Visit Information Date: Friday, around 8 PM Reservation: Yes (72 days in advance, by phone) Wait: None Number of Guests: 1 Seating: Counter Frequency: 8th visit after 272 days Duration: 2 hours Payment: Credit Card (VISA) Food Menu ☆Omakase: JPY 38,500 (including tax) ◎Mozuku Vinegar ☆Simmered Octopus ☆Grilled Bonito ☆Tail Meat of Minke Whale ☆Steamed Abalone ☆Simmered Katsuo ☆Fish Head ☆Shiroboshi Futaidai ☆New Squid ☆Horse Mackerel ☆Nodoguro ☆Totomame ☆Spring Child Sea Bream ☆Chutoro ☆Akami ☆Otoro ☆Shinko ☆Kuruma Ebi ☆Bafun Uni ◎Soup ☆Anago ☆Tamago ☆Brown Sugar Gelato ☆Akau Uni: JPY Ask ☆Negitoro: JPY Ask Drink Menu ☆Ubusuna 2025 Kouko Shichinoujo: JPY Ask ☆Morishima Miyama Nishiki Junmai Ginjo: JPY Ask ☆Imanishi Junmai Ginjo Asahi: JPY Ask ◎Etsugai Junmai Ginjo Muroka Nama: JPY Ask ☆Tashima Sea Non-Additive Namamoto: JPY Ask ☆ESHIKOTO Ayu: JPY Ask ☆Hidakami Junmai Ginjo Tenjiku Aiyama: JPY Ask Expenses, Discounts, Others ・Service Charge (10%) ・Reservation Fee: JPY 390 Good Points ・Increasing satisfaction with each visit ・Warm hospitality from the young and charming chef and beautiful proprietress, along with the staff Bad Points ・Difficult to make reservations ・First-time visitors may find the entrance confusing Other Notes ・The Tabelog Award Gold: 2026 ・The Tabelog Award Silver: 2023-2025 ・The Tabelog Award Bronze: 2022 ・Sushi TOKYO 100 Best: 2021, 2022, 2025 (2023, 2024 not announced) Impressions I wanted to eat sushi from Shimazu after a long time. So, I contacted the chef and made a reservation. On a Friday marking the start of the Obon holiday, I arrived at Shirokane-Takanawa in a festive mood. Five minutes before my reservation, the proprietress welcomed me and I entered the restaurant. This was my first visit since they received the Gold award. I took a seat in the middle of the counter. The omakase began all at once. The other guests included two pairs of men and women, one solo male guest, and two male guests. In addition to the chef and proprietress, there were three apprentices. As usual, I requested a selection of Japanese sake. The first drink was Ubusuna 2025 Kouko Shichinoujo. It had a strong effervescence and a clean finish. The meal started refreshingly with Mozuku Vinegar. The mozuku had a relatively gentle texture and the vinegar was well-balanced. Next was the simmered octopus from Sazima Simmered Octopus. It was moist and aromatic. The second drink was Morishima Miyama Nishiki Junmai Ginjo. It had a soft mouthfeel with a refreshing sweetness. Next was the grilled bonito from Kesennuma Grilled Bonito. I enjoyed it with plenty of ginger soy sauce. The skin was crispy and fragrant, while the flesh was smooth. Then came the whale dish unique to Shimazu. Today’s offering was Tail Meat of Minke Whale. It was sweetly marinated and served with green onions. It was tender yet had a satisfying chew, truly meaty. The third drink was Imanishi Junmai Ginjo Asahi. It started sweet and then faded away smoothly. The steamed abalone from Onjuku Steamed Abalone was served with plenty of liver sauce. The texture was wonderful. I mixed the leftover sauce with freshly cut rice, and it was delightful. The fourth drink was Etsugai Junmai Ginjo Muroka Nama. Among the Etsugai, this one was relatively refreshing yet still substantial. The last appetizer was Simmered Katsuo. It was accompanied by komatsuna and Kasai’s Japanese radish. The sweet sauce paired beautifully with the fluffy katsuo. I craved white rice... The oshibori was changed to a blue one, and Gari was served, marking the start of the nigiri. First up was Fish Head. It was chewy and delicious. The rice had just the right amount of vinegar, and the nigiri was firm yet gentle, breaking apart in my mouth. The fifth drink was Tashima Sea Non-Additive Namamoto. After a hint of cement aroma, a refined umami followed. The Shiroboshi Futaidai from Tanegashima had a unique aroma and was plump. This one is addictive. This was my first time having New Squid this year. It had a lovely aroma and texture. The accompanying legs were boiled, but they were chilled and incredibly fresh. The Horse Mackerel was from Yamaguchi. It had a strong aroma, was fatty, yet had a clean aftertaste. The Nodoguro was lightly seared and rare. It was deliciously melt-in-your-mouth. The sixth drink was ESHIKOTO Ayu. This is from Ishidaya, known for Kuro-ryu. Upon closer inspection, the glass was also special. It had a strong umami that paired well with the ayu, yet was beautifully clean. Then I encountered Totomame, which I didn't expect to find. Though still small as they are just starting to appear, they were sticky and delicious. The Spring Child Sea Bream had a refreshing aroma and a rich fat content. Next were three pieces of tuna. They were from a fixed net in Funka Bay, weighing 46 kg. The Chutoro had a higher rice temperature, melting away in my mouth. The Akami was vibrant like a beautiful jelly. It had a rich flavor. The Otoro had a crispy texture, yet melted away with each bite. I finished with one more drink. Hidakami Junmai Ginjo Tenjiku Aiyama. This was my first time having Aiyama from Hidakami. It had a rich umami followed by a smooth finish. The Shinko was served in two pieces. It was light and refreshing. The Kuruma Ebi was a natural product from Yamaguchi. It was plump and sweet. The Bafun Uni from Rishiri had a strong sweetness. It paired excellently with the seaweed. At this point, a seafood dashi Soup was served, providing a comforting moment. The Anago disappeared in an instant. A fluffy Tamago was served, marking the end of the meal. I requested the Akau Uni that was not served that day, along with a roll of Negitoro. The Akau Uni was from Amakusa. Since it was nigiri and not gunkan, the harmony with the rice was delightful. The Negitoro included tuna and green onions. The texture and freshness of the green onions added a nice accent to the creamy toro. It can be served as a half portion, but I finished the whole roll in one go. I concluded with Brown Sugar Gelato and Oolong Tea. After staying for just under 2 hours, I settled the bill. JPY 63,300. I paid with a credit card. It was a great meal. I was fortunate to enjoy the miraculous timing of having Shinko, New Squid, Akau Uni, and Totomame. I will visit again. Now, I’m heading to my hotel in Haneda for my trip the next day.
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