Sushi Saito

Sushi Saito (鮨 さいとう)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

🍣  Sushi / 📍 Roppongi 1-chome

📓 Visits: 19+ 2013-2024

The world doesn't really need another review waxing lyrical about Sushi Saito.  The sushi boom has created much more competition at the top and inflated prices.  Is Saito still ahead of the pack or lost among the competition?

Saito held 3 Michelin Stars from 2010 to 2019 and was the number-one rated sushi restaurant on Tabelog for years until Sugita (review here) took that place in 2019.  Saito was also known for being one of the more friendly top sushi chefs and for having very good value.  Courses at the other 3-star and top-rated sushi restaurants typically started at JPY 20,000.  At Sushi Saito you could have a 15-piece lunch at JPY 10,000 or even a 10-piece lunch at 5K.

From 2024 the 15-piece nigiri-only lunch at Saito is now JPY 16,500. The last time I had Omakase with tsumami was in 2023 and it was JPY 39,600 then.  So there's been no escape from price inflation here but prices have not increased as quickly as elsewhere so while omakase is no longer cheaper than every other Tabelog Gold/3-star place there's nowhere in Tokyo at this level with a cheaper dinner or lunch, the lunch a particular steal.  Lunch always includes akami zuke, chutoro, otoro (all fat pieces) and uni but the best pieces for me are the buri, sawara, ikura, anago, kuruma ebi, futo-maki and tamago.

In a top-level sushi restaurant there's going to be very little or nothing to fault so whether or not X is the best restaurant often comes down to your preferences on what type of neta you like, whether or not you like aged sushi, how you like your rice, whether or not you can place additional orders, the pace of the meal and the atmosphere in restaurant.  Sushi Saito is the benchmark sushi restaurant in Tokyo.  If I ever eat anywhere else and pay the same price it needs to be as good.  If I'm paying more then it needs to be better and that's going to be a stretch and the main reason why when I see new sushi restaurants in Tokyo opening up and charging 30K (or the best part thereof) on day one I'm unlikely to be visiting or if I do, I'm likely to be very critical.

📌 https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1308/A130802/13015251/

❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.9 (value: 5.0)

 📱 Booking: ⬛ In 2019 Saito stopped taking reservations from first-timers (and was delisted from Michelin).

📍 Location: Ark Hills

📅 Visit January 2024

Karei kobujime, Buri zuke, Kohada, Akami zuke, Chutoro, Otoro, Sumi ika, Kuruma ebi, Engawa, Sabazushi norimaki, Ni-hama, Bafun uni, Anago, Owan, Futomaki, Tamago

💴 Damage: 16,500 incl water
⏱️ Time taken: 1h25m

📅 Visit November 2023

Karei, Buri, Sanma, Akami zuke, Chutoro, Otoro, Sumi ika, Kuruma ebi, Katsuo, Shako, Aji, Uni, Anago, Tamago, Futomaki, Owan, +Sanma

💴 Damage: 17,600 incl water
⏱️ Time taken: 1h

📅 Visit July 2023

Karei, Ara, Shima aji zuke, Kohada, Akami zuke, Chutoro, Otoro, Aori ika, Kuruma ebi, Shiro ebi, Kegani, Aji, Bafun uni, Owan, Anago, Futomaki, Tamago

💴 Damage: 15,400 incl water
⏱️ Time taken: 1h40m

📅 Visit April 2023

Shiro ebi
Madai taiko
Hotaru ika, karasumi
Katsuo
Tairagai norimaki
Taco
Nodoguro shioyaki

Tai kobujime
Sakuramasu
Kohada
Akami zuke
Chutoro
Otoro
Aori ika
Kuruma ebi
Aji
Hamaguri
Bafun uni
Anago
Inari sushi
Tamago
Miso soup

💴 Damage: 39,600
⏱️ Time taken: 2h10m

📅 Visit October 2022

Karei, Sawara, Kohada, Akami zuke, Chutoro, Otoro, Sumi ika, Sanma zushi, Kuruma ebi, Kegani, Sanma, Ishigaki kai, Ikura donburi, Murasaki uni, Anago, Owan, Noten taku temaki, Tamago

💴 Damage: 15,400 incl water
⏱️ Time taken: 1h

📅 Visit May 2022

Karei, Engawa, Aori ika, Akami zuke, Chutoro, Otoro, Torigai, Kuruma ebi, Katsuo, Shiro ebi, Hamaguri, Uni, Anago, Owan, Futomaki, Tamago

💴 Damage: 14,300 incl water
⏱️ Time taken: 1h

📅 Visit February 2022

Hirame, Engawa, Buri, Sayori shiso, Kohada, Akami zuke, Chutoro, Otoro, Sumi ika, Kuruma ebi, Meiji maguro, Sabazushi, Kegani, Uni, Miso soup, Anago, Futomaki, Tamago

💴 Damage: 14,300 incl water
⏱️ Time taken: 1h

📅 Visit December 2021

Shima aji, Buri zuke, Kohada, Akami zuke, Chutoro, Otoro, Sumi ika, Kuruma ebi, Katsuo, Ikura donburi, Uni, Sabazushi, Anago, Owan, Futomaki, Tamago

💴 Damage: 14,300 incl water
⏱️ Time taken: 1h45m

📅 Visit September 2021

Ikura
Uni x2
Mushi awabi
Awabi kimosu
Katsuo warayaki
Kegani
Anago shirayaki
Hirame kobujime (nigiri)
Buri
Kohada
Akami zuke
Chutoro
Otoro
Sumi ika
Kuruma ebi
Aji
Ishigaki
Owan
Anago 
Futomaki
Tamago

💴 Damage: 33,000 incl water
⏱️ Time taken: 1h45m

📅 Visit October 2020

Buri, Sawara, Kohada, Akami, Chutoro, Otoro, Sumi ika, Sabazushi, Kuruma ebi, Ikura, Uni, Anago x2, Futomaki, Tamago

💴 Damage: 13,200 incl water
⏱️ Time taken: 50m