OMG Sushi Fo Realz, Yo!
I’m going to admit, somewhat embarrassedly, that for the better part of a decade of living in Japan, I’ve been clueless about what makes sushi-bar sushi better than kaiten sushi.
That changed for me on Friday night, though.
As I’ve mentioned before, the little town of Umegaoka in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo is well-known for a sushi restaurant called Sushi no Midori 寿司の美登利. Every day, at pretty much any time during business hours, you’ll see a queue in front of the building. On Sunday afternoons, I’ve seen as many as 100 people lined up for their share of succulent slices of raw fish. Actually, there are several shops around Tokyo, but the Umegaoka shop is the main one, called the hon-ten 本店 in Japanese.
Two weeks ago, I invited some co-workers to join me for my first visit to Sushi no Midori this last Friday. They were happy to come along and we joined the queue in front of the shop, umbrellas out and open, braving the rain and the unseasonal cold and hoping it was worth it.
We weren’t disappointed.
Our senior took control and ordered the first round, maguro まぐろ, chuu-toro 中とろ, hirame ひらめ, and awabi あわび. He along with the rest of us were taken aback at how good it was.
Next, I ordered for the group, salmon, saba さば (I like the cheap stuff), and negitoro maki ねぎとろ巻. The salmon portions were amazing, the fish slices almost a foot long. I never knew salmon sushi could be that tasty.
Finally, my co-worker from Australia ordered jotoro 上とろ, hotate ほたて, and aji あじ. The jotoro was the highlight of the night, for sure.
All in all, Sushi no Midori is a great deal. We each spent ￥3000 for two beers each and the best sushi around at such prices. I’m glad I live in Umegaoka and will definitely be a regular at Sushi no Midori.
Sushi no Midori homepage
Address: 東京都世田谷区梅丘1-20-7
Phone: 03-3429-1166
Directions:
View Larger Map/center>
An American living in Tokyo. Can be seen bounding through Shinjuku Station most mornings, teeth gnashing, eyes bulging, a cup of cheap coffee clenched in one fist and a satchel in the other. God help those who don't see him coming.
April 27th, 2010 at 3:21 am
It’s true. Kaiten zushi isn’t bad, but a good sushi bar can usually blow conveyor belt sushi away.
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April 27th, 2010 at 6:26 am
0_0;;; sugoi….. the long sliced salmon looks like Hebi… Are you supposed to eat it in one bite? Looks hard to swallow it down… Hey… I wish you had invited me to join in that sushi dinner.
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April 28th, 2010 at 2:47 pm
@Blue Shoe:
Yeah. This place was so good, I don’t know if I’m going to be eating kaiten zushi for awhile, nevermind the stuff you can pick up at your local grocery store.
@Taeko:
Come to Tokyo… you’re always invited to join us
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