驢馬人
"Sushi Sugahisa" @ Toranomon Hills (☆彡)
The unique sushi from "Sushi Sugahisa," which was previously available only at events in Mizonokuchi, has now made its debut at Toranomon Hills! The fusion of spicy Thai cuisine and sushi is truly impressive. The chef, hailing from the Thai dish "Im Yum," offers an entirely new sushi experience that is now accessible to those who haven’t tasted it before.
Address: 2-7 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Toranomon Hills Station Tower 4F
Phone: None
Closed: Mondays
Hours: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM (Weekends: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM) / 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM / 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM
The entrance to "Sushi Sugahisa" is through a blue door in the back left of the blue wall labeled "Sushi Onikai x2." The door has a wooden sign next to it. It's a push door, so you just need to push to enter. Inside, the walls are red with geometric patterns, and you are greeted by a sushi counter right after a short corridor. The wall-side features glass up to the high ceiling, offering a view of Tokyo Tower.
On the night of February 23, 2024, I visited at 5:30 PM after reserving through TableCheck. The automated door of "Onikai x2" doesn’t open early, so I waited until just before my reservation to enter.
I opted for the "Thai Cuisine x Sushi Omakase Course" priced at 23,000 yen. I started with cold roasted green tea. The strong aroma of spices being cooked in front of me was quite noticeable, but it was soon overshadowed by the scent of perfume from a woman who entered later. Thankfully, that settled down after a bit.
The first dish was fresh oysters topped with a kiwi and coconut milk mint paste. The back had another paste made with kiwi, coconut milk, cilantro, and fish sauce. The sharp acidity I anticipated from the aroma was subdued. The strong flavor of the oysters held up well against the spices.
Next was tender braised abalone, coated in a rich green sauce made from oyster sauce, a herb called kachai, and a red curry liver sauce. After enjoying the abalone, they added red vinegar sushi rice into the leftover sauce. The firm sushi rice surprisingly masked the vinegar’s acidity, blending harmoniously as a curry.
Then came mackerel marinated in vinegared rice paper rolls, rolled with daikon, carrot, and shiso. As usual, this was delicious! It seemed to lack white sesame, but maybe it was intentionally omitted.
The octopus, simmered in a mixture of sugar, fish sauce, and cardamom, was served in chunks. I felt it could have used a bit more salt. The chef’s knife had a design inspired by Thai cuisine. The black cutting board was a modern resin material, making it easy to clean and manage.
Next up was a custard made with fugu (pufferfish) milt, served in a lid-covered dish. Opening the lid revealed a wonderful aroma. It was topped with green curry, and it was incredibly tasty—hot, creamy, and well-balanced. I would love to have this again.
The sweet shrimp marinated in Shaoxing wine was exceptional, soaked in a sauce made from Thai seasonings, Shaoxing wine, and kaffir lime leaves. The fresh shrimp had an intense ethnic aroma, making it delicious.
We then transitioned to nigiri sushi starting with pickled ginger, a mix of ginger and green papaya pickled in sweet vinegar and lime, sprinkled with dill. The crunchy texture was wonderful.
The first nigiri was sea bream, topped with fish sauce, lime, cilantro, mint, and garlic paste. The mint was a refreshing innovation. The red vinegar sushi rice was quite firm and sticky.
Next was Skipjack tuna from Katsuura, topped with a paste of mango and green chili. The natural sweetness of the mango was complemented by the spicy kick that followed. The Skipjack tuna itself was light in flavor.
Then I enjoyed warm jasmine tea served in a lightweight wooden cup, which was stylish. The Japanese squid was cut thin and sweetened, drizzled with a cream-colored sauce made from duck salted egg yolks, shallots, and garlic mixed into a mayonnaise-like sauce. I couldn’t quite identify the taste here!
As for the red tuna, it was brushed with an intensely fragrant cumin-infused sauce. The red tuna itself felt a bit lacking, possibly due to sourcing issues, as I felt the same during previous visits when it was located in Mizonokuchi.
The yellowtail nigiri was topped with a paste made from basil mixed with the yolk of a preserved egg marinated in fish sauce. This was intriguing! For my liking, it could have used a bit more salt in the paste.
Medium fatty tuna was complemented by a refreshing mint leaf, with a crunchy texture to the sushi rice. I still found the tuna a bit underwhelming.
Inspired by the Thai dish "larb," a salad of minced meat and mint, they topped negitoro (minced fatty tuna) with fish sauce and served it with crunchy fried rice called "khao khua" alongside Thai pepper. This was an experience unlike sushi from other restaurants.
The sweet shrimp was served freshly steamed and peeled. The taste was a mouthful of tom yum goong, filled with spicy shrimp, coconut milk, and aromatic tom yum paste.
Then there was sea urchin, beautifully served in a container labeled "Sugano’s fresh sea urchin." However, this was actually a faux sea urchin made from massaman curry steamed with egg to resemble urchin and tasted more like coconut milk curry.
Afterward, real fresh sea urchin was served on sushi rice, then topped with a soup of coconut milk and fish sauce, finished with a squeeze of lime. This tom kha gai was delicious!
The final dish was anago (conger eel), which was delectably tender against firmer sushi rice. The sauce included cinnamon.
Their signature dish, Thai-style inari sushi, was triangular in shape and fragrant with cilantro. The soup served alongside was spicy tom yum ramen, made with fish and shrimp broth, aromatic with fish sauce and lime. The thin noodles from Nagi’s noodle shop were flavorful, offering a delightful wheat taste!
For a palate cleanser, I was served tea, followed by a white omelet made from egg whites and coconut milk, with a hint of sweetness.
This course was an excellent tribute to Thai cuisine, showcasing a unique culinary experience that I hope many can enjoy, including international visitors. I believe the dish would become even more delicious with improved salt balance and better quality tuna sourcing. Ultimately, flavor is paramount, and particularly balance is critical—a sentiment echoed by Chef Sato of "Artisan" as I savored my meal.
The bill came to 24,000 yen, and please note that cash is not accepted—this is the rule across all stores in Toranomon Hills.