to their restaurants. Fresh seafood at a better price as the product does not go through Toyosu Market. It’s a fun shop. Perfect on this day as I was with my kid. https://hanedaichiba.com
Vegetarian Sushi in a Traditional Japanese Home
Just south of Nishi-Ogikubo station on the JR Chuo line is a quaint kominka, traditional Japanese home, with a restaurant and retail shop. Re:gendo offers nutritious meals in a rustic setting that is worth a trip out of the city. A good friend put this shop on my radar and she even knew to pre-order the…
Family-Friendly Sushiya Chain
Going out for sushi as a family cuts out many options. High-end sushiya are out of the question as are many mid-range spots. Our kid loves sushi, could eat it three days a week and when we go out, it’s often for sushi. We eat a lot of sashimi at home and will also make donburi…
Sushi Chain to Put on Your Radar
Living in Tokyo it’s good to have a few sushi chain on your radar, especially if you are parents and dining out with kids. Some popular sushiya on the budget side include Midori Sushi, Sushi Zanmai, Sushiro, Choshi Maru, and Kurazushi. One to know about is Uoriki, which is not only a sushiya, but also…
Midori Sushi
Midori Sushi is a sushiya chain, popular both with locals and tourists, that is known for its basement bargain prices. When we query our preschool son to pick what to have for meals out, it is often sushi. Our go-to place is Choshi Maru which is in our area. Choshi is a famous fishing port…
Temakizushi Party
A fun idea for entertaining at home is a temaki-zushi party. Hand rolls (手巻き寿司) are interactive and as each person makes their own rolls it can be a good way to keep everyone happy. Some supermarkets and department store seafood sections will sell the seafood already cut for the rolls, especially on weekends and holidays. Ingredients…
Sushi with Kids
When I first lived in Japan in the late 80s I would request that the sushi chef not include wasabi on my sushi, “wasabi nuki onegaishimasuI“. At one point an older sushi chef scolded me and told me I was too old to be eating my sushi without wasabi. I can now eat wasabi, but…
Shibuya Uobei Train Sushi
Uobei near Shibuya station is a fun spot for sushi, especially if you are dining out with your kids. This is a new trend in Japan based on the kaiten-zushi, conveyor belt sushi, model. In this new style sushi is only prepared once the customer orders it. So there is zero waste with any sushi being thrown…
Tokyo Station Sushi Sei
Sushi Sei is a popular sushi shop at Tsukiji Market that has a branch inside of Tokyo Station. There is often a line of salarymen outside of the shop before it opens at 7 a.m. The breakfast options include sashimi or donburi (sashimi over a large bowl of rice). There are also two versions of ochazuke….
Nobu Tokyo
I remember my first visit to Nobu, in New York City, a long time ago. The restaurant was buzzing. The miso cod was better than I imagined it could be, especially after reading about the dish for so long. The table next to me was a film crew from Tokyo making a commercial for Dunkin…
Book Review – Sushi by Kazuo Nagayama
Our tours of Tsukiji Market are very popular at the moment. Especially as it has been officially announced that the jōnai, wholesale seafood market, will move to Toyosu in November of 2016. Many of our customers are sushi aficionados and are intimately familiar with seasonal sushi. They not only know the names of Japanese seafood, but…
Sukiyabashi Jiro and Masuhiro Yamamoto
Jiro Ono, master chef and owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro recently celebrated his 89th birthday. Yesterday it was announced that the Japanese government is awarding him with a special honor for his contributions and hard work as a sushi craftsman. Today there was a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan and here are…
Tokyo Cheap Eats
