Tokyo Restaurants

While the sushi here is some of the finest you’ll get in Tokyo, don’t sleep on the appetizers either. Whether it’s the grilled scallop with dried seaweed or the bottarga sandwich made with rice paper, you will be dazzled before the first piece of sushi is presented. Oh, but when it is… Chef Shintaro Suzuki is a master of traditional-style sushi, which means generous slices of fish atop properly vinegared warm rice. And while the vibe is serene, Sushi Shin is still one of the friendliest places for out-of-towners to visit.

Tucked inside a nondescript building in Ginza, Sushi Yoshitake is a small-scale affair: only seven seats at the sushi bar, plus a private room that seats up to four people. Yoshitake is always in high demand, so try getting a reservation from your hotel’s concierge (and do it well in advance—everybody wants to go here). Once inside, you’ll be in the warm care of chef Yoshitake, who will graciously guide you through a series of sushi dishes that, in a more French-like tradition, are as much about saucing and seasoning as the slices of fish themselves. Finish with a dense tamagoyaki (egg omelet) that does to eggs what Krug does to fizzy grape juice.

If you’re seeking a more casual sushi experience than the temple-like atmosphere of other sushi palaces, head to Fukuzushi in Tokyo’s bustling Roppongi district. In business for more than a hundred years, Fukuzushi is one of the most accessible (and affordable) places to get seriously great sushi. Sit at the counter where chef-owner George will chat you up while delivering you piece after piece of fatty tuna and Hokkaido sea urchin, as well as dishes that rotate with the seasons. When you’ve finished your main course, you will be escorted to the restaurant’s lounge area, where you can finish up with desserts and drinks.

Nestled into the forty-fifth floor of the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo, Hinokizaka Sushi is one of four restaurants at the hotel, each specializing in a different Japanese cuisine. While you can also enjoy some of the best teppanyaki, tempura, and kaiseki in the city there, the sushi counter—a twelve-seat slab of Japanese lacquer with breathtaking views of the Tokyo skyline—is where you want to be. Of course, if you feel like adding anything from the other restaurants to your dinner (or lunch, which is arguably an even better deal), just ask—the staff will gladly help create the perfect pan-Japanese meal.

If you remember only one thing, remember this: Go straight here. Sushi Sawada is tucked away in a third-floor office location that’s not easy to find, but good God, is it worth the hunt. The six-seat restaurant has two seatings, one at lunch and one at dinner (so get your hotel concierge to secure a reservation). Guests will be hosted by chef Sawada and his wife, no one else. While chopsticks are offered, the Sawada-san’s preferred method for eating his sushi is with your hands. The twenty-course omakase will take you somewhere around two and half hours to complete, but the experience of eating quite possibly the finest sashimi and sushi in the world will stay with you for all your days.

Japan may be synonymous with both sushi and ramen, but what you really need to try is the tempura. Specifically, the tempura at Tenko. A miniature restaurant (and former geisha house) run by two generations of the same family, it’s the kind of place where the chef’s mother will pour your green tea as soon as you walk in. Sit cross-legged at the bar and watch the chef individually fry each piece of fish in light, silky, pale tempura batter. Then enjoy every single bite.

BYOB is not all that common in Tokyo’s sushi restaurants. And while you’re likely coming for the fish, not the drinks, the staff at Sushi Takahashi is happy to open whatever you bring along for a corkage fee. For diners who aren’t all that psyched to bring a bottle of wine with them, chef Jun Takahashi is a sake connoisseur. The bar is generously stocked with unusual varieties of room-temperature and ice-cold sake that go well—almost too well—with the sushi or the chef’s especially good otsumami plates (Japanese bar snacks). Image courtesy of tabelog.com.

Don’t let the fetish bar next door to Sushi Ya confuse you. You’re in the right place. This is another tiny eight-seater in the buzzy Ginza neighborhood, so come early to snag a seat. Chef Takao Ishiyama speaks near-fluent English, which means plenty of friendly chatter as he slices and plates course after course. Sushi Ya’s main event is, of course, the fish, but the rice—so much more than filler—is just as important for the perfect bite. Ishiyama’s shari (sushi rice) strikes that perfect balance between suppai (sourness) and amai (sweetness). Each mouthful is at room temperature with a touch of vinegar to complement the fish. For a splurge, commit to the tasting menu. Locals, however, generally take over the counter at lunchtime, where up to fourteen pieces of nigiri will set you back less than fifty bucks.

Eating out in Tokyo comes with its own set of historical rules The raw-fish-and-rice combo that we now call sushi, originated during the Edo period, when it was considered a quick snack, and it was often eaten in silence. Sushi Jiro has built the traditions of Edo-style sushi into his omakase menu, which means that in thirty minutes, you will consume around twenty-three courses of small bites—quietly—with a green tea on the side. The omakase changes daily depending on what’s freshest at Tsukiji market that morning. Each piece of fish is brushed with soy; dipping the fish into bowls of the salty sauce we’re so accustomed to is frowned upon. Think of this meal as a ritual. Each bite has been carefully architected by the chef and paced out for maximum flavor. Chef Sukiyabashi Jiro is so world-famous that there’s an entire Netflix documentary devoted entirely to his ability to raise sushi to an art. Naturally, booking months in advance is highly advisable. (A look at the website lays out all the dos and don’ts.)

Sushi Dai is located at Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji Fish Market, where chefs and tourists show up at the crack of dawn to get their hands on the freshest fish in the world. You can either get up at 4 a.m. to get there by 5 a.m., or just let your jet lag work for you and stay up all night (sake and beer help in this effort). For around $40, you can have an omakase meal of the freshest sushi anywhere. Afterward, tour the market and watch the auctions for tuna, salmon, and other cuts of fish. Also be sure to check out the Aritsugu knife shop around the corner. But move fast—Tsukiji is scheduled to be relocated starting in the fall of 2018.