Kimura

Sushi Kimura Setagaya is a masterclass in aged fish and refined technique. Every ingredient is handled with such precision, from the ultra-fresh fish (never frozen) to the carefully aged selections that bring out deep, complex flavors. The atmosphere is just as memorable as the food—everyone, from the chef to the guests, to the woman who helped us choose our drink pairings, made the experience feel warm and inviting. Each dish was a standout, but a few truly blew my mind. The brandy-marinated swimming crab was unforgettable—the combination of rice, sansho pepper, and clams aged for a week added layers of umami I’ve never tasted before. The tiger fugu shirako bowl was genius; the two puffer fish were only used for the broth, perfectly highlighting the silky richness of the shirako itself. And then there was the oyster sauce risotto, made with Iwate Prefecture Endo No. 4 rice, which was the kind of dish that makes you stop mid-bite just to take it all in. This isn’t just sushi—it’s an experience, and one that I can’t wait to have again.

No one can compare when it comes to aged sushi. The complexity and balance in every fish and nigiri served is intentional and labor-intensive.

A must try ageing sushi experience!!!! Was able to try the aged Crab (3 weeks) and 48 days Makajiki, Buri (2-3weeks?), Ebi (1 week), 筋子(3 weeks), 皮剝 (1 weeks) and Sardine (3 weeks) and more.... all these aged sushi changes its flavour with strong umami taste. The shari was firm and good. The dishes are outstanding ! However feeling like the aged crab was too salty for me.

Amazing omakase. First time that I had aged sushi. Can tell that the sushi taste a little different to usual sushi but everything still taste incredibly fresh and flavours are probably more pronounced. Great service from chef and his staff who does speak some English. Was a little further out of Tokyo but certainly very easy to find via Google maps.

The most famous aged sushi place. Got 2 Michelin stars and 4.39 point on tabelog(10th rank in Tokyo sushi). There is no difference between lunch and dinner omakase course. Chef Kimura san is in charge of 10ppl on counter seats. He prepares otsumami and netas for nigirizushi so quick with his skillful hands. To be honest, otsumami dishes were amazing. Got so intense flavor with never thought combinations of ingredients. But nigiri itself wasn't that good. Rice was a bit undercooked I don't think it was proper al dente. And a few aged neta was too fishy and chewy and some of em were too salty as well. But otsumami course itself was worth to visit. For me, this place is more like innovative restaurant which is good at some sushi rather than sushi restaurant which serve good otsumami dishes.

Great deal on only high end sake and some crazy tasty nigiri but overall aint cut the 110k+ solo price tag

If you are interested in trying a different type of sushi, I would recommend Sushi Kimura in Futako Tamagawa. It’s always a remarkable dining experience at Sushi Kimura no matter which season you go. Chef Kimura develops an one-of-a-kind technique to prepare the aged fish and the sushi rice, hence, the flavor and the texture is transformed into something transcendent. This isn’t the typical Edomae style sushi you’d find on the streets of other parts of Japan. The dinner progressed in the flavor profile he designed. Kimura’s not afraid to serve relatively unknown cuts as long as they are optimal products of the season and of his aging processes. Appetizers were very different; creamed shirako risotto, marinated crab, squid liver, etc. Afterwards, there was the shari simply wrapped by nori. The shari was flavoured with akazu (red vinegar) produced in a small-batch style from Kyoto and has been aged for 3 years. Aged fish sushi was impressive and matched perfectly with okan. One to note: the sake was always warmed up by Chef when you ordered and he tasted it prior to serving you to make sure it matched the dish you were having. Chef is definitely at the top of his game. どの季節に行っても、寿司喜邑ではいつもすばらしい食事を楽しめます。大将は熟成寿司の父と呼ばれて、熟成した魚と寿司飯を準備するためのユニークな技術を開発しています。これは、日本のほかの地域の街で見かける典型的な江戸前スタイルの寿司ではありません。夕食は彼が作った味で進みました。大将は、シーズンと熟成プロセスの最適な製品である限り、魚の比較的未知の部分を提供することを恐れていません。前菜は非常に異なっていました。白子のクリームリゾット、カニのマリネ、イカのレバーなど。その後、海苔に包まれたシャリがありました。シャリは、京都から小バッチスタイルで生産された赤酢で味付けされ、3年間熟成されています。熟成したお寿司は印象的で、おかんにぴったりでした。注文したときは大将が日本酒をいつも温めていたので、彼はそれを味わってから、それがあなたの持っている料理と合っていることを確かめました。大将は間違いなく熟成寿司の世界のトップです。

