# monster gourmet

> Where to eat sushi in Tokyo, what omakase really costs and how to book it, from hundreds of meals I’ve filmed for YouTube. Plus sushi words in plain English.

Written by the person behind the monster gourmet (먹적) YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@monstergourmet. Every restaurant post comes from a visit filmed for that channel and embeds the video. Prices are what was paid at the time, labelled with the month the video came out (yyyy/mm). English pages are at the root, Korean pages under /ko/.

## Restaurants

- [Sushi Shimazu, Shirokane, Tokyo](https://monster-gourmet.com/tokyo/shimazu/): Sushi Shimazu in Shirokane, Tokyo. Three of us paid about ¥167,000 and my share without drinks was around ¥55,000 (about US$350, 2026/10 video). The ikura was the star, and the whale got ordered twice. ≈ ¥55,000 per person, no alcohol (2026/10 video).

## Cities

- [Where to eat in Tokyo](https://monster-gourmet.com/tokyo/)

## Sushi terms

- [Sushi terms, explained](https://monster-gourmet.com/glossary/): What omakase means, otoro vs chutoro, what uni and ikura are. The sushi words I use without thinking, explained for people who have never sat at a sushi counter.
- [Otoro vs chutoro vs akami: the three tuna cuts](https://monster-gourmet.com/glossary/tuna-cuts/): 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.
- [What is ikura? Salmon roe at a sushi counter](https://monster-gourmet.com/glossary/ikura/): Salmon roe, usually cured in soy sauce or salt with a little sake. Every shop has its own seasoning.
- [What is kohada? The vinegared gizzard shad of Edomae sushi](https://monster-gourmet.com/glossary/kohada/): Gizzard shad cured in vinegar, a signature of Edomae sushi. Chefs are judged on how they balance the salt and vinegar.
- [What is kuruma-ebi? Japanese tiger prawn in sushi and tempura](https://monster-gourmet.com/glossary/kuruma-ebi/): 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.
- [What is modori-gatsuo? Fatty autumn bonito](https://monster-gourmet.com/glossary/modori-gatsuo/): Autumn bonito on its way back south. Cold water puts fat on it, so it is richer than the lean spring bonito (hatsu-gatsuo).
- [What is omakase? What it means at a sushi counter](https://monster-gourmet.com/glossary/omakase/): 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.
- [What is tencha? Tempura in tea or dashi to finish](https://monster-gourmet.com/glossary/tencha/): Tempura, usually a kakiage fritter, in hot tea or dashi. A common way to end a tempura course, the other choice being tendon.
- [What is tentsuyu? Tempura dipping sauce explained](https://monster-gourmet.com/glossary/tentsuyu/): Tempura dipping sauce. Dashi, mirin, soy sauce and sugar, usually with grated daikon stirred in.
- [What is uni? Sea urchin types: murasaki, bafun and aka](https://monster-gourmet.com/glossary/uni/): Sea urchin. Sushi counters mainly use murasaki uni (purple), bafun uni (more orange and richer) and, in western Japan, the rarer aka uni.

## About

- [About monster gourmet](https://monster-gourmet.com/about/)
- [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@monstergourmet)

## 한국어

- [도쿄 스시·오마카세 맛집 추천과 실제 가격 | 먹적 monster gourmet](https://monster-gourmet.com/ko/): 도쿄 스시 맛집, 오마카세 가격, 예약 방법까지. 유튜브 먹적이 직접 가서 먹고 낸 돈 그대로 적은 맛집 기록. 오마카세 뜻, 오토로·주토로 차이 같은 스시 용어도 쉽게 풀어 둠.
- [스시 용어 풀이](https://monster-gourmet.com/ko/glossary/)
- [오토로 주토로 아카미 차이: 참치 부위 정리](https://monster-gourmet.com/ko/glossary/tuna-cuts/)
- [이쿠라 뜻: 스시야의 연어알(いくら)](https://monster-gourmet.com/ko/glossary/ikura/)
- [코하다(小肌) 뜻: 에도마에 스시의 전어](https://monster-gourmet.com/ko/glossary/kohada/)
- [쿠루마에비(車海老) 뜻: 스시와 텐푸라의 보리새우](https://monster-gourmet.com/ko/glossary/kuruma-ebi/)
- [모도리가츠오(戻り鰹) 뜻: 기름 오른 가을 가다랑어](https://monster-gourmet.com/ko/glossary/modori-gatsuo/)
- [오마카세 뜻: 스시 카운터에서 오마카세란?](https://monster-gourmet.com/ko/glossary/omakase/)
- [텐차(天茶) 뜻: 텐푸라 코스 마지막 튀김 오차즈케](https://monster-gourmet.com/ko/glossary/tencha/)
- [텐쯔유(天つゆ) 뜻: 튀김 찍어 먹는 소스](https://monster-gourmet.com/ko/glossary/tentsuyu/)
- [우니 뜻: 성게알 종류(무라사키, 바훈, 아카)](https://monster-gourmet.com/ko/glossary/uni/)
- [도쿄 시마즈(島津) 스시 오마카세 후기 - 가격, 예약 방법, 연어알](https://monster-gourmet.com/ko/tokyo/shimazu/)