Where to eat sushi in Tokyo, and what omakase really costs
I wasn’t into tempura. Asanuma changed that.
I’ve always thought tempura leans on its ingredients, and that most of them would taste better cooked some other way. Asanuma, an eight-seat counter in Nihonbashi, changed my mind from the first piece. The course is ¥16,000, I’d go back, and the best bite was a bell pepper.
Latest from the counter
Restaurant guides from the YouTube channel
Sushi words, in plain English
All sushi terms →Omakase お任せ
Leaving the menu to the chef. At a sushi counter that means one course, usually small dishes first and then nigiri, at a set price.
Akami, chu-toro and o-toro 赤身・中トロ・大トロ
The three main tuna cuts at a sushi counter. Akami is the lean red meat, chu-toro is medium fatty, and o-toro is the fattiest belly.
Uni: murasaki, bafun and aka 雲丹
Sea urchin. Sushi counters mainly use murasaki uni (purple), bafun uni (more orange and richer) and, in western Japan, the rarer aka uni.
Ikura いくら
Salmon roe, usually cured in soy sauce or salt with a little sake. Every shop has its own seasoning.
Kohada 小肌
Gizzard shad cured in vinegar, a signature of Edomae sushi. Chefs are judged on how they balance the salt and vinegar.
Kuruma-ebi 車海老
Japanese tiger prawn. Tempura counters often open with it, and sushi counters cook it and serve it warm, the good ones with the head innards.
Every post here comes from a visit I filmed for YouTube: where I ate, what the omakase cost, how I got the seat. Prices are what I paid at the time, so check the month next to each one.
YouTube channel →