Ninisix's Profile
Upcoming Tokyo Trip
The chef of sushi Shimizu seems to travel abroad, he doesnt speak english, so.. with a group it might be hard.. but for a 40minutes lunch watching is feasible, and sushi can be relaxing. But, two kaiseki might be too much for a first venue, so why not some tempura for exemple ? Mikawa in Monzen Nakacho ?
After, the kaiseki Ren is the sister of the 3 stars of the famous Kaiseki Ishikawa, and at 12,000.-yens is is certainly better value !! Kaiseki Koju will move in june on the 4floor of the same building of kaiseki Okuda, so the chef Okuda will still be closer !!
Unagi, in minami-senju, i didnt appreaciate it, I like my unagi more roasted, and this one was steamed(very fluffy), but too slightly roasted wtih a sweet sauce(sauce is as important).. after this place is centered in a local district of minami senju, and difficult to access, and reservation is impossible so you will have to queue for almost one hour..so it is not worth it!
For sushi, In the roppongi area, i really recommend sushi kurusu, reservation in advance is necessary.
Here it is, my Tokyo and Kyoto selection - Final advices welcomed
if you want to impregnate more yourself on popular food, without hurting your budget, i will recommend you to do the walk on the old district of Nippori to Ueno, and you will pass by the 47 samourai's temple, a remain of Edo wall, temples,. and in Nezu, there is some small & popular japanese udon like NenoZu that merits to try for their "bukake udon(cold udon with sesame, grated daikon, ginger, ooba,;;)" or the Unagi Unageya near Nishi-nippori for the 1100.-yens wafu donburi with slice of unagi, .. In Ueno, the places i repeat is the curry shop in Okachimachi for the spice
Curry Delhi
http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131101/13003605/
Unagi Unageya
http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131105/13024475/
Udon Ne no Zu
http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131106/13003566/dtlphotolst/P8363221/?ityp=1
or more expensive the "tori sukiyaki" with the kaiseki menu at 4800yens in the Ueno garden
Ueno Inshoutei
http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1311/A131101/13003560/dtlrvwlst/2496068/
Here it is, my Tokyo and Kyoto selection - Final advices welcomed
I just posted an answer for you on the difference in eating sushi with fingers or with hashi.. For the reservation, I will ask my hotel concierge to check at sushi Saitou and Takazawa the delay. After in Tokyo, what are your plan ? Do you want to go to Akihabara ? Ueno ? .. and depending on the location, the board will try to help.
Tokyo Review
I have repeated sushiyasan, and checked in books, so I thought I could share a bit of experience on this topic of white fish tai. For exemple, sukiyabashi jiro do not have tai nigiri!! In my opinion, having complains about quality of tai is not wrong ! Quality differs from Kyoto and Tokyo, and the taste, the color, the texture is very different. Some Japanese are also picky about that one !! The best ones I ate are from the setonankai(inland sea), and are really expensive.
Most sushiyasan chose what will be the highlight of their omakase. When you look at the color of the amadai sashimi of Yoshitake-San, you understand why he decided for it to highlight his high grade selections: tai (amadai in this case) can be high grade fish. Some tai, are more bony, and in cutting one millimeter thicker, it will be more firm !! So this topic is not wrong.
Upcoming trip to Tokyo/Kyoto
The difference between eating sushi with your fingers and with hashi is big. !! The master(if good master!), will press the rice(shari) differently, more softly if you eat with your fingers, and if you eat with your hashi it will get more compact ! Mizutani San made me that remark at the end of the omakase, you eat with your hands, I hadn't noticed earlier !! Too busy to realise what is going on the other side of his counter.. of 9 seatings (that happened 4 years ago)!
No wasabi please
I think you have tasted the frozen version, mixed and not grated !! But, that is better to ask to remove it of she had almost tears. And please eat with your fingers !! The way to press the nigiri into shape will be softer !!
