I made a same-day phone reservation. I was skeptical because the rating on Tabelog was only 3, but it turned out to be the best sushi I've ever had in my 27 years of life. The ikura sourced by the owner's brother and the otoro from Oma tuna were on a whole different level of deliciousness. I felt regret for not knowing anything beyond the word "delicious". The owner mentioned being busy with family matters, but they plan to liven things up starting this September. I don't feel like eating sushi anywhere else now, so I plan to come back every month. [Personal notes] Price: Around 13,000 yen per person Menu (the chef gave me extra nigiri): - Fresh vegetable appetizer - Botan shrimp - Spear squid - Red clam mantle - Red clam - Tsubugai - Kohada - Ayu - Shime saba - Aji (huge) - Anago (incredibly fluffy) - Ikura - Tai (melts in your mouth) - Chutoro - Otoro (absolutely amazing) Sake: - Yuukyu: Sharp and dry. No lingering aftertaste, just like a well-honed Japanese sword. Just wanted to say that. - Hiyaroshi: Much smoother than Yuukyu. Has a roasted tea-like nuance with a slightly fruity aroma reminiscent of muscat grapes. It went really well with the sea bream. I could talk about the sushi experience all day, I can't wait to go back soon!

The eldest son got a job offer, so we decided to have a meal together. Surprisingly, when asked what he wanted to eat, he said "fish." Since he is busy with research, writing papers, and attending conferences, we had to make a last-minute reservation. I wanted to go to a sushi restaurant, but couldn't get a reservation at the place I had in mind. So I called another place and was able to easily make a reservation for the next day. This was because a reviewer I trust had reviewed this place. The restaurant is located about a 5-6 minute walk from Shimokitazawa Station, near the famous Seitoku High School known for its women's volleyball team. When we arrived at the restaurant, it had the atmosphere of a small sushi restaurant from the Showa era. The interior was surprisingly small. There were only 3 seats at the counter and a large stump-like table. I ordered a beer while waiting for my son, who was running late. They only had bottled beer, which added to the nostalgic Showa vibe. The appetizers were served, including olive oil-marinated sea urchin and octopus eggs, which was quite unique. My son arrived and ordered a beer, while I received a bottle of Nagano Inokashira Junmai sake, named after the location of the restaurant. We decided to leave the sushi selection to the chef. The sashimi platter included crab from Miyazaki, sea bream head from Sajima, octopus from Hokkaido, and silver-stripe round herring. The quality was decent, although some of the fish seemed to have been left out for too long. We then had various sushi pieces, including tiger prawn, firefly squid, sea bream, bonito, sea urchin, soybeans, and more. The chef used all-natural ingredients from well-known regions, which was quite impressive. We also tried grilled squid as a side dish. The chef, who is the third generation owner, seemed passionate about his work, and the sushi had some unique touches. Overall, the experience was good, but the rice could have been firmer. The bill came out to a little over one bottle of sake per person, which was reasonable. We left with some sushi for my younger son and headed home.

I was surprised that they are still operating with the same pricing as 6 years ago! You can choose 10 pieces of your favorite sushi for 4,000 yen per person (excluding tax). The restaurant is small and not exactly tidy, but the quality of the sushi served is superb. The shells are opened, peeled, and crushed right there. The red clam was amazing, and the rock oysters were delicious. The tuna and sardines were also of good quality. The atmosphere is relaxed, and the elderly proprietress even opens beer bottles for you. This is not a fancy sushi restaurant with a stunning wooden counter, but rather a regular neighborhood sushi place. The regular customers are locals and people living along the Odakyu and Inokashira lines. The third-generation owner, Hiroshi, does a great job. If you're looking for a laid-back atmosphere and good sushi, this is the place for you.

They carefully select natural ingredients and provide excellent dishes. Whether it's for a boss, business partner, lovely lady, or family gathering, making a reservation guarantees a satisfying experience. This is a top-notch restaurant with excellent value for money.

