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    Home » Michelin » Michelin3

    Sushi Yoshitake (Tokyo, Michelin 3 Stars)

    Published: Nov 8, 2016 by Jennifer Che

    Sushi Yoshitake
    This is the thirty-first post in the Around the World Birthday Extravaganza Series. Please scroll to the bottom to see all the other posts in this series.

    It's been two years since Bryan first visited this tiny, 7-seater, 3-Michelin starred sushi restaurant during a business trip to Tokyo. I'll never forget it. He called me from Tokyo raving about this place. In the same call, he used the words "best dish I've ever had in my life" and “we really have to go back to Japan so I can take you there.”

    When we planned the Japan portion of our Around the World trip, Bryan only had one request: Sushi Yoshitake.
    Sushi Yoshitake
    Sushi Yoshitake is special for a lot of reasons. First and foremost, Chef Masahiro Yoshitake does not adhere strictly to the traditional Edomae style. He takes more liberties, injecting all sorts of creativity into his preparations. Yes, there is still plenty of traditional sushi, but he also creates some mind-blowing, non-traditional flavor combinations.

    The Bryan-proclaimed "best dish I've ever had" is one such dish. Fresh abalone served with a decadent sauce from the abalone liver is absolutely divine. A "trio of uni" that uses two-year aged uni is a revelation.

    Masahiro Yoshitake is also very fluent in English, having spent years working in New York city as a sushi chef. He's friendly and talkative, and the atmosphere is relaxing inside his tiny 7-seater sushi bar.

    I absolutely loved my meal there. It totally lived up to Bryan's "hype." I would not hesitate to return again the next time I go to Tokyo.

    He lets you take photos, but only with a phone (no SLRs or even pocket cameras). I'm glad that smartphone cameras are getting better and better, because these photos actually aren't too bad.

    Here's a look at our very memorable meal!

    Yoshitake-15.jpg Yoshitake-16.jpg
    We started with a female snow crab with crab roe gelee.
    Sushi Yoshitake
    Clockwise from the top left: Barely seared Kinmedai (golden eye snapper) was fantastic, served with a special fish bone soy sauce. The Tako (octopus) from Hokaiddo was super tender. Gorgeous slices of Bonito (skipjack tuna) came with perfectly crisped skin, ginger, scallions, and a wasabi sauce. Ikura (salmon roe) was mixed with a clear brown sauce and served over sushi rice.
    Sushi Yoshitake
    This is the famous, signature Abalone dish. The abalone itself is excellent, but it's the liver sauce that's out of this world. It's this very sauce that made Bryan proclaim two years ago "this is the best dish I've ever had in my life". He still maintains that position today, in fact. The liver sauce is so good, you're thrilled when Yoshitake hands you a small dollop of rice after you've fished the abalone piece. Mix the rice with the sauce, and enjoy Act II of this memorable course.
    Sushi Yoshitake
    Male snow crab legs come over a gelee and are topped with a sauce made from the crab's "innards".
    Sushi Yoshitake
    From upper left corner, clockwise: Ika (squid) was perfect texture and excellent flavor. Tai (sea bream) was very good. Otoro (fatty tuna) was fantastic. Akagai (ark shell), had a fresh crunchy tasty. It was borderline salty for me, but fine for Bryan.
    Kohada-Sushi-Yoshitake.jpg
    Kohada (Gizzard shad) with oboro was quite salty (a bit too salty for me).
    Yoshitake-4.jpg
    Yoshitake's assistant began cooking baby octopus on  a coal grill.
    Sushi Yoshitake
    Perfection.
    Sushi Yoshitake
    Here is a close up of my personal favorite course. On the bottom layer, uni is mixed with rice and kombu (seaweed) powder. The next layer consists of several pieces of fresh uni. Finally, at the very top is 2-year aged uni. It is very dark orange and intensely flavored. Everything about this course was perfect: the chewy al dente rice, the deep, rich, intensely-flavored aged uni, and the sweet, creamy fresh uni.