No wasabi please
Nope Tripeler !! I was answering to the OP who lives in France, and I did experience some in Paris and Nice.. and wasabi was certainly not fresh, ..
No wasabi please
Wasabi that strengh your noise is usually powder made instant wasabi !!
In my opinion you didn't have the chance yet to taste fresh grated wasabi...
Good fresh wasabi cost almost 10,000.-yens, try to taste it at first with your chopstick.. then order her preference.
High End Sushi in Tokyo (or should I stick with Sawada?)
Yet! I didn't have the chance to try it, though his omakase is very reasonable under 20,000.-yens (with tsumami). This sushi-yasan seems to have also a strong flavour shari (rice base), as the use of red vinegar.. And, usually it is two weeks queue, the chef on the phone is a bit difficult to understand in his way of expressing energy !! So it might be difficult to book it by yourself.
Last meal in Tokyo. Sushi restaurant recommendations?
To summerize in a few words, and to try to give the flavour the importance i remember,.. sushi Saitou, classic, best ikura ever, anago sawani in summer season (eal boiled in sake, then roasted) and served with sliced cocumber and sesame, tsumami are his strong point. Same for sushi Sawada-san also, but differently done, as he wants to point out the uni, the steak like maguro, and wants you to taste the fullness of each ingredient, like big pieces of awabi. Price is more expensive, at 35,000yens... Yoshitake-san buys his products independently from the fishery industry, and for a omakase at 21,000.yens (only one omakase), quality is high, types of tsumami are elaborated like the dipping sauce made from bone stock to highlight the white sashimi... for nigiris, also, there are significant differences between sushi-yasan, my preference is for Ono Jiro san, for its well done sequence, in a series of flavors clearly distincts; the rice is at temperature. Sawada-san nigiris are made from salt and vinegar, a course will take 2 hours. Yoshitake-san nigiris are made from red vinegar, and, if richer, it has to be better balanced, and it is more difficult to use red vinegar.. and the last one is unfortunately sushi Saito, more (too ?) classic with his blend.. I do like red vinegar, so my recommendation will be sushi Yoshitake.
Upcoming trip to Tokyo/Kyoto
Yes traveling in learning few words is important, as the instant is so important and the collective memory is so in tradition in Japan, in the generations chef in kaiseki sushi, and all these chef that succeeded to their fathers have been collecting few words for accomplishing.. Hope you will have this instant memory with the chef in a counter sushiyasan or.. after in a kappo like Koju in Ginza that dinner begin at 14700yens, and equally cheaper than the Uchiyama, even I haven't tried it, it seems to have good reviews from japanese and foreign customers, the chef is so into putting his soul into ingredients.. right now my preference is on sushi..
For sumo, don't miss the early bouts, from 'lower' divisions (the wrestler from top divisions arrive in the afternoon, the highest division - Makuuchi, with Yokozuna, Oseki, ... appearing last). It is really worth it to stay long hours and eat a bento !! Me I was a lucky one, I was invited in a box and had food for 2 days !! After, in may, it will be kind of difficult to have a nabe, just go for a soba and tempura to the near one Michelin star, the tempura ate there were ok just too expensive in my opinion(tempura + soba, almost 5000yens).
Sushi Yoshitake
A quick one; thank-you for your review, every piece of tsumami was different than my last december dinner there.. it makes me want to try it again, and in July he has a speciality of cold uni flan.. Yoshitake-san is open and talks about his recipes..for his nigiris to balance out the red vinegar he put some 'tsume(sauce)' between the rice(shari) to sweeten it, like some japanese bisque that he made and married it with the shrimp. That is why it was so 'ebi' and so full of taste.. Some pieces, except the maguro, have been carefully added some tsume, or some more sweet sauce.. For exAmple the bone sauce for the tsumami as made to prononce the taste of the white fish that I agree was good.
Tempura Restaurant and sushi restaurant
Thank you for both your replies.
That assessment about the ingredients as important, I do agree.. that can make it exceptional. So the passion still..
