Ginza Sushi Ko Honten

So far one of my favorite Omakase Sushi place. Extremely excellent sushis. Fresh ingredients. Extremely friendly staffs, especially Chef Akira. We had a really good conversation with him. Definitely well worth the price. Highly recommends!

Extreme precision and speed, not to mention the multitasking with pouring our glasses the second they were empty and casually answering all our questions. It was an honour to see Mr Mizutani work. Thank you for the best sushi I ever had.

One of the best sushi Omakase restaurants 👌🏼 although the price is very steep, I truly think the quality and experience is worth it. The chefs are warm and friendly, very skilled and knowledgeable. You feel very at home watching them work at their craft. 🙌🏼 I’ve had the pleasure of going to various omakase restaurants, but Sushi Ko always has a special place in my heart.

The sushi tastes like you’re eating straight from the ocean. Not to mention the chef is friendly and welcoming, creating a relaxed dining experience.

We were fortunate enough to spend an amazing evening at this restaurant last night. From the minute we walked in and sat down, we felt welcomed by chef and his staff. It was as if we were part of his family. The food is outstanding. From the tuna to the unagi, all the fish was super fresh and delicious. Chef does a brilliant job preparing the courses and explaining all the dishes to the customers. He even tells jokes! We all had such a great time that we decided to take a group photo at the end of the night which I have attached. It was a special night. Whether you live in Tokyo or are visiting, I highly recommend you make a reservation at this incredible restaurant.

Made reservations here a month in advance. Sushi is one of my favorite meals. This place did not disappoint. It was one of the best omakase experiences I’ve had. I’ve been to some amazing omakase places in NYC, LA, San Diego, Kyoto and Tokyo. Highly recommend it if you’re in the area.

Nice and very fresh omakase. The yuzu miso soup was fantastic. Cost 22,000 yen exclude tax for sushi only. Highly recommended

The best sushi I've had in my life, hands down. The rice is slightly warm and perfectly cooked, and there are no words to describe the way the fish tastes on top. Favorites included the toasted mushroom and tuna, as well as the egg sushi at the end. Ginza Sushi Ko is a great place to go if you're in Japan, didn't make a reservation for sushi, and want to experience some great sushi. The atmosphere is quiet, the servers are attentive and refill your mug with green tea frequently, and the bathroom is clean.

The original sushi restaurant. Over 130 years old. Blink twice and you will miss it as it is located in a back alley. Chef Joey expertly crafts his sushi and engages his diners in a unique omakase experience. Omakase--I leave it up to you--is an intimate experience. Although he has a unique vision as to when fish should be eaten it is still the freshest sushi I have eaten, still tasting the sea salt on the fish. There are only ten seats in the restaurant and reservations are a must. They had a Michelin Star but appear to have lost it. However, it was made famous by Anthony Bourdain's visit here with world renowned sushi chef, Masa Takayama from New York. The presentation was simple and Chef guided you throughout the meal. Everything was washed down with a house Saki.

The sushi here is definitely fresh! You do get a lot of high quality sushi if you go omakase. Well worth it. But if you want to go ala carte, I suggest you call for advance reservation because the only other way to eat here is to do the omakase. It was a little too big for me to it. Or maybe because I have just had another omakase for lunch and tea and dessert that afternoon prior to eating here. It's as fresh as you can get!

I first learned about Sushi Ko through Chef's table. This is the first place that Chef Masa (Masa in NYC) apprenticed at when he was training to be a sushi chef and before he came to the states. I was lucky enough to made the reservation by just calling the restaurant, and didn't have to speak Japanese. We were able to get the counter seats for our lunch reservation. The place did not disappoint. It is rather humble and low key, but everything from the service to the cooking is on par or even better than some michelin star ones imho. We got the omakase lunch and ordered some sake as well. Everything was amazing, and I particularly enjoyed the wagyu course, as the meat was so soft with such a strong flavor and just slowly melted in my mouth. The interior is very simple and more on the traditional side, and there are multiple floors in the building. It's relatively quiet, so good to enjoy your meal with some great conversations.

