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HomeNewsAssessment: Ginza Sushiko Honten | Prince of Journey

Assessment: Ginza Sushiko Honten | Prince of Journey

Assessment: Ginza Sushiko Honten | Prince of Journey

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Omakase-style sushi is a significant a part of the eating scene in Tokyo and Japan as an entire.

Omakase, that means “I’ll depart it as much as you” in Japanese, is a eating expertise with no menu to select from. As an alternative, you place your belief as a diner within the chef’s expertise, abilities, and understanding of elements to curate the right meal for you.

As an ardent fanatic of Japanese delicacies, I’ve been eager to dabble with omakase-style sushi for a while, ultimately hoping to pattern a few of the high high-end sushi outlets in Tokyo.

Sadly, since I had deliberate my September 2022 Japan journey comparatively last-minute, there was little hope of getting a hotly-contested reservation on the high institutions.

As an alternative, I made a decision to start out my omakase journey with a well-respected sushiya the place I might handle to safe a reservation on brief discover, which led me to Ginza Sushiko Honten.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Concerning the Restaurant

Ginza Sushiko Honten is among the oldest sushi eating places in Tokyo, with over 130 years in enterprise. The sushi store first opened its doorways again in 1885.

The restaurant, tucked away in an unassuming Ginza back-alley, has solely 10 seats at their sushi counter. This permits for a really interactive and intimate sushi expertise with the cooks as they put together your meals.

The sushi store has additionally made its approach into the world of tv, showing on Anthony Bourdain: Components Unknown, wherein Bourdain visited the store alongside the famend Japanese chef Masa Takayama. 

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Exterior

Ginza Sushiko Honten had been labelled as a one Michelin star restaurant prior to now; nonetheless, it seems to have misplaced this recognition in 2016.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Reserving

Reservations are beneficial at Ginza Sushiko Honten, given its restricted seating. You’ll be able to both make one by calling the restaurant, or in my case, I booked utilizing the concierge service at Conrad Tokyo.

I had requested the concierge for an inventory of beneficial sushi choices, on condition that essentially the most metropolis’s high institutions had been all booked for my dates.

After taking notes of my availability, the concierge offered just a few choices, and I mentioned with them the kind of expertise I used to be on the lookout for earlier than selecting Ginza Sushiko Honten. For the reason that resort had my bank card on file, they went forward and secured my dinner spot for that exact same night.

Your finest guess for many sushi institutions in Tokyo is to guide through a resort concierge. Many high eating places desire to work solely with resort concierges or different concierge companies straight, moderately than taking reservations from the general public (in the event that they even settle for outdoors reservations from non-regulars within the first place).

Additionally, be aware that the majority locations have strict cancellation insurance policies, so that you’ll need to be agency in your plans earlier than making a reservation. Ginza Sushiko Honton costs a payment of ¥10,000 ($95 CAD) per individual should you cancel inside three days of your reservation.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Location

This sushi restaurant is tucked away within the alleyways of Ginza, one among Tokyo’s liveliest neighbourhoods for high-end eating and buying.

It’s nestled amongst many different eateries and leisure venues that line the backstreets, whereas the flashy retail shops are extra distinguished out entrance. 

The house is simple to overlook as a result of its discreet location, and is barely marked by a small Japanese signal illuminated to the left of the doorway.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Entrance

The store is centrally situated only a 20-minute stroll from the Conrad Tokyo, and a fast three- and seven-minute stroll to the Ginza and Shimbashi Tokyo Metro stations, respectively.

Be aware that this restaurant could be simply confused with different venues additionally named “Sushiko” or “Sushiko Honten” in Tokyo, a few of which additionally occur to be located within the Ginza district. Be sure to confirm the restaurant’s tackle earlier than you guide.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Menu

Ginza Sushiko Honten serves a standard Japanese model of sushi with slight hints of modernity.

Costs for omakase differ considerably in Tokyo, however normally fall within the vary of 10,000–50,000 yen ($95–475 CAD) per individual. Some locations cost extra for dinner than lunch, whereas others will cost the same value for each meals.

This restaurant primarily serves omakase lunches and dinners for 25,000 yen ($240 CAD) per individual. Moreover, the restaurant serves a choice of particular Japanese sake from everywhere in the nation.

I felt this was an affordable level on our omakase journey, contemplating the store’s historical past, the concierge’s suggestion, and the earlier Michelin recognition. It’d positively be a splurge, however since this was our long-awaited first post-pandemic journey to Japan, that’s precisely what I used to be within the temper for.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Dinner Expertise

We had been greeted by a restaurant attendant upon arrival, who confirmed our reservation particulars and kindly confirmed us to the steps resulting in the higher flooring.

A easy however conventional house surrounding the sushi counter awaited us upstairs.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Seating

10 seats could seem intimate, however it’s really thought of a bigger house in comparison with Tokyo’s top-of-the-line outlets, a lot of that are restricted to only six diners per sitting.

One of many sushi cooks promptly greeted us, talking just a few phrases in English. He requested us whether or not we’d desire to attempt sushi, sashimi, or each (after all, we opted for each), after which provided us a selection of drinks for the night.

We determined to go along with some sake, and had been offered with three totally different samplers of sake to select from. We took just a few sips and chosen our favorite, which was balanced and never too candy, and had been then offered a full bottle with two cups.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Sake samplers
Ginza Sushiko Honten – Sake presentation

Since we had been at omakase, the chef then merely went forward and commenced making ready our personalized dishes.

