Sushi Suzuki, Tokyo

14.5/20

8.5 | 2 | 2.5 | 1.5

Thumbs up

One of the best sushi quality to ease of reservation and location ratios
Some best in class sushi pieces (noted below)
Particularly recommended for those who are at the start of their sushi journey as you well get all the classic nigiris

Thumbs down

Dinner is relatively poor value for money
Sushi is orthodox so you won’t find anything here that you can’t get elsewhere

Recommended dish(es)

Sabazushi
Kujira
Sayori
Shellfish

Sushi restaurants all fall somewhere on the matrix of quality, ease of reservation and location. The very best sushiyas like Amamoto, Arai and Sugita are obviously at the top end of the quality scale but are virtually impossible to book unless you are a regular or are good friends with one. Then you have great sushiyas that are *relatively* easy to book like Obana, Mekumi and Inomata but they are far.

While many new foodies, and even some experienced ones, just blindly seek out sushi experiences that max out the quality attribute, I think another important type of sushiya to look for are the outliers on that sushi matrix – sushiyas that are great but still disproportionally easy to reserve and conveniently located.

These outliers are usually the up and coming chefs or less known sushiyas that will soon become harder to reserve. One of the most obvious outliers and the sushiya that has possibly the best quality to ease of reservation and location ratios is Sushi Suzuki.

Chef Suzuki-san

While it’s not a new restaurant, having opened in June of 2015, it is one of the sushiyas has stayed under the radar, potentially because it opened around the same time as popular Sushi Arai and is in the same suburb as the enduring Sawada. Don’t let this deter you though, chef Takao Suzuki-san trained for 12 years at the famous Sushi Aoki and has legendary sushi chefs as fans, such as Hachiro Mizutani (Sushi Mizutani) and coincidentally also Yuichi Arai (Sushi Arai), who often make private visits.

Sabazushi

While the seafood selection itself is orthodox, which means you won’t find any particular unique seafood, Suzuki-san does incorporate several modern techniques to elevate his sushi. Such techniques include using some akazu (red vinegar) to pickle the kohada and using shiroita kombu (white core of yellow kelp) in his sabazushi – the latter of which results in the second best sabazushis I’ve ever had, even better than the specialised places that have been making it for centuries.

The holy trinity of maguro nigiri is included and there is even a generous maguro temaki to conclude the course, making the meal every bit as satisfying as some of the best in Tokyo without the fuss before or during the meal. Come to Sushi Suzuki for one of the best quality to ease of reservation and location ratios. Stay for the quality. Period.

Sushi Suzuki (鮨鈴木)
Level 5, 6-5-15 Ginza Chuo City, Tokyo (map)
+81 3-5537-6868
Reservations one month in advance