Sushi Saito

Sushi Saito (鮨 さいとう)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

🍣  Sushi / 📍 Roppongi 1-chome

📓 Visits: 21+ 2013-2024

Is this the best sushi restaurant in the world?

Sushi Saito held 3 Michelin Stars from 2010 to 2019 and was the number-one rated sushi restaurant on Tabelog for years.  Sugita (review here) took that place in 2019.  (Co?)incidentally, that was the year Saito-san stopped taking reservations from first timers.

Certainly, Takashi Saito has unparalleled business success out of the top sushi chefs.  A second counter that's produced sushi alumni such as Sushi Shunji and 69 Leonard Street, a second and third restaurant in Nakameguro.  International branches in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and Korea.  And most recently a rollout (and it is a rollout) of restaurants bearing the "Sushi Saito" name in Japan.  First Azabudai Hills with restaurants in the Trunk Hotel Sapporo, Dogenzaka and Kobe to follow over the next few years.

Saito was 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.  In 2024 the 15-piece nigiri-only lunch at Saito is now JPY 17,600.  Omakase with tsumami increased in price from JPY 39,000 in 2023 to JPY 49,000 in 2024.  So, unfortunately, omakase at Sushi Saito is no longer the bargain it was.

Sushi Saito is the most consistent of all the top sushi restaurants I've been to.  Anytime I go anywhere else it's Saito I use for reference.  More often that not, everything is flawless and I can count on one hand the number of average pieces of sushi I've had here in 21+ meals.  The taco, buri, ikura, futomaki, sanma and tamago are still better than anywhere else in Tokyo.  Namba-san's awabi is now better than Saito-san's but he doesn't always have it, whereas Saito-san usually does.

If you had to level some criticisms they would be (1) there's maybe nothing that will make your jaw drop like there is at Sugita, Namba or Arai. (2) there's perhaps been a deterioration in service over the years.  While Saito-san is never rude, and each item of sushi will be properly and enthusiastically be named, he only engages with his friends.  Although he'll see you off, once the last nigiri in the sequence has been served, Saito-san will disappear and you now won't be able to order anything else.  (3) It was 8-9 seats before but now it's 10.  No, Saito-san hasn't magically extended his counter he's squeezed the space.  Given all the above, the omakase feels a bit expensive now compared with the other top places and the experience a little commoditized (you being the commodity).

The 15-piece nigiri-only lunch, on the other hand, is now unbeatable.  The lunch includes three cuts of tuna, the same quality as you'd get with the omakase, and a quality uni.  Sawada's nigiri-only lunch is now 42k (though in fairness comprises more pieces), Namba stopped his years ago, as did Sugita-san and Arai-san does it irregularly now and charges a lot more.  Also, if anything, the sushi at Sushi Saito has improved since it became members-only.  Saito-san started using a slightly wider range of neta, making meals more interesting.  But since then the evolution has stopped.

So is this the best sushi restaurant in the world?  Most people would now say that Sugita is "better" than Saito now.  Everything you can eat at Sushi Saito you can eat at Sugita, plus more.  Sushi Arai has caught up with Sushi Saito and is a much better restaurant since Arai-san moved upstairs in 2021.  Sushi Obana (not in Tokyo) is probably "better" than Sushi Saito, and definitely better value.  As I've said before, a lot of it comes down to personal preference.  Mine is Hatsunezushi, but I'm an outlier.  You might not have heard of Sushi Ikko but many people I know who have been say it's the best.  Now it's moved from Hokkaido to Tokyo you'll be hearing a lot more about it in the coming years.

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

❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.89

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

📍 Location: Ark Hills

📅 Visit August 2024

Karei, Shima aji, Akami zuke, Chutoro, Otoro, Kohada, Aori ika, Engawa, Kuruma ebi, Katsuo, Kegani, Aji, Hamaguri, Murasaki uni gunkanmaki, Anago, Owan, Futomaki, Tamago

💴 Damage: 17,600 incl water
⏱️ Time taken: 1h5m

 📅 Visit April 2024

🐟 Tainoko
🐟 Hotaru ika
🐟 Tairagai isobeyaki
🐟 Komochi no shako
🐟 Komochi no yari ika
🐟 Nodoguro shirayaki
🍣 Karei kobujime
🍣 Kuromutsu
🍣 Kohada
🍣 Akami zuke
🍣 Chutoro
🍣 Otoro
🍣 Akai ika
🍣 Ebi
🍣 Takabe
🍣 Torigai
🍣 Murasaki Uni
🍣 Anago
🍲 Miso soup
🍣 Futomaki
🥚 Tamago

💴 Damage: 49,000 incl water
⏱️ Time taken: 1h45m

📅 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