Over the course of the night, we seen that every set of visitors was handled to a barely totally different menu, whereas some Japanese-speaking visitors (presumably regulars) would converse to the chef first to allow them to know what they had been within the temper for. 

Right here at our first omakase meal, we had been trying ahead to absorbing the expertise because it was offered to us, moderately than dictating the proceedings – so we merely sat again and awaited the primary dish. 

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Desk setting

For every dish, we keenly watched because the chef ready the merchandise in entrance of us, from finely slicing a contemporary reduce of fish, to wielding hearth for the torched gadgets, to rigorously arranging all the things on the plate.

The chef then positioned every plate on the countertop in entrance of us and briefly described every merchandise in English, earlier than we had been invited to convey the plates right down to our tables and dig in.

1. Crab

The meal started with a crab dish, which was completed with a creamy sauce and had pepper sprinkled excessive. It was a wonderfully effective introductory merchandise that opened up our palates for extra to come back.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Crab

2. Abalone

Subsequent up, a chunk of abalone offered in a soy-based sauce, which was delectable. The abalone was agency and had a refined style, which went properly with the stronger flavours of the sauce. 

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Abalone

3. Bonito, Amberjack, and Grilled Toro Sashimi

This plate of a sashimi trio was pleasant, and was one among my favorite dishes of the night. 

The bonito was already properly seasoned with soy sauce and topped with onion for an additional sprint of flavour.

The grilled toro was downright decadent, providing the right combination of wealthy flavour and butter-soft texture that compelled me to shut my eyes and slowly savour. 

Lastly, the amberjack was extra rubbery in texture and had a really gentle style that balanced out the opposite two.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Bonito, amberjack, and grilled toro sashimi

4. Silverfish

A cooked piece to intersperse the uncooked gadgets, the silverfish had a light-weight and fluffy texture, and was tasty if not overly memorable.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Silverfish

5. Tuna

I at all times recognize a refreshing piece of tuna. The flavour was gentle with a slippery texture, and made for a pleasurable chunk, setting the stage for the fattier piece to come back.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Tuna

6. Toro

The toro (fatty tuna) was exquisitely wealthy and buttery, melting in my mouth superbly and leaving delivering wealthy pulses of umami flavour throughout my palate because it did so. The one-best merchandise of the meal. 

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Toro

7. Squid

The squid sushi was further rubbery and a bit gelatinous in texture. It was dressed with giant salt crystals on high and drizzled with lemon juice, punctuating the wealthy tuna flavours that got here beforehand and the extra modest fish to come back.

I’d should say this was one among my least favorite plate of the night time.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Squid

8. Mackerel

The mackerel was a pleasant change from what we’d been served to date. It was flaky and gingery, and the fish texture was candy however gentle.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Mackerel

 

9. Flounder

Following the mackerel, we had been offered with flounder, frivolously brushed with candy soy sauce. This merchandise was nonetheless tasty, however pretty unremarkable in comparison with the remainder.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Flounder

10. Grilled Toro

We had been then handled to some grilled toro once more, this time served sushi-style. I used to be ecstatic to have another chunk of that scrumptious grilled fatty tuna, and the wealthy and buttery tuna meat as soon as once more delivered a melt-in-mouth sensation.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Grilled toro

11. Toro-taku

The toro-taku – a mix of toro fatty tuna and chopped takuan, or pickled daikons, rolled along with seaweed within the maki model – was among the many finest dishes of the night.

It was exceptionally decadent in flavour, and I notably appreciated the crunchy texture right here as a welcome complement to the slippery items to date. 

This merchandise wrapped up our sushi for the night, and I believed it was the right be aware on which to finish. 

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Toro-taku

12. Miso Soup

We started wrapping up our meal with a pleasant bowl of heat and scrumptious miso soup, which was served with complete scallop items and spring onion combined in.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Miso soup

13. Grapes

Lastly, we got some seedless grapes as a candy finale to our dinner, served in a easy presentation with a single toothpick.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Grapes

And to assist wash down our meal, we ended the night time with a scrumptious cup of inexperienced tea, offered in a phenomenal cup.

Ginza Sushiko Honten – Inexperienced tea

Though the parts don’t look like a lot individually piece-by-piece, they had been simply the correct quantity in complete, and we left feeling glad however not too full.

Our closing invoice got here to 59,400 yen ($566), together with the omakase dinner for 2 and our bottle of sake. 

It’s in all probability the most costly dinner we’ll be having on this journey, however we had been glad to lastly kickstart our sushi omakase journey on our return to Tokyo, and we each concluded that we had been extremely impressed by with our meal.

Conclusion

In the event you like Japanese delicacies, sushi omakase is actually one of many must-try gastronomic pursuits in your subsequent journey to Japan, and Tokyo specifically with its excessive focus of top-tier sushiya

We had a fairly nice first omakase expertise right here at Ginza Sushiko Honten. Based mostly on the restaurant’s historical past, stature, and high quality, I’d advocate this place should you’re comfy with its value vary; nonetheless, I actually get the sense that there are cheaper Tokyo sushi outlets that may additionally provide you with a effective introduction to omakase and should supply higher worth for cash. 

Nonetheless, I additionally sit up for making an attempt out extra omakase outlets sooner or later, and thereby refining my palate and growing a greater capacity to match and distinction the numerous omakase experiences out there all throughout city.



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