    Seriously transcendent.
    Sushi Yoshitake
    The prawn was fresh and very good.
    Sushi Yoshitake Yoshitake-11.jpg
    Near the end he made a simple tuna hand roll, which we dutifully ate with our hands. We also received a cup of miso soup (not pictured). The broth was intensely flavorful, like a rich seafood stock. Ginger sprouts gave it added complexity.
    Sushi Yoshitake
    The Anago (sea eel) was smoked over leaves. It was soft, melt-in-your-mouth, and slightly sweet. I loved the sweet smokiness of this course, which was the perfect prelude to the delicate and luxurious Tamago (egg).
    Sushi Yoshitake
    It was a very, very memorable meal. Yoshitake is a genius at what he does, and it's really fun to taste his creations. This was definitely my favorite sushi meal of the entire trip. I will never forget some of those dishes, like the aged uni or the abalone liver course. Furthermore, Yoshitake-san is a fun and friendly sushi chef, which makes the whole experience relaxing and fun.

    I would highly recommend coming here!

    Details for Sushi Yoshitake
    Definitely book early, since there are only 8 counter seats at the sushi bar (plus 4 private seats). Booking requires giving them a credit card. The cancellation policy is 100% same day, 50% one day before, and they won't take any excuses for cancellations, not even a canceled flight. Reservations open up for the following month on the 1st of the prior month (e.g., November bookings open up on October 1st). We contacted our hotel about two months before our trip, and they were able to get us a booking in November by contacting the restaurant on October 1st. There is no dress code, but they do ask that you do not wear strong perfume.

    Sushi Yoshitake
    8-7-19 Ginza,
    Chuo, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan

    All Posts In This Series
    Around the World Birthday Extravaganza
    Alba White Truffle Fair
    Osteria Dei Sognatori - A Traditional Piedmontese Dinner
    Italy Wine Tour - Barbaresco
    Lunch at Donna Selvatica in Neive, Italy
    Dinner at a Truffle Hunter's Inn - Tra Art e Querce
    G.D.Vajra Winery
    Trattoria Della Posta in Montfort D'Alba
    Nighttime Truffle Hunting with a Dog in Alba
    Osteria della Arco - last dinner in Alba
    Stunning Images of La Morra and Barolo, Italy
    First Day In Bordeaux, France - Une Cuisine en Ville
    Chateau Haut-Brion Tour in Bordeaux France
    Restaurant Le St. James
    Touring Bordeaux Wineries - Day 1 - Left Bank
    La Tupina, Bordeaux (traditional French dinner)
    Cos d'Estournel Tour
    Touring Bordeaux - Pauillac, Chateau Lynch-Bages
    Chateau Cordeillan-Bages
    A Different Paris
    Le Relais de l'Entrecote
    Pirouette Paris
    L'Ambroisie Paris
    Hiking at Mount Takao in Japan
    Florilege
    Sushi Harutaka
    Rokurinsha ramen breakfast (六厘舎)
    Azabu Kadowaki
    Nakameguro Iguchi yakitori (中目黒いぐち)
    Sushi-Ya (すし家)
    Shirohige's Cream Puff Factory - Totoro Cream Puff

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    Reader Interactions

    Trackbacks

    1. Din Tai Fung Hong Kong - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
      November 30, 2016 at 5:28 pm

      […] Sushi-Ya (すし家) Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory – Totoro Cream Puff Sushi Yoshitake Fu Sing Seafood Restaurant Hong Kong Tim Ho Wan Hong […]

      Log in to Reply
    2. Sun Tung Lok Hong Kong - 2 Michelin Stars - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
      December 4, 2016 at 12:33 am

      […] Sushi-Ya (すし家) Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory – Totoro Cream Puff Sushi Yoshitake Fu Sing Seafood Restaurant Hong Kong Tim Ho Wan Hong Kong Din Tai Fung Hong […]

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    3. Sushi Ya Tokyo - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
      July 13, 2017 at 11:27 pm

