Sushi Kousuke

Sushi Kousuke (鮨 こう介)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

🍣  Sushi / 📍 Shinjuku

📓 Visits: 2 (2022, 2024)

Fujinaga is one of the most exclusive sushi restaurants in Tokyo.  You'll need to to be invited by a member if you ever want to dine there but if that, or the prospect of a bill exceeding JPY 50,000, is out of reach then you can get a flavour of the unique type of sushi served there at Sushi Kousuke which opened in April 2022.  To be clear, you won't see Daisuke Fujinaga behind the counter here and chef Kensuke Abe did not work at Fujinaga but Fujinaga-san apparently helped with the creation of the menu here.

Normally I wait until I've visited somewhere twice before posting but I knew it would be a while before I made it back to Kosuke, and I was so happy with the food first time I made an exception, scoring the restaurant an (at that time) a conservative 4.4.  After nearly two years I returned.  Omakase is still JPY 25,000 but some point they introduced a 10% service charge so the bill was that bit higher second time.

The restaurant seats up to 11.  On visit #1 I was the only diner to begin with and if anything the sushi came a little fast.  Two groups joined after about 45 mins and then things slowed down quite considerably.  Visit #2 was quite different.  I booked by phone on the day and was given a choice of two simultaneous starts, rather than being able to dine at the time of my choice.  On this visit a second chef was also making sushi and I was seated in front of him, along with three other non-Japanese diners.  Japanese diners turned up at various times while I was there and were seated in front of the taisho instead.

Abe-san doesn't speak English but the sushi chef I had could speak English.  So (although I booked in Japanese) it does make sense for them to arrange the seating that way: the course is exactly the same, the neta is cut and the tsumami are prepared by sous chefs and though it might have lacked some elegance in places the second chef didn't ever stumble.  Also Abe-san didn't really talk during this meal so you're not missing out on some illuminating conversation.  So if the sushi was just as good as last time then no problem.  Unfortunately it wasn't.

The kinmedai and anago were excellent.  The kuruma ebi, served rare, very good.  The chutoro and aori ika good.  The katsuo had no taste.  The flavour from the kinki was okay but it had a plasticky texture and was served in lukewarm dashi in a cold bowl.  The signature otoro was a world away from the same item at Fujinaga: lacking in opulence and I felt it was a bit of a cheat to add sukimi.  The sushi 'millefeuille' lacked punch.  You could taste the fact this wasn't the best quality neta.  The biggest problem was that all the sushi was a bit warm.  It was a warm day, the room warm and there was no A/C on.  As I mentioned, all the neta is pre-cut and it sat for extended periods on the counter.  On visit #1 around 24 items were served, 20 on visit #2 and there were far fewer Fujinaga-style signature dishes so a definite drop in value as well.  You were given the option to add extra nigiri to the course (sayori, akagai and akami zuke when I went) this time but with the quality not what it was I didn't want any more.

Finally, although it's welcome to have an English-speaking chef, everyone got the same script: "we hope you enjoy", "Japanese say 'akami'", "the course has finished".  I found it embarrassing.  You might say it's unfair to comment on someone's personality and it's ungracious to lament the lack of English-speaking sushi chefs in Japan (which, actually, I don't) and then complain as soon as you get one but with so many sushi restaurants to choose from in Tokyo it's not just quality of food but service, which (sorry not sorry) includes the chefs appearance, that is often a major factor in whether or not someone returns.

Last time I had basically no criticism of the food.  It took me so long to revisit because Sushi Kousuke remains an easy reservation and it's not exactly cheap, so always low priority.  There are a lot of under-the-radar sushi restaurants in Tokyo but perhaps this restaurant hasn't surfaced for a reason.  This visit would definitely be my last and I can no longer recommend Sushi Kousuke.  If you're looking for Fujinaga-like sushi you'll need to score a seat at the OG or maybe visit Sushi Yoshida in Hiroo (where I haven't yet been).  Probably the most inconsistent experience I've had at the same restaurant.

📌 https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1304/A130401/13268697/

❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 3.7

📱 Booking: 🟩  Easy.  Same day or advance bookings by phone.  Next day or advance bookings via Tabelog.

📍 Location: 

B1F, 3rd Seiko Building, 1-15-8 Nishi-Shinjuku.  B1F multi-tenant building off Sanbangai dori.  2 mins walk West from the South Exit of Shinjuku Station.
Map data ©2022 Google

 📅 Visit May 2024

🐟 Taco; mozoku; cream cheese
🍣 Otoro (170kg, Shiogama)
🍣 Nodoguro kobujime aburi
🐟 'Millefeuille': choux pastry, shari, maguro, amai ebi, ikura, uni, caviar
🐟 Hokkigai, takenoko, katsuoboshi nori dashi
🍣 Aori ika
🍣 Katsuo tamanegi shoyu
🐟 Tachiou sumi-yaki
🍣 Chutoro saku-zuke
🍣 Kohada
🐟 Kinki-ni, yuba, nanohana; chicken, hamaguri, kinki dashi
🍣 Kuruma ebi, ebi miso
🍙 Torutaku caviar gunkanmaki
Hotate chawanmushi
🍙 Bafun uni gunkanmaki
🍣 Anago
Miso soup
Plum sorbet, strawberry, wine jelly

💴 Damage: 28,450 incl. one drink
⏱️ Time taken: 2h

📅 Visit June 2022

Matsumaezuke; kegani; kuragge
Otoro (nigiri)
Nodoguro yakimono (nigiri)
'Millefeuille': choux pastry, shari, maguro, amai ebi, ikura, uni, caviar
Nodoguro yuba tempura, cheese, kaki sauce
Kuruma ebi (nigiri)
Akai ika (nigiri)
Kuromutsu aburi (nigiri)
Hammo shabu shabu
Katsuo tamanegi-jime (nigiri)
Bafun uni (gunkan)
Aji (nigiri)
Amadai, kegani, fuka hire
Torutaku, caviar (nigiri)
Awabi, kimo
Kohada (nigiri)
Chutoro zuke (nigiri)
Hotate, hotaru ika chawanmushi
Sakuramasu warayaki, ika sauce (nigiri)
Anago futomaki
Nodoguro, ebi dashi
Tea
Pink champagne sorbet, peach jelly, peach, mascarpone

💴 Damage: 25,850 incl one drink at 1000 yen
⏱️ Time taken: 1h40m