Sushi Yuuki

Sushi Yuuki (鮨 ゆうき)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

🍣 Sushi / 📍 Hiroo

📓 Visits: 2

What distinguishes Sushi Yuuki from all the other new sushi restaurants in Tokyo?  First, the master.

Sushi Mizutani was a legendary Tokyo sushi restaurant often remembered for being the only other sushi restaurant that debuted with three Michelin Stars in the innaugural 2008 Tokyo Guide.  It should perhaps also be remembered for instituting a "no foreigners" policy, so to many the news of its 2016 closure came (not unfairly) with a shrug, but to many more it's left a hole and a hole that has arguably never been filled.

Yuuki Hayashinouchi trained under master Hachiro Mizutani (who trained under sushi legend Ono Jiro) for seven years until he took over Tokiwazushi in Yokohama from his grandfather in 2015.  In March 2024 he closed shop, moved to Tokyo and opened under his own name.  So while new sushi restaurants continue to open in Tokyo apace, you can count on one hand those opened by a chef as accomplished as this.

Then there's the rice.  It's often said that sushi is more about the rice than the fish but it's probably not said often enough now because eat out at more than a few recently opened sushi restaurants in Tokyo and it's often the rice that will stop you returning rather than anything else.  Rice here, in the Jiro-style, is seasoned with komezu and salt only.  It's very sour, but a different kind of sourness from akazu-only shari.

Next there's the pricing.  If Hayashinouchi-san was following the trend you might be expecting a two-rotation dinner-only omakase of 35k++.  Omakase here is JPY 28,600 and if you come for dinner there's flexibility in when you start.  If you come for lunch (open on Tuesdays, weekends and holidays) you can opt for the nigiri-only lunch at JPY 17,600.  Both my visits were for that.

What else is different?  Microscopic nigiri?  Not here.  Don't need a picture of the tuna?  The chef won't even ask.  Don't want to be sat there for 2 and a half hours?  You won't be.  Want to order extras / repeat anything?  Why, of course.  Reservations other than via Omakase?  Mochiron!  Need to stagger your start time?  No problem.  Nigiri-only lunch?  Yes we can!  Clark Kent shari?  Nope.

So far so good, but how's the sushi?

I rated the akami 7-7.5/10, the chutoro 8/10 and the toro 8.5/10 on visit #2.  i.e., I ate much better in Summer 2024 though I paid a lot more for it.  Kasugodai was overcured on visit #2 but the most disappointing piece was the aji, which was really salty on both visits.  I can only assume that's the chef's intention but I don't know why he serves it like this.  But those are the extent of the faults I could find.  Everything else I loved and for 13 nigiri, tamago and dessert at this price I thought it was good value for money.

Hayashinouchi-san has a (very) few words of English but all the sushi will be introduced in Japanese.  I'd describe his personality as calm, informal but authoritative.  He works quickly and hospitality from his assistant is excellent.  Prices just before Tokiwazushi closed were JPY 13,200 for nigiri-only lunch and JPY 24,200 for omakase.  Other than that I can't tell you how it compares because, much to my regret, I never made it.  Reservations are fairly easy right now.  Hayashinouchi-san has no interest and no need to attract the Instagram crowd so it remains to be seen how popular this restaurant becomes and it's probably going to be a while, if ever, that Sushi Yuuki is as revered as Mizutani or Jiro, and a while, if ever, that (and it's going to be fun to watch) Hayashinouchi-san becomes as grumpy as Jiro-san and Mizutani-san.  But I'd recommend a visit without hesitation.  Lunch here is the best value of all the Jiro-style sushi restaurants and if you've never had that, here is the place to start.  I'll be back.

📌 https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A130703/13294395/ 

❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.3

📱 Booking: 🟩 Via Omakase with a Japanese phone number or more seats by phone in Japanese.  Diners without a domestic phone number are asked to make reservations via hotel concierge.  Getting through can be difficult.  Try from 3pm.

📍 Location: 

5-17-4 Hiroo.  2 mins west from Hiroo Station Exit 1 or Exit 2.  Just off the Hiroo shotengai, under Yakiniku HACHIHACHI.
Map data ©2024 Google

📅 Visit June 2024

🕛 Lunch

Mizu nasu
Makogarei
Isaki
Kasugodai kobujime
Kinmedai
Akami
Chutoro
Hokkigai aburi
Otoro hagashi
Kohada
Aji
Kuruma ebi
Murusaki uni gunkanmaki
Owan
Anago
Tamago dashi maki x1, shiba ebi x1
Ice-cream

💴 Damage: 17,600 incl. water
⏱️ Time taken: 1h20m

📅 Visit April 2024

🕛 Lunch

Hirame
Kasugodai kobujime
Aori ika
Kinmedai
Akagai
Akami
Chutoro
Masu
Kohada
Kuruma ebi
Aji
Bafun uni gunkanmaki
Anago
Tamago dashi maki x1, shiba ebi x1
+Kohada
+Shime saba
Akadashi
Ice-cream

💴 Damage: 20,200 incl. water
⏱️ Time taken: ~1h15m