Sushi En Okayama

I visited "Sushi En" after a long time.This sushi restaurant is one of the best in Okayama, providing a seamless experience from appetizers to sushi.It starts with a series of sake dishes featuring ingredients like mozuku seaweed, octopus, grilled fish, and simmered fish, all highlighting the natural flavors of the ingredients. The seasoning is subtle, allowing the umami of the fish to shine through. The chawanmushi (savory egg custard) and rice dishes served in between are also meticulously prepared, enhancing the overall quality of the course.Once the sushi begins, the true value of this restaurant becomes clear. The rice gently melts in your mouth, creating a wonderful harmony with the toppings. The grilled white fish strikes a perfect balance between smokiness and sweetness, while the squid impresses with its tender texture, thanks to the chef's skillful knife work.The transition from red fish to medium fatty tuna is beautifully executed, with the shime saba (marinated mackerel) having just the right amount of firmness and concentrated flavor. Each fish is treated with care, showcasing the chef's expertise. The sweet shrimp stands out for its sweetness, and the sea urchin is rich yet surprisingly delicate on the palate. Even the final kanpyo (dried gourd) roll is crafted with care, making for a satisfying course from start to finish.This is a traditional sushi restaurant that avoids gimmicks, focusing instead on discerning the quality of the ingredients and applying only the necessary techniques. The comfortable distance with the chef and the serene atmosphere make it a place you want to visit when you want to enjoy sushi at a leisurely pace.I was reminded once again that this is a must-visit restaurant for sushi in Okayama. I look forward to returning when the seasons change to savor the seasonal offerings. Less

Okayama Cuisine #1 July 4, 2026 (Saturday) 6:00 PM Tabelog Rating: 4.07, 4th in Okayama Prefecture 2026 BRONZE 2025 Selected as One of the Top 100 Restaurants 2021 Michelin ☆☆ Last night's dinner was here! It was my first visit in 8 months. This is one of my favorite places that serves fish caught locally in Okayama. The menu consists of an omakase course only. 1. Octopus and Mozuku Seaweed 2. Sea Bass Tossed in oil infused with sansho pepper 3. Wild Blue Eel from Okayama 4. Steamed Abalone Topped with abalone liver rice 5. Grilled Mejikari Dried and then grilled 6. Katsuo (Bonito) Tekone Sushi 7. Karasumi (Salted Mullet Roe) Prepared rare and marinated in miso 8. Chawanmushi (Savory Egg Custard) with Shiitake Dashi 9. Sea Bream 10. White Sweet Sea Bream 11. Striped Jack 12. Needle Squid 13. Milk Shell 14. Chutoro (Medium Fatty Tuna) from Fukuoka Caught tuna sourced from "Yama Ko" in Fukuoka. 15. Mamakari 16. Pressed Sushi with Young Sea Bream 17. Sea Urchin Rice Using Hokkaido's purple sea urchin without ammonium alum 18. Tokishirazu (Fatty Young Sea Bream) 19. Blue Crab 20. Yellow Chives Miso Soup 21. Anago (Conger Eel) 22. Negitoro Hand Roll 23. Warm Inari Sushi 24. Tamagoyaki (Japanese Omelette) 25. Sawara Shrimp (additional) 26. Kamatoro (Fatty Tuna Belly) from Fukuoka (additional) Served with salt Everything from start to finish was delicious once again. Less

First visit.I made a reservation through a friend.I had heard great things about this place, but it was hard to get a reservation.Currently, they only have one seating starting at 6 PM.The swordfish, featured in the cover photo, was exceptional.It had a rich flavor, possibly from butter, with a hint of aroma—this might be the best swordfish I've ever had.The tuna, striped jack, and sea bream were all outstanding; there were so many delicious options.The sake in the photo, Taga-ji, is a limited brew that was delicious.They have a wide selection of sake from Okayama.The head chef has a calm demeanor and seems kind, yet also a bit strict.The atmosphere was wonderful.It was an incredibly good restaurant, and I definitely want to go back! Less

Okayama is probably most easily recognized by tourists as the largest stopover between Kobe and Hiroshima, and sort of a gateway to Shikoku and the Seto Inland Sea. There is little to do there that is explicitly destination-worthy which, in a word, is wonderful. In late summer or early fall you can find some of the most expensive and mind-bendingly delicious grapes grown anywhere around Japan - or earlier in the Summer, peaches. The riverside garden and park next to the ebony-facade castle has a rental spot for paddle boats that feels more Seattle than Kansai. There is a sort of relaxed, local vibe that permeates everything.
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Sushi En sits behind an almost entirely unmarked entrance (aside from a small lit "縁") in a neighborhood that seems to be mostly populated with host/hostess clubs and is steps away from a bar that appears to inexplicably be gorilla-themed. I guess this is sort of unassuming and charming all at once. The sushi here, however, rivals top shops throughout Japan in both precision and quality, with the added twist that nearly all the ingredients are sourced locally in the Setouchi area. It was no surprise to me that it is one of the highest Tabelog-ranked sushiya in the region. Less