      […] And then it was time for sushi! We started with a trio of tuna.   I absolutely loved both the chutoro (medium fatty tuna) and otoro (fatty tuna), which were extremely flavorful and had excellent rice texture. The soy-sauce aged akami (tuna) I found to be slightly too salty for my preference.   Next was kampachi (yellowtail) followed by squid (ika) with lime. The ika was one of the few pieces I did not love, and I definitely felt like I’d had better versions elsewhere (most notably on this trip, at Kyubey). The kohada (mackerel) was nicely cured with a bright vinegar taste. The akagai (surf clam) was crunchy and delicious.   The aji (horse mackerel) was fantastic. I also loved the rice texture of the uni (sea urchin), though I found the uni itself to be less sweet than others I’ve had. Kuruma ebi (prawn) was fine. It’s never one of my favorite pieces (ha ha, maybe because it’s cooked!) but it was solid. Finally, we had hamaguri (clam), which tasted phenomenal with the floral addition of orange zest. We ended with anago (sea eel) served with salt and a touch of orange zest. When Chef Ishyama asked us if we wanted any “extras”, Bryan piped up and asked for uni. Chef Ishyama brought out a different type of uni from Hokkaido. Bryan thought it was delicious, sweet, and creamy. Alas, I was too full and had no room. ???? We ended with tamago (egg omelet), which was good but not in the same league as the likes of Sushi Mizutani, Sukiyabashi Jiro, or Sushi Yoshitake. […]

      Log in to Reply
    4. Jen's Guide - Best Places to Eat in Hong Kong for Visitors! - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
      November 9, 2017 at 8:34 pm

      […] is our favorite but also by far the most expensive. This 3-Michelin starred second outpost of Sushi Yoshitake (they changed the name because too many people were mistakenly booking the wrong location!) offers […]

      Log in to Reply
    5. Fu Sing Seafood Restaurant Hong Kong - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
      January 19, 2018 at 1:27 am

      […] Around the World Birthday Extravaganza Alba White Truffle Fair Osteria Dei Sognatori – A Traditional Piedmontese Dinner Italy Wine Tour – Barbaresco Lunch at Donna Selvatica in Neive, Italy Dinner at a Truffle Hunter’s Inn – Tra Art e Querce G.D.Vajra Winery Trattoria Della Posta in Montfort D’Alba Nighttime Truffle Hunting with a Dog in Alba Osteria della Arco – last dinner in Alba Stunning Images of La Morra and Barolo, Italy First Day In Bordeaux, France – Une Cuisine en Ville Chateau Haut-Brion Tour in Bordeaux France Restaurant Le St. James Touring Bordeaux Wineries – Day 1 – Left Bank La Tupina, Bordeaux (traditional French dinner) Cos d’Estournel Tour Touring Bordeaux – Pauillac, Chateau Lynch-Bages Chateau Cordeillan-Bages A Different Paris Le Relais de l’Entrecote Pirouette Paris L’Ambroisie Paris Hiking at Mount Takao in Japan Florilege Sushi Harutaka Rokurinsha ramen breakfast (六厘舎) Azabu Kadowaki Nakameguro Iguchi yakitori (中目黒いぐち) Sushi-Ya (すし家) Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory – Totoro Cream Puff Sushi Yoshitake […]

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    6. Sushi Yoshitake (Tokyo, Michelin 3 Stars) - best dish I've ever had - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
      February 7, 2018 at 12:30 am

      […] do hope to be able to visit some day. [update! I was able to go! Here’s the post about my […]

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    7. Sushi Shikon Hong Kong - 3 Michelin Stars - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
      March 15, 2018 at 10:31 am

      […] Shikon is the second location of Sushi Yoshitake from Tokyo. Originally also called Sushi Yoshitake, the Hong Kong location changed its name to […]

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    8. Sushi Saito Hong Kong - Dinner Omakase - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
      May 19, 2018 at 2:55 am

      […] help but compare with the other three-Michelin starred sushi restaurant in Tokyo, Sushi Shikon (or Yoshitake in Tokyo). I still think Shikon/Yoshitake has more interesting and more impressive appetizers. […]

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    9. Sushi Masataka Hong Kong - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
      May 5, 2019 at 12:50 pm

      […] liver sauce!). Though it was tasty, it still didn’t compare to the version at Sushi Shikon or Yoshitake, still the best on the […]

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    Jennifer Che Tiny Urban Kitchen
    Jennifer Che Tiny Urban Kitchen

    Hi, my name's Jen and welcome to my cooking, eating, and travel site! I am an expat who moved from Boston to Hong Kong 5 years ago. Born and raised in Ohio to Taiwanese immigrant parents, I am a chemistry nerd, patent attorney by day, blogger by night, church musician on weekends, and food enthusiast always. Feel free to explore away, maybe starting with the Recipe Index or one of the travel pages! I hope you enjoy this site!

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