Dining at the restaurant of the Pioneer of aged sushi, @sushikimurakoji Featuring The appetisers before the nigiri course. Clam soup - sweet with strong umami flavour Abalone risotto - with the abalone liver to give it a nice flavour with a hint of bitterness Sea urchin soba - sweet and briny with chewy soba Grilled Anago - nice, hot and crispy with delicious flavour. Raw Cold blue crab - marinated with brandy and squid guts i think? Nice and salty with natural sweetness from the soft crab meat. Think of the Korean style raw crab, but elevated. Not for people who hate guts. (I am a guts lover) Perfect way to whet your appetite before the nigiri starts Featuring the start of the nigiri Rice and seaweed - when you have rice and seaweed so good you can eat it straight up. The vinegar was able to penetrate right into the core of each grain, making the rice so flavourful and strong. The rice also has some bite which contrasts greatly with the soft aged meats. Squid - nice and sweet with a very creamy finish Shima Aji - nice and tender with a wonderful sweetness and fatty ness Isaki - grunt fish which is usually chewy is beautifully tender with great flavour with Aging Aji - Horse Mackeral so sweet and fatty with just the right amount of lunch from the vinegar cure. Masu - King salmon aged for 1 month until it becomes almost like salmon mousse. So sweet and delicious which pairs beautifully with the rice Kinmedai - Golden Eye snapper aged for 9 days to tenderise the meat and give it a nice sweet flavour Awabi - a huge piece of abalone cut using the wave cutting method to break through the tough fibres and give it a better mouth feel. So tender and delicious, almost like Chinese braised abalone but better. Uni - a mountain of sea urchin and rice to pamper you silly. So sweet and chock full of umami Iwashi - Sardine aged for 9 days to break out the fatty flavour and make it so tender and delicious. I usually hate it because of the fishy ness but this was utterly perfect. Last few pieces Katsuo - Smoked bonito which is marinated quickly in a mustard soy to give it a nice sharpness to cut through the smoky ness and fatty ness of the fish Mekajiki - Swordfish aged for a whopping 57 days. No he is not crazy, he is a mad genius. The swordfish becomes so tender and delicious with a huge umami hit which hits you the moment you bite into it. This to me is his pièce de résistance, his Hail Mary. So damn delicious! Anago - Conger eel grilled perfectly until hot, crispy and delicious Tamago - baked sweet egg omelette to end the wonderful meal Overall, Kimura Sushi gets a whopping 10/10. If you are a sushi aficionado, you have to give ages sushi a try. It may not be for everyone but it’s a must try experience in my book. He is so friendly and his Mother is the sweetest lady you will ever meet. Working hand in hand with her Son to deliver an experience you will never forget!

Aged. Sushi. Aged. Yes. Re-read it. Aged. Now, re-read this: it will be very difficult to obtain a reservation. The whole bar seats about ten. Many we dined with are regulars. Best bet is find a friend or pay a little extra for the concierge service(s). If you have interest in this establishment you know two things already: he is the "Godfather" aged sushi and has two Michelin stars. The food was superb. We chatted a little with the regulars. It began a little quiet and zen like. I was actually in a slight trance watching the Chef do his work. His attention given to guests was great. He doesn't speak too much English but he tried hard to talk and joke with us. His wife (I think) spoke pretty good English and was sweet. There is a uniqueness to the taste of everything. The ginger has no sugar. The rice is more textured because the fish is seems softer. Example: king salmon, darkened looking, almost tasted like smoked salmon without smoke. My guess is a special blend of soy sauces. Very intense savory notes with a more prominent sweetness. Anyway, the vinegar in the ginger means not much is needed in the rice. If you do not eat ginger, please eat the ginger here. It is very well thought out, similar to how proper food pairings are. In general, besides saying it is deliciously spectacular awesomeness, the flavor of the fish is very enhanced. All fish are aged using different methods and for different durations. Save some money, try your best to come here. It is very memorable. It reminded me of an old couples restaurant that you would find in the country, except the sushi and dishes were superb.

One of the few sushi places I never tire of and love coming back to on a regular basis. At other well established sushi restaurants, your meal is dictated by what ingredients are in-season and available at a certain quality level. Here, the palette of ingredients seems never ending. I love Kimura-san's approach to aging and experimentation. The aging process adds additional layers of complexity and intrigue you don't find in other cuisines. Reservations are hard to come by for tourists, but persistence pays off when getting that first reservation. Then it's just a matter of choosing when you'll reserve your next visit before even heading home!

One of the best sushi experience I have ever had in the world. This is the SUSHI, Kimura san knows what he's doing. I hate when people say "oh this fish is so fresh" and they do not know anything about sushi or sashimi. Kimura san has told me the importance of aging and why he does use the method of aging for his sushi. Fish aging sounds very unique and new techniche yet, it is actually very traditional method that Japanese sushi restaurants carrying over from their ancestors. If you ever visit Japan, you have to try Kimura san's sushi even though it's not easy to make a resevation here. It will blow your mind. This is the sushi.

The master of aged sushi. Dinner was delicious and a good new experience. We've had aged sushi before but not at this caliber. This place is actually ran by the sushi master Kimura and his mother. Both are very kind and entertaining. I wish I was able to speak Japanese to understand his work.