Kojimachi Nihee

I loved Inomata in Saitama and was so excited to see the shop moved to Kojimachi. No items whatsoever are allowed on the counter as well as no photos. I understand the sensitive nature of these wooden counters. As a result my partner and I make sure to bring a dedicated small tatami mat to place a phone on. This tatami mat protects the wood by design and has been appreciated by nearly every fine dining restaurant with hinoki wood counters. While a little annoying I can't fault a chef for enforcing his standards. The chirashi offered for takeaway is like no other! Truly. I should also note that I ran late to my first reservation because I made a mistake with my calendar time zone. I tried calling and having my concierge call but received no response. I still showed up (18 min late) and found the doors locked. I tried calling again and contacting them to apologize and at the very least explain what happened but none of my calls went through and I had no way of contacting them. As a result I have since been unable to book this restaurant on Omakase, no doubt as a result of my "no-show." While I do not fault the restaurant for blacklisting no-shows I do think some way to make any contact with the restaurant should be made available. Life happens and while I can accept the consequences of my own errors I don't know how I would feel if I had I received the same response if, say I had gotten into a car accident. Being uncontactable and subsequently punishing can be a bit unfair.

I used to visit Sushi Inomata at the Kawaguchi location every time I came to Tokyo — it was my favourite sushi restaurant. When I found out that the chef had opened a new restaurant in Tokyo, I knew I had to check it out. Our group of four was warmly welcomed by the chef at the entrance, and everything from start to finish was outstanding. My friend and I even ordered an extra piece of kawahagi sushi at the end. The prices are higher now, but that’s understandable given the higher rent in Tokyo compared to Kawaguchi. Overall, I had a fantastic experience and will definitely come back the next time I’m in Tokyo. P.S. Please note that taking photos is not allowed at this new location.

Best sushi I’ve had in Tokyo, the chef understands ingredients very well, impressed! The environment is super clean too.

Sushi Inomata has moved to a new location into Tokyo while the original shop searches for a chef to manage. The course is the same as in Kawaguchi, 16 nigiri + maki + tamago, except no pictures are permitted. However, the price is almost doubled from before the move 🫠.

Outrageously poor service. To put it simply, the chef provided differentiated treatment to patrons, presumably based on the amount of money spent. Patrons who ordered sake (two to three times, to the best of my recollection) received a cordial 'どうぞ' each time a nigiri was served. On the other hand, an unwelcomingly cold face was displayed with no 'どうぞ' or whatsoever uttered in my case, with only a glass of tea ordered. One couldn't help but correlate the blatant behaviour of the chef with the exorbitant pricing, which is set much higher than at least 90% of its competitors in Tokyo. If you, who are reading this, tend to order sake more than once in an omakase experience, go ahead and visit the place. If not, be prepared to face some unwarranted treatment you are unlikely to have encountered elsewhere.

A special experience. Very warm service that made us feel welcome. High quality ingredients and obvious mastery. I would definitely recommend despite the high price.

After visiting a handful of high end sushi restaurants in Tokyo, this is what I considered a real unique experience. The chef and his wife made sure that the guests are welcomed, (as a non Japanese speaker, this is the most I’ve ever communicated with the staff) and taken care of (translation of fish is really good). The food is impeccable - loved the aji, crab, uni, sea bass and… everything. It’s on the pricy side but worths every penny. The chair is really comfortable, the interior is gorgeous and spacious. Will definitely come back.

Nigiri focused omakase, best quality fish, best chefs, best service. You cannot go wrong booking here!