Omakase-style sushi is a major part of the dining scene in Tokyo and Japan as a whole.
Omakase, meaning “I’ll leave it up to you” in Japanese, is a dining experience with no menu to choose from. Instead, you place your trust as a diner in the chef’s experience, skills, and understanding of ingredients to curate the perfect meal for you.
As an ardent enthusiast of Japanese cuisine, I’ve been keen to dabble with omakase-style sushi for some time, eventually hoping to sample some of the top high-end sushi shops in Tokyo.
Unfortunately, since I had planned my September 2022 Japan trip relatively last-minute, there was little hope of getting a hotly-contested reservation at the top establishments.
Instead, I decided to start my omakase journey with a well-respected sushiya where I could manage to secure a reservation on short notice, which led me to Ginza Sushiko Honten.
Ginza Sushiko Honten – About the Restaurant
Ginza Sushiko Honten is one of the oldest sushi restaurants in Tokyo, with over 130 years in business. The sushi shop first opened its doors back in 1885.
The restaurant, tucked away in an unassuming Ginza back-alley, has only 10 seats at their sushi counter. This allows for a very interactive and intimate sushi experience with the chefs as they prepare your food.
The sushi shop has also made its way into the world of television, appearing on Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, in which Bourdain visited the shop alongside the renowned Japanese chef Masa Takayama.
Ginza Sushiko Honten had been labelled as a one Michelin star restaurant in the past; however, it appears to have lost this recognition in 2016.
Ginza Sushiko Honten – Booking
Reservations are recommended at Ginza Sushiko Honten, given its limited seating. You can either make one by calling the restaurant, or in my case, I booked using the concierge service at Conrad Tokyo.
I had asked the concierge for a list of recommended sushi options, given that the most city’s top establishments were all booked for my dates.
After taking notes of my availability, the concierge presented a few options, and I discussed with them the type of experience I was looking for before settling on Ginza Sushiko Honten. Since the hotel had my credit card on file, they went ahead and secured my dinner spot for that very same evening.
Your best bet for most sushi establishments in Tokyo is to book…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Prince of Travel…