HatsuneZushi & Tokyo’s Sushi Scene

Hatsunezushi is a 2 Michelin starred restaurant in the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan.  It’s a diamond in the rough that requires a 40 minutes cab ride from Shinjuku. 

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Chef Katsu Nakaji is the man behind Hatsunezushi.  He operates the restaurant along with his wife; He’s a 4th generation sushi chef.  He does the sushi while his lovely wife handles the other aspects of the restaurant.  Their hospitality is 2nd to none.

He’s an extremely lovable guy with his jolly laugh.  The Michelin chef is probably the most down-to-earth chef I’ve met.  I could totally see myself having a beer with him at the local bar.  However, only if he picks up the tab cause I’m poor.

Hatsunezushi is a small and intimate dining experience.  The little restaurant doesn’t hold more than 8 seats at the sushi bar.  It’s a pure edomae omakase experience cause he doesn’t do anything else except nigiri.  In other words, no glitz and glamour.  He does drink if you offer him some alcohol.  I don’t think you’re human if you turn down a beer.  That and you shouldn’t be trusted.

He prefers to use red vinegar.   He’s an advocate of firmer rice and his technique is unmatched.  As the meal progresses, he changes the choice of fish cause the rice temperature changes.  It’s like a surgeon in an operating room except he doesn’t have a degree in medicine.  He has a degree in ‘bad ass sushi chef taking names’.

Furthermore, he’s also an advocate of eating the nigiri upside to taste the fish.  He personally puts the sushi into your hand as the meal progresses.  To be honest, Hatsunezushi is one of my favorite restaurants in the world.  The experience to the sushi’s flavors will be talk about forever in my conversations about Tokyo and Japan.  I’m going to be like the old man reminiscing about the good old times.  Remember that one time…

Now, the food.  It was the best sushi I’ve ever had.  Hands down.  Here are my favorite nigiri pieces:

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• Squid– The squid’s texture extremely soft.  The dash of soy sauce was perfection.  The slightly warm rice blended well with the squid.  It was the first nigiri of the meal and a great sign of the orgasmic food to come.  It was that sexual.  It was literally an orgasm in my mouth.

  

• Soy Akami  – The tuna was marinated in soy sauce.  It dissolved in my mouth right after I took my first bite of it.  He put a wasabi dash and a whole lot of amazing into it.  It’s easily the best tuna nigiri I’ve tasted in my life.

  

• Akami – The tuna was exceptional.  It had all the right elements to it.  The perfect amount of rice in addition the right stroke of soy sauce made it perfect.  The nigiri melted away in my mouth like shaved ice in hell.  Simply perfect.

  

Hatsunezushi is easily in my top 5 dining experiences ever.  Chef Katsu didn’t mind me taking pictures and insisted I take the pictures while he held the nigiri.  This went on for the dining experience.  I don’t know any sushi chef who would have done that.  Actually, I don’t know any chef who would do that.  Hatsunezushi is a must try if you’re ever in Tokyo.  It was worth every single pretty penny and calories consumed.

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