Takumi Sushi Owana

Takumi Sushi Owana (匠 鮨 おわな)

⭐⭐⭐

🍣 Sushi / 📍 Ebisu

📓 Visits: 2 (2024, 2023)

Omakase dinner is JPY 27,500.  On Wednesdays only a nigiri-only lunch is served, priced at JPY 9,680, which is what I went for on both my visits.

With two kinds of rice used, unusual nigiri like nishin and kanpyo, liberal use of condiments and seasonings on the salty side, you can feel the Sushi Sho lineage.  The weak points on my first visit were the chutoro (which lacked fat) and the ikura (which was small in diameter).  I felt there were more faults on a return visit.  The kome-zu rice was a bit dry, though not so for the aka-zu.  The kohada was quite dry and had no fat and had a very sharp flavour.  The nori overwhelmed the flavour of the delicate kawahagi and kimo gunkanmaki.  Slightly better was the iwashi which had degraded a little but the flavour was decent.  Shima ebi was ever so slightly salty.  Tuna was better this time: the chutoro with more flavour though with a lot of sinew.  The anago was outstanding on visit #2: topped with nitsume, which is normally not to my preference, but this nitsume wasn't too sweet.  Uni was not included on either visit.

All the other guests have been from overseas on my visits.  Guests can arrive at slightly different times but there's no problem - everyone is served at their own pace and out in under an hour, which is ideal for me for lunch.  Despite the Pocket Concierge page stating "our staff only speak Japanese", chef Kenji Oana was able to introduce all the sushi in English and even initiate conversation in English.  Oana-san has an assistant chef and another restaurant assistant (who both could also speak English).  They have a picture book on hand to aide explanations.

Takumi Sushi Owana is in the Michelin Guide Tokyo, though it lost its star in the 2024 Guide.  The 2023 Guide stated that the sushi is made by Owana-san's apprentice at lunch but that was not the case on either of my visits and that statement is no longer in The Guide.  This could just be due to a change in apprentice with the new member of staff not quite being ready to make sushi, but that might change again in the future.  I've slightly reduced my score on account of the faults with my last meal, but despite that, I'd highly recommend Takumi Sushi Owana for an introduction to Sho-style sushi that's very relaxed, easy to reserve, good value and where you can converse with the chef in English.

📌 https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1303/A130302/13211921/

❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 3.9

📱 Booking: 🟩 The TableCheck calendar shows availability.  Nigiri-only lunch is served on Wednesdays only.  You should be able to get a seat for lunch or dinner the same week.  If you're resident in Japan you can also book by phone.  Children accepted in the private room.

📍 Location:

4F Timezone Terrace Bldg, 1-17-17 Ebisu.  There are at least three 'Timezone' buildings on the same street.  It's the one opposite Ushigoro Bambina.  4F multi-tenant building.  2 mins from Ebisu station metro Exit 1 or JR West Exit.
Map data ©2023 Google

📅 Visit November 2024

🕛 Wednesday Lunch ¥9,680

🍣 Kinmedai-ni, Yama imo

🍣 Aori ika

🍣 Kisu kobujime, bainiku

🍣 Aji

🍣 Salmon zuke, mustard

🍣 Kohada 

🍣 Iwashi, negi, shoga, oba hana

🍣 Shima ebi, ebi miso

🍣 Akami zuke 

🍣 Toro

🍙 Kawahagi, kimo gunkanmaki 

🍣 Anago

🍙 Tekka 1/2

=13

🍲 Miso soup

🥚 Tamago 

🍣 +Engawa +1430

💴 Damage: 11,110
⏱️ Time taken: 50m

📅 Visit September 2023

🕛 Wednesday Lunch ¥9,680

🥚 Nodoguro chawanmushi

🍣 Kinmedai kobujime (nigiri, shiro)

🍣 Aji (shiro)

🍣 Kuruma ebi (aka)

🍣 Kohada (aka)

🍣 Akami zuke (aka)

🍣 Chutoro (aka)

🍣 Nishin (aka)

🍣 Sawara (shiro)

🍣 Shiro ebi (aka)

🍙 Ikura gunkanmaki

🍙 Kanpyo (shiro)

🍣 Anago (aka)

🍙 Tekka maki ½ (aka)

=13

🥚 Tamago maki

🍲 Miso soup

💴 Damage: 9,860
⏱️ Time taken: 50m