Though head Mr. Keiji Nakazawa has left his original branch of Sushi Sho to make sushi on the shores of Hawaii, his modest restaurant still remains- tucked into a little alley behind Yotsuya Station.
For the time being, the sushi counter is manned by none other than Mr. Shingo Takahashi, owner of Sushi Takumi Shingo in Aoyama and former disciple of Mr. Nakazawa. He will resume his post at Takumi Shingo sometime in June or July of 2016, but nothing solid coming from him just yet.
The atmosphere when you enter Sushi Sho is warm and welcoming. The staff immediately greet you, check any coats or luggage you man have and promptly seat you for the meal ahead. While you can definitely come for the very reasonably priced Bara-chirashi lunch, I would definitely recommend coming back for dinner if you have the chance.
What makes Sushi Sho so interesting for me is the process of aging different cuts of fish in order to bring out the richer, sweeter flavors in addition to a softer more delicate texture. This contradicts most, if not all overseas notions that sushi use only the freshest of seafood. However, this is one of the trademarks that developed with the evolution of Edo-mae Sushi styles, which offers many exciting opportunities for sushi chefs to show their flair and knowledge of the ingredients.
In addition to their sushi, a large array of little dishes are also prepared as a little break throughout the course of the meal. For me, this is definitely a welcome change of pace while enjoying a vast array of sushi.
What may also surprise some visitors that are not used to the different variety of Shari (Sushi Rice) preparations in Japan is that Sushi Sho has 3 different Shari preparations to be paired with the profile of each particular neta (sushi topping.) Red vinegar, being the most robust in flavor is often paired stronger fish or aged fish which can stand up to its bite.
The combination of red and white vinegar is good for a range of fish and the white vinegar shari works best with white fish and other delicate seafood.
Keeping this in mind, the entire staff really do a wonderful job to ensure that you don't get cold rice during the meal, shuttling tiny bamboo bowls of warm rice constantly from the bustling kitchen for Shingo San.
I had come with every intention of documenting the entire meal, but I must confess that I got too caught up in the moment and forgot to snap a picture of the first course (two cuts of whitefish sashimi) and the rainbow trout and sakura leaf sashimi.
The rest of the meal however, is in its entirety below!
I had an amazing time chatting not only with some of the customers around me but also with the staff, and Shingo san who always made sure I had a topped off glass of sake to go with my food. His calm demeanor and willingness to chat and explain the process behind each cut of fish and each little bite really puts the customer in a state of ease. Many glasses of Nihonshu (all which were Shingo San's recommendations) and a belly full of sushi later, I was already thinking about my next visit.
As Shingo san told me during my visit - "Eat and drink your fill, don't worry about tomorrow!"
(Luckily it was Friday night.)
Sushi Sho (すし匠）
Yorindo Bldg 1st Floor, 1-11
Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku,
Tokyo, 160-0004
Tel: +81-3-3351-6387 (Reservations are a must)
For the time being, the sushi counter is manned by none other than Mr. Shingo Takahashi, owner of Sushi Takumi Shingo in Aoyama and former disciple of Mr. Nakazawa. He will resume his post at Takumi Shingo sometime in June or July of 2016, but nothing solid coming from him just yet.
The atmosphere when you enter Sushi Sho is warm and welcoming. The staff immediately greet you, check any coats or luggage you man have and promptly seat you for the meal ahead. While you can definitely come for the very reasonably priced Bara-chirashi lunch, I would definitely recommend coming back for dinner if you have the chance.
What makes Sushi Sho so interesting for me is the process of aging different cuts of fish in order to bring out the richer, sweeter flavors in addition to a softer more delicate texture. This contradicts most, if not all overseas notions that sushi use only the freshest of seafood. However, this is one of the trademarks that developed with the evolution of Edo-mae Sushi styles, which offers many exciting opportunities for sushi chefs to show their flair and knowledge of the ingredients.
In addition to their sushi, a large array of little dishes are also prepared as a little break throughout the course of the meal. For me, this is definitely a welcome change of pace while enjoying a vast array of sushi.
What may also surprise some visitors that are not used to the different variety of Shari (Sushi Rice) preparations in Japan is that Sushi Sho has 3 different Shari preparations to be paired with the profile of each particular neta (sushi topping.) Red vinegar, being the most robust in flavor is often paired stronger fish or aged fish which can stand up to its bite.
The combination of red and white vinegar is good for a range of fish and the white vinegar shari works best with white fish and other delicate seafood.
Keeping this in mind, the entire staff really do a wonderful job to ensure that you don't get cold rice during the meal, shuttling tiny bamboo bowls of warm rice constantly from the bustling kitchen for Shingo San.
I had come with every intention of documenting the entire meal, but I must confess that I got too caught up in the moment and forgot to snap a picture of the first course (two cuts of whitefish sashimi) and the rainbow trout and sakura leaf sashimi.
The rest of the meal however, is in its entirety below!
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| Entrance to Sushi Sho |
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| On of the standard Sushi sho appetizers - Simmered Squid stuffed with rice |
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| Lightly simmered Hamaguri Clam |
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| Lightly seared Botan-ebi - very sweet and lovely texture. |
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| Kinmedai Skin with grated radish. |
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| Signature of Sushi sho - Ankimo (Monkfish liver) with pickled melon |
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| Murasaki Uni Flown in from Hokkaido |
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| Poached Kuruma-ebu |
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| Otoro Fatty Tuna |
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| Aji Mackerel |
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| Scallop with a touch of salt |
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| Aged Aori Ika (Squid) Maybe my favorite piece of squid...ever. |
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| Sayori (Japanese Half Beak) |
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| Kue - Baby Snapper |
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| Anago - Eel |
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| Best Kohada (Gizzard Shad) I have ever had, not overpoweringly sour and lovely firm texture. |
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| Aged Tuna Akami |
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| Baby Ayu from Lake Biwa |
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| Hotaru Ika - Firefly Squid |
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| Grilled Hokki-gai (Surf Clam) |
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| Skinless Kinmedai - Splendid Alfonsino |
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| I have never had octopus this sweet and this tender before, it was quite a suprise. |
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| Chutoro - Semi Fatty Tuna |
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| Hangover prevention with Shijimi clam broth |
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| Two types of egg - Dried scallop dashi and white shrimp dashi |
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| Grilled Surf Clam Trimmings "A bar snack to go with your Sake" Exclaimed Shingo san at this point |
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| Grilled Tachiuo - Cutlass Fish |
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| Katsuo - Bonito |
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| Scallop Roe "Liver Sashimi Style" Creamy roe with sesame oil and the sharp crispness of chopped negi. |
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| Aged Otoro (Fatty Tuna) |
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| Shiraebiobushi - White Shrimp |
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| My First Oyster Nigiri - Brined to improve texture. |
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| Aoyagi clam simmered in broth. |
I had an amazing time chatting not only with some of the customers around me but also with the staff, and Shingo san who always made sure I had a topped off glass of sake to go with my food. His calm demeanor and willingness to chat and explain the process behind each cut of fish and each little bite really puts the customer in a state of ease. Many glasses of Nihonshu (all which were Shingo San's recommendations) and a belly full of sushi later, I was already thinking about my next visit.
As Shingo san told me during my visit - "Eat and drink your fill, don't worry about tomorrow!"
(Luckily it was Friday night.)
Sushi Sho (すし匠）
Yorindo Bldg 1st Floor, 1-11
Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku,
Tokyo, 160-0004
Tel: +81-3-3351-6387 (Reservations are a must)