Tokyo is a great city for eating well on a budget. The first thing to look for is restaurants that specialize in a dish, like ramen, tonkatsu, or soba. Also, remember the word “teishoku” which is like the daily special or set meal. It is often includes rice, miso soup, pickles, a main dish and…
Where to Have Sushi at Tsukiji Market
Daiwa Sushi and Sushi Dai are two of the most commonly heard sushi shop names at Tsukiji Market. The problem is that they are so popular that they have such long lines, some queue for three hours. And yes, the sushi is great here, but is it worth hours standing in line? And for me,…
Book Review – Sushi
A professor of biophysics at the University of Southern Denmark, Ole G. Mouritsen has penned the most extensive and authoritative book—dare I say encyclopedia?—on sushi to date. This weighty tome is packed with more information than most readers will ever need. Yet that’s exactly where it shines. The author’s curiosity and passion about fish is…
Ginza Harutaka 銀座青空
Chef Harutaka developed his skills with 12 years at Sukiyabashi Jiro. This sushi restaurant is popular with top chefs in the city. Sit at the counter and watch the young, talented and soft-spoken chef as he handles the seasonal seafood with care and deft. Part of the delight in dining here is taking in the…
Ginza Kyubey 銀座久兵衛
Ginza Kyubey 銀座久兵衛 Chuo-ku, Ginza 8-7-6 03-3571-6523 11:30 – 13:30, 17-21:45 closed Sunday and holidays http://www.kyubey.jp/index_e.html (English) Kyubey Sushi, is famous as a top-class sushi restaurant in the city. It is so popular that it often turned away customers. To accommodate everyone they have opened a bekkan (annex) across the street. They are accustomed to…
Magurobito Kaitenzushi in Asakusa 浅草のまぐろ人
**** Note, this shop has closed. Magurobito まぐろ人 Taito-ku, Asakusa 1-5-9 台東区浅草1-5-9 Phone: 03-3844-8736 Monday – Friday (11:00 – 15:00, 17:00 – 22:00) Saturday (11:00 – 22:00) Sunday and holidays (11:00 – 21:00) http://www.magurobito.com/ (Japanese) Magurobito is kaitenzushi (revolving sushi) with a good value and a selection of seasonal fresh fish. It is very…
Kizushi in Ningyocho 人形町の㐂寿司
Kizushi 㐂寿司 Chuo-ku, Nihonbashi Ningyocho 2-7-13 中央区日本橋人形町2-7-13 Tel. 03-3666-1682 11:45 – 14:30, 17:00 – 21:30 (Monday – Friday) 11:45 – 21:00 (Saturday) closed Sunday and holidays no website Opened in 1924, this third generation sushi shop feels as though time as stopped. The third generation owner works with his sons, fourth generation, behind the counter. This…
Tokyo Cheap Eats – Oedo Kaitenzushi 大江戸回転寿し
As a fishmonger, Shinji is always craving sushi. There are many ranks of restaurants, even within the kaitenzushi (revolving sushi). Ooedo Kaitenzushi came highly recommended for its variety of fresh fish at a reasonable price. Ooedo has several locations throughout the city. This one is near Okachimashi, just south of Ueno station and near the…
Sushi Etiquette (2 of 2)
Metropolis magazine did a great job of laying out the basic categories of sushi. Click on the link below. http://metropolis.co.jp/dining/local-flavors/sushi-etiquette/2/ Sushi etiquette part 1 of 2
Sushi Etiquette (1 of 2)
Some basic sushi etiquette tips from my article in Metropolis magazine. http://metropolis.co.jp/dining/local-flavors/sushi-etiquette/ (text follows) If you are worried about the cost of your meal, ask when making reservations what the average price is for an omakase (tasting) course. If you arrive without reservations, it’s best to ask before you sit down. An obvious but oft-broken rule—especially when sitting…
B Kyu Gourmet – Cheap Eats in Tokyo B級グルメ
Here are some of my favorite restaurants that won’t break the bank. This article first appeared in Metropolis on November 5, 2009. http://metropolis.co.jp/dining/local-flavors/the-b-list/ The most sought-after tables in recession-hit Tokyo can be found at so-called B-kyu gurume restaurants. These eateries typically specialize in a single cuisine—soba or tonkatsu, for example—served in simple settings without the lacquerware…
Food Sake Tokyo 