Shimokitazawa Ichiban-gai shopping street is located deep in the back, not far from Naritoku High School. The current owner is said to be the third generation, so it's a long-standing establishment. What surprises at this restaurant is the affordability. Even at night, the evening drink set is only 1200 yen, and a regular sushi set is 1000 yen, which is a bargain. We ordered the evening drink set, which comes with 6 pieces of sushi. Despite our low expectations, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the tuna, salmon, sardine, whelk, tamagoyaki (and one more item that we forgot). It was quite good, similar to a regular sushi restaurant rather than conveyor belt sushi. This may be possible due to lower rent costs. The service from the owner and his mother was warm and welcoming, with a charming old-town atmosphere. We also tried the marinated child-carrying sweetfish, which was a bit too avant-garde but paired well with drinks. The owner seems to be a salsa dancer, giving the restaurant a mix of Japanese and Latin vibes. The cost-performance and service were excellent, but the quality of drinks and such was average. The restroom is located outside, which may bother some people, but overall, I would like to revisit for a fun drinking experience rather than just sushi.

I always wanted to go because it was close by, but I never heard any rumors from the original residents of Shimokitazawa and hesitated to go because the storefront was bizarre. However, I'm glad I went. I went with the president on a Sunday afternoon. There was a photo of Mutsgorou and a crab at the storefront, with a sign that read "Katsuo Don 500 yen." It was still just past 11 o'clock, so we were the only two in the store. The chef seemed a little surprised, but greeted us warmly. When asked about the menu, I chose the 2000 yen course without hesitation. The chef served dried Mutsgorou, clear soup, and beer as an appetizer until the sushi was ready. It was delightful. Although the rice was a bit warm, the fish was fresh and delicious! You could tell the chef was experimenting with the cutting and molding. The fish knowledge was abundant and enjoyable to listen to. I forgot to take a picture, but the delicious and non-fishy fish head soup, pumpkin and daikon simmered dish, large octopus, sweet sea urchin, and large sweet shrimp were served. If all this is for 2000 yen, I'm completely satisfied. The parents were sick and had to close the store for three years, which led to a decrease in customers. The bizarre storefront made sense when I found out that the chef also teaches salsa classes and had sushi menus stuck to the salsa sign. I love well-established restaurants, so I'd like to go back at night and take my time.

The system is 4200 yen for 10 pieces of sushi. You can choose any sushi from the menu, which includes about 40 varieties. It can be quite difficult to decide when you have to choose 10 pieces from so many options. If the price is the same for everything, I would naturally choose the more expensive ones. The first thing that caught my eye was the oysters. I decided to go with 10 pieces of oysters without hesitation. Then, I had to choose 9 more pieces from the remaining options. I decided on flounder, giant clam, ark shell, fatty tuna, sea urchin, red sea bream, surf clam, mackerel, and Spanish mackerel. The sushi chef started making the sushi with small rice portions and just the right amount of vinegar. The quality of the ingredients varied, with some being exceptional like the oysters and red sea bream. The meal ended up costing 5250 yen, and I also received some complimentary pieces of sushi and side dishes. Overall, the experience was satisfying, but the quality of the sushi depended on the choices made.

Tachibana Sushi is a sushi restaurant frequented by politicians, cultural figures, and university professors, which is quite unusual. They offer a system where you can choose 10 pieces of sushi from a selection of 35 types of fish for 4200 yen. The menu includes various types of fish such as true horse mackerel (from Nagasaki), red meat (from Iki Kachimoto), medium fatty tuna, mackerel (from Oita Bungo), yellowtail (from Toyama Himi), live abalone (from Sanriku), young sweetfish (from Wakayama), shrimp (from Okinawa), sea urchin (from Hokkaido), and live clam (from Hokkaido). The meal also includes a side dish of grilled tuna and soup. The live clam was particularly impressive, being monstrously large and still alive. The Himi yellowtail is a branded fish, the fatty Bungo mackerel is rich, and the sweetfish sushi is something I've never seen before. The quality of the ingredients is top-notch, reflecting the owner's dedication to pursuing genuine flavors. The restaurant may lack ambiance and charm, but it offers a high level of satisfaction for your stomach compared to dining in Ginza. It is a surprisingly affordable and remarkable sushi restaurant in the city.

