Sushi Matsuura

Sushi Matsuura (鮨 まつうら)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

🍣 Sushi / 📍 Shirokane

📓 Visits: 3 (2021-2022)

The story behind Sushi Matsuura is written up on Pocket Concierge if you'd like to read about Osamu Matsuura's background.  Matsuura-san uses a very wide range of neta including some rare items like, yaitohata, keiji and tokishirazu, when available.  Over my 3 visits the only faults I observed with the neta would be with fugu shirako that had very little flavour; uni that either wasn't particularly good or was very small; kuruma ebi that is very sweet but doesn't have much lingering flavour.  Matsuura-san sources his maguro from the North Atlantic, usually Boston.  (At this pricing) It would be unreasonable to expect the tuna to be at the same level as the top sushi restaurants but I have no complaints about it and I've eaten much poorer, domestic, tuna in restaurants charging twice as much.  On two of my visits ankimo was from Yoichi.  Matsuura-san makes his ankimo into a paste and serves it as a makimono.  So while you don't get a huge amount, it's a lot better than eating a tiny/poorly-prepared tsumami.  This approach allows Matsuura-san to keep costs down and with his skill and excellent rice (very firm, fat kernels, moderately sour) a lot of the sushi here is as good as you'll eat anywhere else.  Temperate control of the nigiri is fine.  Three of the tsumami across my 3 visits have been a little cold.  Some of the tsumami contain rice and with 7-8 tsumami in total and 11-12 nigiri it's a lot of food.  You can order additional items after the course if you wish but I've always been super full.

My first two meals were 2 hours or under.  Matsuura-san works very quickly and with a staggered start the meal moves on at a good pace.  But my third meal took 2.5 hours.  All 9 seats were occupied by 5pm and as Matsuura-san handles all the sushi the meal took that much longer.  There are two, attentive, waitresses who also look after some cooked items.  In spite of those stints in LA and Hawaii, Matsuura-san has forgotten his English but (if you can speak Japanese) he's highly engaging and smiles the whole time.  The room was a little cold in winter.

Despite not being particularly high-profile, you needed to wait up to 3 months for a seat at Sushi Matsuura before it was listed.  Following the award of a Michelin Star in the 2022 Tokyo Guide you might have to wait up to 5 months now but you can book any time: no monthly virtual stampede and no scalping if you need to change the date / cancel.  While Michelin is not the best guide to sushi restaurants in Japan, it is an indicator of some level of quality.  Omakase is just JPY 16,500 inclusive making Sushi Matsuura the cheapest sushi restaurant in The Guide at dinner.  You'd normally expect to pay at least 26K for a full dinner course at a high-ranking sushi restaurant.

Overall there's very little to fault at Sushi Matsuura.  Along with Sushidokoro Yamato and Sushi Nishizaki this is probably the best value sushi dinner in Tokyo right now.

📌 https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1316/A131602/13239788/

❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.55

📱 Booking: 🟧  Bookings are taken by phone at any time.  You need to book 3-5 months ahead.  Cancellations are occasionally released on Pocket Concierge but not general reservations.  Notifications about cancellations are also posted to Google and Instagram.  You can book your next visit after your meal.

📍 Location:

5-7-8 Shirokane.  Dedicated street-facing entrance.  8 mins walk West from Shirokane-Tanakawa station Exit 3.  Buses are not convenient so take a taxi if it's too hot or wet.

Map data ©2021 Google

📅 Visit January 2022

Maguro shio temaki
Taco
Yaitohata
Meiji maguro
Shirao
Ankimo kanpyo-maki, nihonshu pairing
Shiro amadai simmered
Fugu shirako
Kawahagi, kimo (nigiri)
Sumi ika
Masunosuke
Shime saba
Nodoguro aburi
Tairagai
Kuruma ebi
Kohada
Chutoro
Otoro
Bafun uni
Anago
Owan
Tamago
Caramel ice, nihonshu pairing

💴 Damage: 16,800 incl. water
⏱️ Time taken: 2h30m

📅 Visit October 2021

Negi toro temaki
Taco
Kamasu yakimono
Shirako
Ankimo kanpyo-maki, nihonshu pairing
Hagi
Shirao yakimono
Nodoguro gohan
Kasugo (nigiri)
Buri
Shiro ika
Shime saba
Kohada
Keiji
Kuruma ebi
Akami zuke
Chutoro
Uni
Anago
Tamago
Owan
Caramel ice, nihonshu pairing

💴 Damage: 17,490 incl. water and 1 drink
⏱️ Time taken: 2h

📅 Visit July 2021

Maguro noten gunkan-maki
Taco
Minke kujira
Ankimo kanpyo-maki, nihonshu pairing
Mushi awabi
Managatsuo yakimino
Kinki simmered
Aji (nigiri)
Shiro ika
Nodoguro donburi
Shima aji
Tokishirazu
Meichidai
Kuruma ebi
Kegani donburi
Akami zuke
Toro
Kohada
Uni
Owan
Tamago-yaki
Butterscotch ice, nihonshu pairing

💴 Damage: 17,490 incl. water and 1 drink
⏱️ Time taken: 1h50m