Ever since watching Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain and Masa Takayama, I knew I wanted to come to Sushi-Ko. Sushi-Ko has been open for over 130 years and our chef, Chef Hirano has been there for 34 years. We made the reservations through our concierge at our hotel and were informed it would be $125 for omakase, $225 with sake. We decided the $125 option would be best. Guess who ordered sake when we got there? The entrance is quite unassuming. In fact we walked past it and I had to Google an image of the entrance. Once inside the service is wonderful. As they take and hang your coat while asking if you would like anything to drink. (This might be how we ended up with the $225 option. LOL!) Our chef spoke English and asked about allergies, etc. We started with seared toro that melted like butter when I placed it in my mouth. Every nigiri piece was assembled meticulously with the utmost care. Every piece I had was excellent and you could definitely taste the quality of the fish. It was definitely fresh and not frozen. The house made soy sauce and fresh made wasabi, definitely put this place head and shoulders above sushi places I've had here at home. If I were in Tokyo again and had received a bonus, I'd definitely go for a repeat. I would recommend this place if you're unable to get into Sushi Saito and are willing to splurge.

3rd trip to Japan and the sushi just gets better and better. Sushi Ko was the best meal I had on this trip. Small, intimate, clean, great service and amazing food. The location is a little difficult to find because the signs are in Japanese but asked a local and they directed us to the entrance. Once inside I ordered a beer and had the Omakase menu where the chef brings you a range of whatever they want to. Every bite was amazing. No wonder the late great Anthony Bordain came here. Oh, I also went for lunch instead of dinner to cut back on the cost. This is a can't miss when in Tokyo.

If you're looking for the ultimate sushi experience, look no further than Ginza Sushi-Ko Honten. A hidden gem tucked away off a small side street in Ginza recommended by the late Anthony Bourdain. This place was very hard to find, there is actually no sign on the outside! Luckily, someone nearby was able to direct us here. This place was very small seating maybe 8 people max. The menu is only traditional Japanese sushi, you will not find any fancy rolls with toppings like we have in the US! If you're up for it, get the chefs special where you'll be served sea urchin and a few other things, a la carte is also available. This will be the most authentic sushi you'll ever have, but it comes with a hefty price tag of about US$100 per person.

Back at home in California, we settled in to watch another episode of Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown. The Tokyo one follows Masa, the famous New York chef and proprietor to Japan. And amongst the stops is Sushi-ko Honten. I nearly jumped out of my chair. We were there! During our honeymoon, our hotel (the PHT) was kind enough to arrange reservations here. Their recommendation, since Sushi Saito was buzzier and thus fully booked. We still made out well. Despite the language barrier (my Japanese is non existent) the sushi chef took great care of us. The fatty tuna here is the stuff of dreams to this day, and every course was highly competent. Nothing super exotic if you have been to high end sushi places back stateside in LA or NY. But just really well executed, well sourced fish.

I wanted to go here since I saw Bourdain go here with Masa. This is the place Masa trained to be a sushi chef. This was a classic omakase meal and it was great. Sushi Chef Joe was entertaining and knowledgeable. We had delicious classic pieces of sushi like toro and uni as well as some more unique stuff like sperm sac. It was also the best tamagoyaki I've ever had. I was definitely satisfied with my experience here.

This is a pretty amazing place. Great service. Beautiful multi floor restaurant and the food is amazing. They tell me that this is the place that invented uni gunkan sushi! (Sea urchin wrapped with seaweed) it's hard to say where is the best sushi... but I can tell you that this place cares so much about the product they but out to their customers. The owner came out and spoke English to us, our chef spoke a little English and everyone there wanted us to be comfortable and enjoy our meal. We were there for about two hours with no sushi nazi staring at us! Please go and enjoy!

Absolutely wonderful experience -- our sushi chef Akira was very skilled! The food and ambiance were top notch. Highly recommend!