I love this restaurant because it serves my favorite, which is shellfish. I visit regularly and each time, I choose ten pieces from a list to be freshly made. This time, I'll share what I usually order. - Akagai (ark shell): Served a bit smaller than usual, but still delicious. It's from Miyagi prefecture. - Tsubugai (whelk): Huge and overflowing with flavor from Hokkaido. - Hotate (scallop): Fresh from Hokkaido, sweet and perfectly prepared. - Namadako (raw octopus): Thick and tender, a recent favorite of mine. - Maguro (tuna): I usually go for Chutoro, but today the Otoro next to me stole the show. - Anago (sea eel): Sweet and delicious, even though I didn't order it. - Akauni (sea urchin): Spicy and flavorful from Hokkaido. In addition to the sushi, we also enjoyed grilled items, soup, and drinks for just a little over 10,000 yen for two people. They will soon decorate the restaurant with cherry blossoms, so I can't wait to visit again for a beautiful sushi experience.

I visited this long-established sushi restaurant without knowing that it has been in business for 80 years. The atmosphere was not as formal as a high-end restaurant, but rather had a calm and pleasant vibe of a local neighborhood. The third-generation owner, Hirokazu Gotou, also known as "Ko-chan," used to be a high school baseball player but rebelled against his parents for a while and pursued dancing, now running a salsa studio under the name of "Hiro." However, his main profession is still a sushi chef. His sushi-making technique is solid and not flashy, with a good balance of rice and toppings. He doesn't act pretentious and is happy to accommodate requests for extra rice. I ordered the omakase (chef's choice) without looking at the menu, and was served a variety of fresh and natural ingredients sourced from Tsukiji Market. The sushi rice, made with Niigata's Koshihikari rice, was lightly seasoned and soft, making it easy for even non-locals to enjoy. The sake, particularly a clean and elegant one from Niigata, paired well with the sushi. The unique aspect of this restaurant is that customers can choose their own selection of 10 pieces or leave it up to the chef, with the price remaining the same. I opted for omakase, and was pleasantly surprised by the assortment of dishes including live ark shell, giant red clam, young sweetfish, bonito, smelt (melts in your mouth), surmullet roe (also giant), live octopus, sea urchin, simmered gurnard (rare and slightly small), and lean tuna (surprisingly not fatty). In between, a clear soup was served. The chef seemed to anticipate my additional requests, serving me mackerel, conger eel (noteworthy for its size and tenderness), tamago (two types including one mixed with shrimp and Japanese yam), and kampyo roll, following the classic Edo-style sushi course. The sushi counter was adorned with Andean rock salt resembling rose quartz, which the restaurant claims to be the originator of using salt in sushi. The chef's interaction with customers enhances the dining experience, and I look forward to returning to learn more about the restaurant's history and enjoy more of the chef's creations.

I was intrigued by the fact that 10 pieces cost 4200 yen, but since I was out of work at the time and on a budget, I opted for a regular lunch sushi set. The interior of the restaurant seemed a bit messy, almost like they were still getting ready. I sat at the counter and noticed a lot of clutter around, which made me wonder if that was the aesthetic they were going for. The sushi was served all at once and tasted delicious, with a beautiful presentation. Being on a budget and not having sushi in a while, I felt like I had a really tasty meal in Shimokitazawa! I was curious about the 10 pieces for 4200 yen, so I looked at the menu and saw that each item listed the place of origin and they all looked delicious. The chef even recommended trying them all if possible. I definitely want to come back and try it next time. When asked by a female friend in the neighborhood about my impression, I casually mentioned that taste is important, but women also care about the ambiance of the restaurant. However, overall, the food was really good! 😄