Arai san is arguably in the top tier of Edomae sushi restaurants in Tokyo. He used to host his guest in the basement of a mindern building in Ginza. Now he has emerged from the cellar to the second floor and created a very beautiful space. The basement was now given to his apprentice Mei Ko hos is now ruling the former main counter.
With the move came now rules. No photos and phones (except the maguro).
Irregardless of these rules the quality and execution is still flawless and so tasty.
The shari has a higher acidity than his peers, the grains are longer and therefore the ball becomes a little looser. It works very well with some of the neta.
The absolute stunner this evening was the oyster. It can be a tricky piece as texture sometimes can be off putting but not this time. Slight chewy on the outside, soft on the inside. Once you bite into it it releases an explosion of sea umami. It is was so good we had to have an encore!