Amazing. Tradition. Simplicity. Excellence. I was in town on business. Craving the best of the best. Masa trained here. Hard to find. Incredibly hard to find. Still incredible to me that Japanese sushi masters will cut pieces smaller for women, especially if older! Otherwise, the fish was simply perfect. But not perfection in simplicity. The complexity is in the umami ... in the nuanced preparation, the handling, the air in the room, in the crackle of the seaweed, the lush scallop, the flesh of the tuna, the depth of the uni ... it touches the soul in ways unlike any other favorite food. And now snapping back to reality ... wash it down with copious amounts of sake then go stumble around the area in a food haze.

We had a pleasant experience at this well-known Ginza sushi spot. You need to know what to expect when doing the high-end sushi in Japan. You sit at the bar, and if you are lucky, you have a sushi chef who is focused entirely on you for the course of your dinner. That was the case for us here. We arrived at 7:30pm on a Sunday night and were taken to the second floor. There was only one other pair at the bar. He spoke decent English and asked us our preferences. It was interesting to note that they do not serve salmon at the nicer sushi restaurants as it is not local. We requested tuna, yellowtail, tomago and some surprises. The toro was the most impressive piece of fish. You could tell it was incredibly fresh. I also enjoyed the shrimp, which they seared lightly over a little grill they had in the back. The omakase comes with a miso soup but I didn't love the soup. It tasted rather fishy to me. Watching our chef meticulously cut each piece of fish and present it to us like a gift (albeit one we were paying for) was fascinating. He was so precise and detailed. Dinner was around $100 per person.

Epic dinner. We got reservations a week in advance and were able to get the counter. The chef asked us if we have any allergies, and then went to town! Every piece was amazing. The otoro melted in my mouth. Chef wasn't very talkative, but when I asked him if he'd been on tv before (Anthony Bourdain) he said yes. So for about $500, two of us ate to our heart's content, even getting that extra piece of otoro and uni.

Sat at the bar with Akira serving us. The next two hours saw us blissfully bombarded with a sushi education and delicious example after example. It doesn't get better than this.

Exactly what we were looking for. Incredibly fresh and wonderful. Gracious and caring people. Top quality. This is no bargain place. "Not too expensive not too cheap"... but oh my... what lovely food!!

One of my favourite restaurant in Tokyo and probably in Japan. My favourite dish is a raw tuna dish, where they took the meat in between the bones and marinated with special soy sauce, I can't even know how to describe how delicious it is.

One of my best Sushi meals ever!! Omakase heaven in a really down to earth spot. Our Chef was Joe...yes Joe! Hella cool and very friendly. Loved every course and just blown away with how different everything tasted from back home. Man, I would be a regular if I lived here.

wow!! thank you Chef Joe for an incredible experience. we had de Omakase can't describe everything that was served. but each piece was a work of art. tuna here is like nothing you have tasted before. for $550 it's one of the most expensive meals but one that you will remember for ever. sushi will never be the same for you once you try it here. shrimp, I can't remember something as sweet. sashimi, eal, sea urchin, fatty tuna, amazing.

Incredible sushi experience. We lucked out in getting a lunchtime reservation the morning of (a fact that even surprised our hotel concierge). We were seated at the counter and were served by the chief sushi chef / owner. We opted for the Omakase and were treated to a delightful assortment of fresh sushi. The selections were fresh and well prepared and the sushi rice was impeccable. The lunchtime omakase was expensive (about $125 per person including our green tea) but was well worth the price.

Mind blowing fantastic. Best dinner I had.l in my life. A bit expensive but worth every penny. Chef is extremely nice.

