Noodle in a Haystack
  • Restaurant
  • Menu
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • Archives

Jiro's not the only one that Dreams of Sushi

8/23/2015

12 Comments

 
Picture
Omakase at one of the best Sushi restaurants in Tokyo, Miyako-zushi. Otoro, Aburi Kinmedai, Buri toro, Kuruma-ebi
I dream about sushi.... ALOT, but since becoming a father, prime opportunities to dine out come much much less frequently than before. I've begun to realize that when I do go out to eat, 9 out of 10 times it's for sushi. (*dining out meaning eating something that isn't from a fast food chain or a food court) 

Sushi, believe it or not, is actually one of the main reasons I dropped everything, quit my job, left my friends and family, and moved away from the only home I've ever known to a mysterious country where I had few friends and no understanding of the language, the culture, or the food. Well I mean, I did in some sense have it better than most Americans because I was lucky enough to grow up in San Francisco where there is (or was) a Japantown, Japanese people, and numerous sushi restaurants ranging from mediocre to downright poisonous. For reasons beyond comprehension though, my interest in Sushi drove me to do something I could never fathom. Growing up in an Asian family usually means living with your family until you end up getting married. Rarely, will you see Asian children move away from home for selfish reasons (unless of course those reasons happen to have future financial benefits, i.e. College / great job at famous company etc.) For me though, the reasons were as selfish as they came and for the first time in my life I was passionate about something. I needed to know more, see more, and taste more. I desperately sought understanding beyond superficial terms, dragon rolls, and the salmon/hamachi/ebi/maguro rut that San Francisco's sushi scene was limited to at the time. I felt like I had an ocean's worth of knowledge separating me and I was driven like never before to cross it.
PictureA few more courses from the omakase at Miyako-zushi
If I had to choose a last meal, before passing from this lovely planet of ours filled with such delectable varieties of sea life, it would without question be sushi at one of the hundreds of extraordinary sushi restaurants in Japan. This brings me back to the title of this story; Sukiyabashi Jiro is just 1 of the many many exceptional Sushi restaurants in Tokyo. Emphasis on many. It's currently ranked #24 on Tabelog out of all Sushi restaurants in just the Tokyo area. He's definitely one of the best, but living in Japan, I came to learn that the sushi scene is so much deeper than a single restaurant. Even if it is run by a living legend who's been making sushi at the highest levels longer than most anyone.

​Is it the best though? To be honest, I never got around to eating there before I moved away, It's still on my hit-list but a lower priority because there are so many other Sushi restaurants doing more interesting things. It's sort of analogous to deciding if it's worth trying the French Laundry for the first time after already having one the best meals of your life at Saison. Both are renowned fine dining establishments in the Bay Area - the French Laundry, traditional and classical, while Saison, exciting, modern, and inspiring. 

The price point is also a tough barrier to overcome. Miyako-zushi, currently ranked #5 on Tabelog, is my favorite and goto sushi restaurant. I started eating there 5 years ago when the base price of the omakase was roughly $120 (now it's about $150). The meal includes various appetizers and sashimi before the main nigiri course, then ends with the traditional miso soup. They also have a full sake menu as well as a few types beer. A meal at Jiro by comparison from what I researched, averages 14 minutes in length and only includes nigiri for $300. No appetizers and drinks other then tea. For those reasons, I found it difficult to stray from my normal routine and also because my wife finds it fundamentally wrong to have a 14 minute meal for that amount of money. Tough to argue with her on that one.

Picture
Summer, the peak of uni season at Izumi. 5 different types from all over Japan
Picture
Traditional Okuizome ceremony at Izumi for my son
Without a doubt, if it weren't for the very well made documentary by David Gelb, most of the non-Japanese speaking world wouldn't have a reference point for highest levels of sushi. I never had access to that knowledge when I first moved to Tokyo, so I went in blind and had to do it the old fashioned way. My first real sushi epiphany in Japan was at a tiny family-run hole in the wall named Izumi - a long story for another time. 

Japan has the luxury of having so many amazing dining choices available. Some say that even if you dined at a new restaurant every day for the rest of your life, you still wouldn’t be able to scratch the surface of what Tokyo offers. Jiro might be the most famous, but there are hundreds, if not thousands of hardworking sushi shokunin (artisan or craftsman) dedicating their lives to mastering the art of combining fish and vinegared rice. Movies and the media work in mysterious ways; at times, a double edged sword — in the case of Sukiyabashi Jiro, his restaurant becoming infamous to the point of eclipsing every other sushi restaurant on the planet. My hope is to bring a little more balance to that viewpoint. Jiro may dream of sushi, but I guarantee if you look a bit past his enormous shadow, you’ll discover that Japan is a country full of sushi artisans, many of whom share that same dream and dedication.
12 Comments
Sulgen link
9/8/2015 05:22:11 pm

The first picture looks like shrimp wrapped in bacon. Sushi looks so amazingly beautiful. If I had a properly working immune system I would eat it every day!

