Sushi Tokami
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On our first trip to Tokyo we got reservations at Sushi Tokami, a Michelin star restaurant in Ginza, where we were introduced to high end sushi. With the last day of our trip, we wanted to cap our time in Japan with a truly great meal. We managed to get reservations at Sushi Tokami after a recommendation and some help from the concierge at the Park Hotel.
Getting to Sushi Tokami is pretty easy. It’s just a five minute walk north from Shimbashi Station at the corner of Sotobori-Dori and Kokkai-Dori. We walked inside the corner building and took the elevator down to the basement. Down the hallway to the right was the door to Sushi Tokami. We were greeted at the door and shown to our seats. The restaurant is quite small and only seats 10 guests. We were lucky enough to beat seated in the middle with Chef Hiroyuki Sato directly in front.
One of the key reasons we chose Sushi Tokami is that it is very foreigner friendly. When searching for a high end sushi restaurant we had read many reviews for other top rated restaurants that stated they weren’t friendly to non-Japanese. The language barriers at restaurants can also affect the overall comfort with a foreign visitor too. But that was not an issue at Sushi Tokami at all. Chef Sato spoke English and would chat with the guests. With this being a fine dining establishment we thought it might have been more formal and quiet, but the atmosphere was relaxed and very enjoyable. Other restaurants also had rather quick dining times as little as roughly 30 minutes on the low end. Considering the meal was roughly 27,000 yen each, $250, we wanted to enjoy our time during it and not feel rushed all while getting our money's worth for a meal. Both times the meal lasted over an hour and a half.
The meal began shortly after we ordered a sake and an Asahi. We were first treated to a maguro (tuna) hand roll that consisted of rice, maguro paste, and a brushing of soy sauce that was all wrapped up in nori.
Then came shirako soup, which we did not know what it was at the time, but it is fish semen. It sounds very odd, but roe (fish eggs) are very common to eat with sushi so semen isn’t really that much weirder. The soup was actually quite good and was slightly creamy and salty. After that was onion and seaweed with dipping sauce, and vinegared crab.
The next plate had baby shrimp, smoked bonito, and razor fish. This was followed by salmon and salmon roe with rice, and pomfret.
With the appetizers done the main course was about to begin. First was flounder, squid, pincer, and then baby snapper. We were so enthralled by the meal that Taylor forgot to get a picture of the baby snapper.
The other key factor in picking Sushi Tokami was the emphasis on tuna. One of the investors in the restaurant is a tuna wholesaler from the famous Tsukiji Fish Market. This means Sushi Tokami gets some amazing cuts of maguro. The shari (seasoned sushi rice) that Sushi Tokami uses is seasoned and vinegared specifically meant to bring out the flavor of the maguro. This leaves the rice with a redish-brown coloring. The shari accentuates the flavor of the already amazing maguro. The maguro was so good here, that it practically ruined maguro nigiri and sashimi for Michelle back home. Only a few restaurants serve quality that is up to her new standard. We were first given what the chef called tuna, fatty tuna, and finally very fatty tuna.
Next up was red soldierfish, Spanish mackerel, and tiger prawn.
Then came mackerel, crab, and sea perch.
The meal was finished off with a tuna bone collagen soup, sea eel, and a tamagoyaki with a creme brulee-like top.
Both times we ate here the meals were nearly identical. The only difference we can think of was we were given uni (sea urchin) with our first visit. Once the meal was done and the check paid for we left, but as we were waiting in the hallway for the elevator Chef Sato came out and thanked us for coming. It was very kind of him to do that and added a nice personal touch to our time there.
Apparently, after we visited Sushi Tokami, Chef Sato left the restaurant to open another one. His protege, Shota Oda, took over as head chef and everything stayed the same. The quality of the sushi is still fantastic and especially the tuna. He’s also just as friendly to his guests and maintains the relaxed atmosphere it always had. The only downside to Sushi Tokami like with any high end sushi restaurant is the cost, it is quite expensive, but it is worth it. That’s why we usually like to make it our last big meal of the trip; so it ends on a very high note.
Tabelog Link: Sushi Tokami
Google Maps Link: Sushi Tokami
