Sushi Mizutani – A Sushi Masterpiece

Out of all the restaurants I planned on trying during this Tokyo trip, I was most excited about eating at Sushi Mizutani. Being an avid sushi lover, I was thrilled about going to a 3 Michelin Star sushi restaurant… I left this place in awe. It was the best sushi I have ever had. Ever.

I cannot praise Hachiro Mizutani-san enough. He elevated my favorite fish to a whole other level, and turned me into a huge fan of the items that I normally find boring or unpleasant. Mizutani-san’s sushi is very traditional. There’s not a lot of fanfare with different sauces or elaborate garnishes – he doesn’t need it. He purely showcases the highest quality fish and his deft knife skills.

Sushi Mizutani is located on the basement level of a very nondescript building off a tiny side street in Ginza (I would have never found it had our cab driver not dropped us off right in front of it). The restaurant is a small room with a sushi bar seating only 10 people. The bar is a beautiful piece of smooth light colored wood. The décor was very simple with clean lines, understated and elegant.

Walking in, I was intimidated by the silence and formality that permeated the restaurant. Everyone spoke in whispers, and it was only in Japanese. The focus was on the sushi. Mizutani-san was behind the bar with a stern expression, and all the guests had a close view of him making the sushi. Mizutani-san hardly spoke to us at first, and I got the sense that he was wondering why B and I were there. I definitely felt like an awkward outsider. However, he softened up quite a bit over the course of our meal, eventually joking around with us and then even taking a picture with us at the end of the meal. Maybe he recognized how much respect and appreciation I had for his sushi, and perhaps he also liked how much effort I made to speak as much Japanese as I could (good thing I always try to learn a bit of the native language before my travels!). Whatever it was that changed the dynamic, I am grateful for it. Being able to interact with Mizutani-san on a bit more of personal level made this experience all the more special. Luckily, the Japanese gentleman next me spoke English and he graciously translated much of our conversation with Mizutani-san. We learned that Mizutani-san started learning to make sushi when he was just 15 years old and has been doing it for 47 years (he trained under Jiro-san and many say he has surpassed his teacher). It was remarkable to watch how quickly and easily his slender fingers worked to make such incredible sushi.

Our meal consisted of several types of nigiri. The rice was slightly warm and sweet, helping it bond with fish and enhancing that ‘melt in your mouth’ feeling. [Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed. I wish you could see just how extraordinarily beautiful the fish was...hope my descriptions will at least capture some of their essence.]

Karei (sole) – Firm white fish with simple, clean taste.

Shinko kohada (baby gizzard shad) - Two thin butterflied fish, served with the shiny silver skin side up. It was sweet at first, then a mild ocean flavor on the finish.

Ika (squid) - I usually find ika to be rubbery and have no taste, but it was not boring at all here. It was creamy and tender, becoming sweeter the more I chewed it.

Honmaguro (blue fin tuna) – It had a deep ruby red color with a firm yet silky texture. The flavor was so clean and fresh.

Chutoro (medium tuna belly) – Part of the tuna’s upper belly section, this chutoro was extremely velvety and dissolved in my mouth…heavenly!! Often times, toro has an uneven texture with grooves of fat, but this chutoro was smooth and finely marbled like a piece of kobe beef. It was beautiful to look at (before I quickly ate it, of course).

Otoro (supreme tuna belly) – Part of the tuna’s lowest section of the belly, otoro is the richest in fat. This otoro was like butter and just melted my mouth. Again, its surface was remarkably smooth. This otoro had thicker lines of fat, but the fat was so well integrated into the fish that it looked like sleek racing stripes (completely unlike the patchy furrows of fat connecting the meat of typical otoro).

Kobashira (mactra clam) – This was made of the adductor muscles of several mactra clams wrapped on top of the rice. It was extremely sweet and succulent, similar to really fresh scallop.

Tairagai (penshell clam) – I originally thought this was scallop when I watched Mizutani slice a large, round white object, but realized it wasn’t once I put it in my mouth. The tairagai had a much firmer texture than scallop and a savory taste with a hint of the ocean.

Akagai (red clam / ark shell) – This colorful clam had a splash bright red in the middle of its smooth pink flesh. It had a firm, almost crunchy texture. (Regrettably, I can’t remember what it tasted like. That’s what I get for chatting with the person next to B instead of focusing on the sushi!)

Mirugai (geoduck clam) – Unfortunately, my mirugai had a tad too much wasabi, so I couldn’t really taste its usual sweetness. It had a nice crunchy texture though.

Sayori (needle fish) – I’m usually not a fan of sayori because I find it to have a metallic taste; but once again Mizutani amazed me with his sushi. This sayori was so sweet, and it had something grated on top that made it taste almost like candy!

Kuruma ebi (wheel shrimp) – This large steamed shrimp had a sweet and meaty taste similar to lobster (no puny, dry ebi here!)

Ikura (salmon roe) – The ikura’s jewel-like orange color made it lovely to look at. It was surprisingly refreshing and only slightly salty (quite unlike the concentrated salty and seawater taste that ikura usually has). Ikura is preserved in salt, but since this was only mildly salty, I knew this was the freshest ikura that I’ve had.

Awabi (abalone) – I know that abalone is a prized delicacy in Asian cultures, but I never saw the appeal…until now! This awabi was soft and chewy and had a delicate sweetness (usually it’s just rubbery or crunchy with no taste whatsoever, even when I’ve had it really fresh). This clearly shows just how incredible Mizutani’s knife skills are.

Saba (mackerel) – This saba completely blew me away. Saba is generally the only type of sushi that I *hate* because I find it to be extremely oily and fishy with an overpowering metallic aftertaste (even when it’s topped with grated ginger and scallions to cut the strong taste). However, this saba was shockingly sweet and rich. I couldn’t believe how good it was!! Served without any garnishes, it was simply delicious! Yet another perfect example of the premium quality of Mizutani’s fish and his ability to serve them at their best.

Uni (sea urchin) – This uni was sublime…creamy and sweet magnificence. Uni sometimes has a seawater-like finish, but all I experienced was rich, buttery goodness from beginning to end. Umami!!

Anago (sea eel) – It was very soft and delicate, and glazed with a light tsume sauce (reduced broth, soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar).

Tamagoyaki (sweet egg omelet) – Nothing like the normal tamago that I’ve had. Mizutani placed what looked like a large block of dense pound cake on my plate, but it was remarkably light and fluffy once I bit into it. The tamagoyaki had pureed shrimp beat into it to give it a richer taste, and it was so sweet that I felt like I was eating moist cake instead of an omelet.

Chutoro maki (medium tuna belly roll) – After our omakase meal, Mizutani asked if there was anything else I would like to have. It was such a tough question to answer because I was full, yet I didn’t want to stop eating his delectable sushi and there was *so* much that I wanted to have again. I finally told him that I wanted another piece of chutoro. Mizutani complemented my choice and said it was one of his favorites. He then told me he’d make it into a small roll for me…what a great way to end a phenomenal meal.

BITE METER: Sushi Mizutani - 4.7 bites (out of 5)