Hyperlocal Tokyo

This sushi restaurant is located in Midtown Yaesu, which is directly connected to Tokyo Station via the underground. It originally was in Chiba, but moved here when Midtown opened. You can make reservations through the table check system. It's usually pretty full, but you can still get a reservation. I made a reservation for a weekday evening and went. They have a two-rotation system. The restaurant is quite small, with a counter that seats six people, all facing the same direction. The seats themselves are spacious. I'm not sure if they have private rooms. The omakase course is ¥35,000. It includes seven appetizers, a hand-rolled sushi-like dish, then 12 pieces of nigiri, soup, and a tamago (egg). There are a lot of appetizers, which is great, and the portions are generous. They focus on ingredients from Chiba Prefecture, and everything was delicious. They also have a wide selection of sake from Chiba Prefecture. It's amazing how many they have. The nigiri has relatively small rice portions and a firm texture. It tends to fall apart a bit, but sometimes it holds together well. The vinegar is standard strength. The simmered clam nigiri was cute, shaped like a shoe. Personally, I prefer a bit more rice presence, but the ingredients were all excellent. Chiba is amazing! Chiba spirit! The location is great, so maybe the prices are a bit higher because of that.

This is a renowned restaurant that's notoriously difficult to get a reservation at. I was fortunate enough to be invited and readily accepted. Everything was delicious, but there were a few dishes that truly blew me away. Thankfully, I was able to secure a reservation for my next visit, which was a relief.

Located on the 3rd floor of Tokyo Midtown Yaesu, this restaurant has a counter with six seats. It relocated from Chiba Minato to its current location in front of Tokyo Station in March 2023. On this particular day, they were using all Chiba Prefecture ingredients, including the rice, water, and seasonings, except for the sea urchin. The chef's dedication to his hometown is evident in the selection of sake, all of which are also from Chiba Prefecture. I visited the Chiba location four years ago and it's one of my all-time favorite sushi restaurants. Even after the move, the quality remains top-notch. The braised octopus was incredible right from the start, a truly unforgettable taste. The bonito, the mackerel pike sushi, the red sea bream baked in bone broth, the golden eye snapper nigiri, and the salt-marinated horse mackerel nigiri were all incredibly delicious. I also loved how the chef varied the texture of the rice depending on the fish. But most importantly, the chef, Mr. Takaoka, is a wonderful person with a humble and unpretentious demeanor. This is definitely a sushi restaurant I want to visit again. ~Omakase~ Octopus - Choshi, Chiba Prefecture Bonito - Chiba Prefecture Red Sea Urchin - Yura, Awaji Island, Hyogo Prefecture Red Sea Urchin - Imabari, Ehime Prefecture Red Sea Bream Baked in Bone Broth - Chiba Prefecture Monkfish Liver - Choshi, Chiba Prefecture Horse Mackerel - Chiba Prefecture Clams Broth Chawanmushi - Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture Grilled Mackerel Pike Sushi - Chiba Prefecture Choshi Golden Eye Snapper - Choshi, Chiba Prefecture Gizzard Shad - Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture Striped Jack - Chiba Prefecture Tuna Akami (Lean Tuna) Marinated - Choshi, Chiba Prefecture Tuna Chutoro (Medium Fatty Tuna) - Choshi, Chiba Prefecture Tuna Otoro (Fatty Tuna) - Choshi, Chiba Prefecture Fresh Squid - Ink Squid - Chiba Prefecture Steamed Clams - Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture Salt-Marinated Horse Mackerel - Chiba Prefecture Kuruma Shrimp - Chiba Prefecture Sea Urchin Gunkan (Sushi Roll) - Hokkaido Conger Eel - Chiba Prefecture Misoshiru (Miso Soup) Tamago (Egg) Kappa Maki (Cucumber Roll) ~Sake~ Iwa no I - Tsuki - Junmai Ginjo Nama Genshu - Chiba Prefecture Aktiba - Jin'yu - Junmai Daiginjo - Chiba Prefecture Inaka - Junmai Kamoshi-zake - Junmai - Chiba Prefecture Narumi - Tokubetsu Junmai - Nama - Ao Label - Chiba Prefecture 41k

From Chiba to Yaesu. As always, they use ingredients from Chiba. The mackerel that was caught at 11 am that day and the swordfish that was grilled with charcoal were amazing. The chef goes to Chiba twice a week to get water. It's even better than before.

I was truly moved by the chef's welcoming smile and unparalleled skills. The sushi was exceptional, but the chawanmushi and miso soup were also unlike anything I'd ever tasted before, with their incredible depth of flavor. I think everyone should experience a meal like this at least once in their lifetime.