FAVORITE RESTAURANTS
Kyubey
Tokyo is known as a mecca for sushi, and the origin of nigiri sushi as we know it today got its start during the Edo era as a snack sold by street vendors. It was called Edomae-zushi (literally, “in front of Edo sushi” named for the bay where the fresh fish and seaweed were brought in and sold.) Understandably, visitors to Tokyo often have sushi at the top of their dining lists. But if your time is limited, such as ours was during a visit in May, and you only had time to visit one, which should it be?

We chose Kyubey one of the most famous sushi establishments in Tokyo. Kyubey’s owner, Yousuke Imada, and a select team of chefs demonstrated their sushi skills at Japan: Flavors of Culture, a conference organized by the Culinary Institute of America and we wanted to savour Kyubey's sushi before the conference. Every sushi devotee has strong opinions about their favorite sushiya, but for elegance, service and tradition, not to mention the incredible skill of the chefs, Kyubey would be very hard to beat. The Michelin guide and the concierge at our hotel also confirmed our choice. Like all great sushiya, Kyubey only uses Japanese fish for their neta (toppings), which the change with the seasons, are impeccably fresh and expertly sliced.

At its present location in Ginza since 1935, Kyubey's honten (main branch) is always packed, with long lines out the door. Because reservations are not taken, the common wisdom is to arrive before the 11:30 opening. But somehow, we were able to get counter seats at the hanare (just across from the main shop) with less than a 30 minute wait. While this meant that we didn't get to meet Imada, we were treated well by Gouke-san, who despite his baby face has been working at Kyubey for 16 years. While some sushi chefs are known to be stern and serious, Gouke was quick to smile, spoke quite a bit of English and had patience to weather our constant photo-taking. (Sorry, fellow diners!)