3 Week Southern Japanese Food Tour - Where Should I Go?
Tsukiji market was my first destination every week end, until i understood that Ginza sushi-yasan are not so expensive and really better in the way of eating it, as you seat at a small counter. For me, the best products and preparation are made by Ginza sushi yasan, just try for ex. Sushi Taichi at lunch (menu at around 2,000, 5,000 ...)
Kyoto is full of old houses, even tea houses. I have a friend who is a designer of kimono, and she introduced me to the best hidden places, but it is with recommendation. You can try this one, near the Kyoto university, the house is so old, that blankets are provided, it is more an izakaya style(very cheap) !!
http://blog.livedoor.jp/e_otoriyose/lite/archives/50857570.html
MICHELIN GUIDE HOKKAIDO very soon
Yes, even you seem extreme with the 50%, i would add that 70% of the 3stars actually deserve to lose some!
So that means that the big yummy will be ramen (hum, curry ramen? miso ramen, gyokai ?), butadon (for a big glutton day?), and mutton(Japanese mutton is great) ?
Here some links of the Michelin bib Hokkaido, in Sapporo :
Yakitori Shiro :
http://r.tabelog.com/hokkaido/A0101/A010105/1002175/dtlphotolst/1/smp0/D-normal/2/
Sukiyaki Sankousha
http://r.tabelog.com/hokkaido/A0101/A010103/1000247/
Ramen Wabisuke
http://r.tabelog.com/hokkaido/A0102/A010202/1014873/
Ramen Nanabe
http://r.tabelog.com/hokkaido/A0103/A010301/1009634/
Udon Teraya
http://r.tabelog.com/hokkaido/A0102/A010204/1001950/
Soba
http://r.tabelog.com/hokkaido/A0102/A010204/1001332/dtlphotolst/1/smp0/D-normal/2/
Specialty Sushi Restaurants in Tokyo
Futaba sushi Ginza, is magic with its cracking wooden door entrance, with its past as one of the two sushi kai(sushi group), with its photo album. This is a place where you want to check history on sushi.
Sushiyasan specialized in a certain concept, like maguro or shellfish, do exist, and can be found easily in Tsukiji, but I do insist that preparation is important and has nothing to do with that found in sushiyasan in France...
For exemple:
- Iwasazushi, inside the Tsukiji Market
Kai-tsukushi, around 3000yens.
Quite some varieties of shellfish are on the stand. Spring season is a real deli! Torigai(Japanese cookle), on the other hand, is difficult, boiled it will harden it, and only raw is too strong..so this is a nazo(=riddle). Not perfect, the 'torigai'
-Tsukiji sushi tomi (broker of tuna in Tsukiji market)
Maguro-tsukushi is around 3000yens
The slices have been previously cut and stored in a metal box.. that, I do not understand ! The maguro(tuna) pieces had was a bit acid...
- Tsukiji kagura sushi
Aburi set 3000yens, fish are passed slightly over the flame(burner).. not as it sounds.
-Sushi Ginyuu kagurazaka
At dinner, nigiri maguro tsukushi is at 3700yens (8 pieces, different flavor : otoro, chutoro, tobuto, akami, kamatoro aburi, zuke shoga, negitoro, hoppe katashi, ...). It did taste better than previous restaurant, but unfortunately akami and zuke were dark brown,...
And accompanied with a hoppe yaki: 800yens was a stew of tuna cheek.
Ginza is a few steps away from Tsukiji..
MICHELIN GUIDE HOKKAIDO very soon
This time the guide Hokkaido is a special edition, not the 2013 edition. It is true that the Guide might look like for elites, as, in France, you don't eat at restaurants on a day to day basis, whereas in Japan, we eat there so often... This time, Guide will include small eats, rather than just the up grade ones. I am still curious of the food they will consider worth to remember.
I believe I can trust them more this time, rather than on their up grade restaurants evaluations that for me, are not really based on comparable experience with France.