T Sushi-Ko is difficult to find. The photo is accurate but it is situated in one of the many food alleys found in Ginza. Very much worth the effort to find this gem. It's a 5 min walk (if you don't get lost) from the Peninsula Hotel. The food is worthy of two Michelin stars (they have one). The real treat is the chef. He was par excellence in preparing and recommending what we ate. He did not speak English but understood us and delivered what we wanted. He was completely focused on making sure we enjoyed our meal. The pace was perfect. We don't speak Japanese but had a friend with us who is fluent. Through her we were able to have a nice conversation with the chef. Super nice guy and genuine. Probably the best meal we have ever had including France and Italy. Simply superb.

Came here on a Sunday, which may have been a mistake. The sushi wasn't bad, it was actually quite good, but nothing out of this world. Very traditional and no exotic fish that you can't get in the states. We had 16 courses for $200 a person. Not the best value, but it wasn't bad by any means.

Fabulous! As good as it gets. Not expensive for the quality. Have : Akagi, otoro, chutoro, hirame etc. If you want California roll and regular tuna go somewhere else. Was introduced to this place in 1989 by the then CEO of Nippon Steel. It's still as good now, same owner same quality.

In one sentence - This was the best sushi I've had in my life. Watching the sushi chef was like watching theatre or watching an artist create his work of art on the spot. The neta (fish) and shari (rice) was perfectly balanced. Fish was exquisitely prepared, bringing out the most flavour possible and the rice was just the right temperature and texture. You can feel each grain of rice on your tongue. This was an excellent introduction to the world of high-end sushiya. I can't wait to try more. For more information, check out my blog post on the restaurant at: http://themorethemunchier.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/tokyo-eats-sushiko-honten-ginza.html

What can one say about a restaurant owned by the same family for 4 generations, that's 130 years, that's packed every night! Amazing. Highly recommend if you're in Tokyo!

Expertly prepared, prefect sushi and sashimi. A joy to watch and eat. Uni, Toro, kohada, cooked maguro. It was all fantastic.

Sushi and place was very good. we had a great time and service was good. giving it three stars only because the place is incredibly expensive ... and for the price, you can do much better in Tokyo.

When I was planning our vacation to Japan ~ I was looking forward to scoring a res at the famed 3 star Michelin sushi place in the subway station ... if you know what I'm talking about. BUT alas, unfortunately for me ~ I was unable to get a reservation. MAYBE not unfortunate ... because on the day I unknowingly and unexpectedly walked into this place ... was the day I won the sushi lotto!!! It was a rainy November afternoon and the hubby and I were walking around shopping in the Ginza area. It was around 2pm ... we were hungry and both wanted sushi. We googled and the closest sushi place was SUSHIKO HONTEN. We attempted to enter the place only to be stopped by an employee asking if we had reservations. The last time we were asked this in Japan~ we were told NO SEATS available ... when CLEARLY the entire place was empty!! So in my mind, I was thinking ... great ~~ here we go again ... they don't want to serve "gaijins". (that will be another review). OH HOW WRONG I was ... she was asking b/c she needed to make sure there was ENOUGH fish to serve us as they were finishing up lunch service. After asking the head sushi chef ~ she seated us immediately. We sat and were at the mercy of the chef. We didn't even have a clue how much it would cost! But after the first slice of fish ... I knew I wouldn't care the cost b/c it was THE BEST FISH EVER! My husband ... who does not like abalone KEPT RAVING how deliciously it was prepared! I have to agree ... the abalone was the BEST I've ever had!! YUM!! I think we went after the normal "lunchtime" and didn't have reservations ... we were lucky that we were seated!! I would highly recommend this place ... perhaps a reservation is in order....!

Tried omakase. The whole meal is a little bit too much for us, but each dish is delicious, super fresh and yummy.

Wow an amazing omakase experience. Our Sushi chef - Akira Mizutani was unbelievably talented and friendly. This is a well established restaurant with an outstanding long term reputation that is still on top of its game.

This place gets two stars as for the price, you can do much better almost anywhere in Tokyo and secondly, if you are not Japanese, you will be treated like you do not belong and will not be served the same food as the others around the counter. Not sure how this restaurant was awarded a Michelin star when there are such better options in the city. Don't base your decision on Michelin in Tokyo.