Reply
Clint link
9/10/2015 09:47:29 pm

Thanks for being the first comment! I wish I could do a better job of describing the flavors better. It's so different from what you would normally expect - like the shrimp. I've never had shrimp like that before. It's almost a transformation!

Whats wrong with your immune system? Before I moved to Japan, I wasn't in the healthiest condition, but after eating good and real for for a few months, things started to change and I was healthier then I had ever been.

Reply
Tom | City-Cost Japan link
10/20/2015 06:37:39 pm

First of all, congrats on your move to Japan! Great place.

I understand your wife; 14 min meal for $300! That's a hard argument to win. Looks fantastic though. I think they took Obama here when he came for a state visit this year (or was it last year?).

Reply
Clint link
10/21/2015 03:36:47 am

Thanks for the comment! Sadly, I actually had to move back to California. I was in Tokyo for the last 6 years, so this blog is all about how much I love and miss Japan haha!

Yeah, the wife and logic wins on that. There are so many other great looking sushi restaurants that I have on my to-eat list before I'm going to be able to drop $300 for 14 mins.

I heard about the Obama visit, I think it was last year because it was all over TV in Japan since they made a big deal and let him stay longer than 14 mins :P

Reply
JS
11/3/2015 04:36:31 pm

Did you ever have a hard time booking Miyako-zushi? I tried last year when I was in Japan but had no luck...

Reply
Clint
11/3/2015 09:39:56 pm

It became extremely difficult a few years ago. The easiest way was making a reservation after you finished eating there, otherwise I had to wait a few months for the next date. The other way is to ask for cancellations but that's tough when you're visiting short term.

Reply
Lisa Nguyen link
11/6/2015 04:38:46 pm

Howdy!
My name is Lisa Nguyen a native from Dallas, Texas USA. I will be visiting Japan for the very first time in November of 2015. It has been a dream of mine and I am so excited to finally get the opportunity to visit! I am a Foodster \ food-ster\ noun – The unholy fusion of a foodie and hipster. Since I work in Technology for Southwest Airlines, I have had the privilege to travel to a different city every weekend just to eat. Some of my favorite memories include conversing over food at unique and high-rated restaurants, hole in the walls, diners, cafes, and bakeries. I hope to travel and explore every nook and cranny of the world to discover the best of best delectable and eclectic types of foods for my thirsting palate. Now my travels will soon take me to Japan. Which I would love your guide on for the food scene. I don't speak a bit of Japanese and honestly a bit scared of the language barrier. I follow you and many food blogger on instagram. I would love to dine at: Jimbocho Den, Harutaka, the fish market, etc and lot more... Would you know what is the best way for a foreign to go about reserving dining plans if I will not have a hotel to assist me due to my plans to use Airbnb - Lisa Nguyen

Reply
Clint
11/7/2015 11:44:52 am

Hi Lisa!!

Thanks for reading the blog! I hope some of it will help you on your upcoming visit to Japan! I'm envious! Sounds like a great little benefit to be able to go to different places just to eat.

The language barrier is definitely there but Tokyo is surprisingly English friendly in many areas, especially if you speak slowly. Also with apps that help you translate instantly (as long as you have Internet connection) I think you can get by without too many problems.

Those are all great choices, especially Den!Making reservations without local assistance though is going to be difficult because most restaurants ask for a contact number and the higher end places may ask for a credit card to protect themselves from sudden cancellations. I wish I was there, then I could help you with all of it :) It might be a good idea to just stay at a hotel for a few nights and have them help you with all your reservations?

Let me know if you need any more recommendations, I've got lots of places that I still have yet to write about.





Reply
Bianca
3/9/2016 06:47:04 pm

Hi, I was wondering if it's easy to make reservations by phone (English) or do you have to speak Japanese?

Reply
Clint
3/13/2016 05:18:13 am

Hi! Japanese is definitely required to make a reservation - it's become so difficult recently that doing it 4-6 months in advance is standard.

Reply
Daniel link
11/2/2017 01:56:46 am

The main ingredients of traditional Japanese sushi, raw fish and rice, are naturally low in fat, high in protein, carbohydrates (the rice only), vitamins, and minerals, as are gari and nori.

Reply
Happy Roll Concord link
4/23/2021 01:17:48 am

Choosing a quality sushi spot is also a problem.hope will have more interesting places.

Reply



Leave a Reply.


  • Restaurant
  • Menu
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • Archives