Specialty Sushi Restaurants in Tokyo
Ok for more precision, the sushi Futaba in Ginza, at dinner, costs me only 5700.-yens, appreciable amount for an 'a la carte' !
And as I want to stop you going to Tsukiji a second time ^^, and as I am pretty sure Akihabara is a 'must' destination, try at lunch the chain specialized on 'maguro(tuna)' called 'Maguro donya 10daime' in the building just next to Yodobashi Camera, on the 4Floor. The lunch set 'maguro donburi(tuna on rice with a fried egg)' is a good one with a more drop of soy sauce, and at 890yens, you can take the risk, no ? If you can not finish your rice, ask for the 'tsumami' menu, and order 'hon maguro chutoro sashimi' at 1020yens.This is actually the cheapest one I have found so far ! And better than lots of Tsukiji ones...
MICHELIN GUIDE HOKKAIDO very soon
After Tokyo, Kyoto areas, now Michelin third opus is on Hokkaido. This northern exposure made me look for feedback of what you think the specialities will be.. and what might be the surprises in this new guide.
Specialty Sushi Restaurants in Tokyo
It might be surprising to speak about specialities in sushi, as it is always fish and rice involved, but the sushi are clearly distincts. It is an endless game to taste at various sushi-yasan.. for exemple, my best 'ikura(salmon roe)' was as at sushi Saito, the 'uni(sea urchin)' at sushi Sawada was from other origin and arranged differently as eggs, at sushi Araki, half the omakase is 'maguro(tuna)' and the tekkamaki was 70% more than usual...
On more affordables (like under 10,000) you have some sushi with 'maguro tsukushi' even for diner but quality is very far from the high ends. After, I will recommend you more to do an 'okonomi style(a la carte)' at the 130 years old Futaba sushi Ginza, for exemple the 'maguro(tuna) and hikarimono(silver fish)' that is the oldest combination of Edo style.
And for shell fish, the best season is spring, you will able to find it in sushi like Daisan Harumi and one of my favorite is 'torigai(japanese cookle)'..
Tempura Restaurant and sushi restaurant
Tempura at 42,000yens, i am curious how many repeaters there are ... sushi at 30,000.-yens, I am a repeater at sushi Sukiyabashi Jiro, sushi Araki,... hum; do you recommend it like it is very different ?
kikunoi honten
Hope it can help, here a review of last year :
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/780632
小笹 Kozasa in Shibuya - any preview
The big cuts of 'neta(fish material)' is a man like,and for sure that will work.. Or I have to try to call at different hours.. Or on a night stay, what is the name of your hotel ?
Tokyo - last min planning
Thank-you, for your reference to Sushi Taichi. Yesterday was kind of moon walking with all the things flying.. Hope you have had lunch..Did you enjoy it ?
Tempura Restaurant and sushi restaurant
Yes, your right, this is Yotaro and not Yokota.
I didn't try tempura 7-chome, how much did it cost you for 2 ? Sole diner are not accepted, right ?
High End Sushi in Tokyo (or should I stick with Sawada?)
In fact, to simplify, just say that you want five different tastes of 'maguro(tuna)' instead of three, including 'zuke' 'akami' 'chuutoro' 'ootoro' 'tekkamaki'.. Translated in Japanese, it will be 'mitsu no maguro no nigiri o itsutsu ni shite kudasai : zuke..'
Tempura Restaurant and sushi restaurant
Nothing wrong about sushi Imamura, but nothing to remember also, even the 'maguro(tuna)' wasn't great ! But, if you have time on your one Saturday lunch, try to book the tiny sushi-yasan Kurusu that gained the top 10 on the Tokyo Pia new handbook..
Humm.. Tempura Yokota, the counter is a minimalist black counter, and was not so comfortable, the only memorable item was the 'tai-meshi(boiled rice with flakes of bream fish)',.. I did prefer tempura Mikawa in Monzen Nakacho.
