Booking a Japanese sushi restaurant in Tokyo takes more than just luck, especially during peak season. Thank god for our concierge that entertained our numerous emails with our list of sushi restaurants until they finally scored a reservation for us at Sushi Nakamura.
This joint resides in the neighbourhood of Roppongi, off the beaten track but not too difficult to navigate.
Konbanwa Chef as we were warmly welcomed into the 12 seater restaurant. No exchanges were made since there was only one menu for the night, priced at JPY 18,000. We spotted a lady sous chef supporting the head chef and that has to be a first in all the sushi restaurants I have patronized.
These reservation tags were placed the moment seats were vacated and not long after, they were filled. They took at least 3 seatings in a single night.
Guan Yin water, how enlightened I was supposed to feel after drinking I do not know but this cost as much as two bottles of mineral water from the convenience store.
Pickled cucumbers and ginger are refillable.
Brined juicy poached oysters signalled the start of our omakase.
Omakase with sake, makes the meal complete.
Scallops drizzled in shoyu, I loved the crunch of these fresh scallops. Four is definitely not enough.
Crabmeat with crab roe topping was really indulgent and not for those watching their cholesterol levels. That rich and creamy crab roe is good enough for me to exchange sea urchin for.
Sea kelp just to tone things down a fair bit after the palette awakening crabmeat dish.
What I enjoy most of counter seats is watching the chef put my food together and if there's interaction it is nice but not critical. Our meal was mostly quiet since the chefs busied themselves over the stove and ensuring our food was served on time and well paced.
Grilled seabass with a really crispy skin, smoky fragrance and delicious moist and flaky texture.
Ankimo or monk fish liver is my newfound best friend. This is the caviar of foie gras, very delicate and creamy yet eaten with freshly grated wasabi brings on a whole new world of oishi.
Shirako or cod sperm is melty, milky innards with charred chewy skins. Like torched mochi with lava fillings. This may be considered as the world's weirdest food to eat but I am on the side of loving this delicacy!
Horse Mackerel sashimi was somewhat different from the usual tuna and salmon. The marbling was excellent and I ended up enjoying the fats in sheer silence.
Hirame or flounder is hardly a favourite for sashimi because it ends up too chewy. The chef did a wonderful job of slicing them thin and stacking the slices, the flounder was alot less chewy this way.
Ika was wweet, jellied and somewhat sticky but so fresh!
Until Japan, I realised there are also different grades of Ikura. The more premium grades are so fresh, hardly fishy and pop so crisply. The stale versions are in comparison, more rubbery and harder to pop.
Baby Snapper was so tender, I feel bad eating all the babies now, none of the chewy texture of the adult snapper.
Botan Uni was an effortless breeze to eat. Just SO GOOD.
Adult snapper was chewier but with snapper, the taste tends to be very mild.
I cannot fathom how seafood can taste so sweet in Japan. Even without further seasoning beyond a brush of sweet sauce.
Ootoro
This is akin to eating fat, all gone in seconds. The clever incisions done with such amazing knifework makes this a masterpiece
Anago spoilt me through and through again. If all steamed fish tasted this way, I will not have any problems converting to a pescatarian.
Seeing Chef skewer the tuna belly pre-empted of something exciting coming our way.
Clam miso soup strikes a chord in winter. Heck, miso soup in Japan strikes a chord. It could be the simmering or better quality ingredients or the fact that I am on a holiday that makes everything taste better.
Toro torched slightly and that summed the omakase up so beautifully. Understated. satisfying and memorable. Chef Masanori Nakamura specializes in tuna and this was the best finale.
I was not belly up stuffed which was a happy way to end the meal regardless. When Chef pulled out a chunk of tamago to slice, I was thrilled.
With swift and quick strokes, he portioned out enough tamago for the second seating of diners.
Spongy and light, this was like castella cake, only heaps better. I wonder what goes into these tamagoes but these are the eggs to beat in the world of egg dishes.
The night passed too quickly and soon we were escorted to the door with vigorous bows. Thank you for the memories Sushi Nakamura.
Sushi Nakamura
7-17-16 Roppongi, Minato 106-0032
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