I recently returned from a two-week trip to Tokyo, where I ate at 12 fine dining establishments (7 of which were sushiyas), as well as a number of casual spots. The summary of each of these visits can be found at the following link: https://www.reddit.com/r/finedining/s/fu79pmg4dp.
Next to the Meguro river in Nakameguro sits not just an outstanding sushiya, but a shrine to uni. Sushi Takamitsu, and by extension Takamitsu Yasuda, who started his sushi chef training at the age of 16 with Sushikou in southern Meguro, does not adhere to the typical attitude of quiet reverence; sushi as celebration, as a living thing, is in evidence here, with lively conversation encouraged. For the dinner service I attended (on my birthday, no less, but I didn't mention this so received no preferential treatment) Takamitsu-san and his staff nurtured a convivial atmosphere throughout the meal. While the following descriptions are anecdotal, they serve to give a sense of what you might be stepping into when you book at Sushi Takamitsu: A fellow diner, as bald as Takamitsu-san, was jokingly referred to as chef, which Takamitsu-san picked up on and, at the end of the meal, temporarily proffered his headband and got the diner to pose behind the counter. Following this, shots of Yamazaki 18-year whiskey, Clase Azul Reposada Tequila, Clase Azul Limited Edition Día de Muertos 2025 (which was unopened, and a quick Google search after suggests it was around a $2k bottle), and Volcan De Mi Tierra X.A Tequila were lined up and given to each patron, gratis. Sure, this was one of the most expensive meals of my trip, being 67,500 JPY through Tableall, but – given the Tableall markup – it still is within the range of expectation just for the menu. To have these drinks given freely on top was unexpected, and very welcome.
With this air of celebration comes a certain boisterousness, especially when coupled with the seeming predilection for luxury; Sushi Takamitsu is veritably festooned with luxury trappings. LV luggage sits atop the counter, acting as plinths for the excellent ingredients that Takamitsu-san is rightfully proud to show off. The plates are from Hermès while the glassware is Baccarat. All of this can attract a certain crowd, and this was also in evidence during my sitting; talks of Dubai wafted like noxious fumes through the 11-seat restaurant at times, but hey, that's their prerogative. For my part, Takamitsu-san was very happy to talk (largely through a translating member of staff) about his knives, which are truly beautiful blades. I mention this because, if a noisy counter really isn't your thing, then be aware that Sushi Takamitsu does not hold itself in quiet contemplation like many other sushiyas.
Skipping Sushi Takamitsu on this basis though would, at least in my opinion, be a grave mistake. I enjoy a more serene atmosphere while eating sushi, but listening to the occasional innane banter is a small price to pay for food this good. While the drinks suggested that Takamitsu-san may be the Tokyo King of Tequila, he has a greater claim to being the Tokyo King of Uni, a claim that was strengthened earlier this year when Takamitsu-san broke the record for the highest bid placed for uni in the country. Uni appeared six times throughout the meal in varying forms, from uni gunkan towards the end of the meal, to being partnered with fresh ikura that (quite literally) were bursting with flavour, via an uni cocktail adorned with a heap of white truffle. The uni on offer came from Hokkaido (Kita Murasaki and Bafun) and Kyushu (Aka), and although I visited in November and so there is no doubt less variety on offer than in peak season, I was still impressed by the depth of flavour and quality of the uni. In addition to the uni, it is clear that Takamitsu-san is also proud of the tuna cuts that he receives, these being procured from a vendor (Yamayuki) in Toyosu. The great slab of tuna belly that we are to feast from makes a procession of the LV plinths, for guests' picture-taking pleasure, before being transformed into a melt-in-the-mouth nigiri, where the shari is a blend of three different rice grains, and the vinegar is another blend of three: two red and one rice.
There is much more besides over the course of this 3+ hour meal, including a delicate mushroom broth poured from a stoneware teapot, fatty and succulent horse mackerel, clams, white-fleshed fish…the list goes on, as does the evening. Nigiri is interspersed with otsumami throughout, and though uni is never far away, I didn't feel that uni held an unwarranted dominion over proceedings. This is probably owing to the fact that around 24 dishes were served, and so the uni occupied around one-fifth of the airtime.
For a grumpy bastard who likes to be left alone for the most part, I loved my time at Sushi Takamitsu. Out of the seven sushiyas I visited, this was second only to Sawada. Exceptional, eminently flavoursome otsumami and nigiri, with a wonderful array of creamy uni and fatty fish, Sushi Takamitsu is a very, very good time.
by MaaDFoXX
Dining and Cooking