Minato City

Such a wonderful birthday dinner here at Sushisho Masa. The restaurant was a little tricky to find. We got there about 30 minutes early. Our reservations were at 9PM. They don't start seating you until about 5 minutes before your reservation time since the group before is finishing up their omakase. We waited in their small hallway. Our meal took about 3 hours with about 45 dishes. The interaction with the chef and his helpers were great. They were knowledgable on the fish, showed us pictures on what region it came from and even had a diagram of the part of the fish we were eating. Limited seats to 6-7. Be sure to make reservations online. Fun expereince having the chef hand you nigiri directly. We left the dinner extremely full and sleepy (due to the jet lag). The helpers ask if we were still hungry. If we were, they would continue the omakase but add additional charges. Fabulous first meal to Japan and a great way to celebrate my birthday!

Omakase sushi/sashimi restaurant near Roppongi in Tokyo, Located in the basement level of a building. Serves two groups of up to 7 customers per night, since there are only 7 seats at the counter. Need to be booked well in advance. During the 3 hour dining session, Chef Masa and his 4 assistants/apprentices served up nearly 60 different pieces sushi, sashimi, and other items, one piece at a time. Each item is expertly prepared in front of you (if it's not grilled) and the chef and assistants will explain what kind of seafood each piece is. Two of the assistants spoke English, and the chef himself can understand a bit as well. Some of the courses are also paired with different kinds of sake. It's a 3-hour culinary experience. My favorites were some of the grilled fish, the grilled octopus slices, and the tuna pieces. With that many courses, there are ones that are more strange and won't be liked by everybody. We had more than one serving of shirako (fish sperm sac). I found it tolerable but somebody in our group really did not like it. You can request not to be served certain items if you know beforehand. The prepaid booking fee was around 31000 yen per person, and then we paid another 5000 yen per person at the restaurant for drinks and different omakase ingredients. 36000 yen total which is $240 USD. Most expensive meal I've had on the trip by far, but it's worth the experience one time. A decent omakase place in the US probably cost at least that much too.

I can't believe it's been over 3 years since we last dined here. I can confidently state that nothing has changed. Masa san's omakase still sends chills down my spine with each course. I still had to waive the white flag after course 30 something but I was glad to witness the entire set as my friends could put down an obscene amount of food. I was so happy to hear they would be serving purple uni. Though we had red uni here years back, nothing compares to the purple. Thought I've dined here in the past, landing a reservation without a local number or contact is impossible. If you are a tourist it's best to contact the concierge and have them try to get you in for an awesome meal. Oh and I was finally able to try the purple uni ... simply amazing!

Chef Oka is a master of his craft and it's a feeling of pure joy and amazement watching him expertly prepare each piece of sushi. I tasted flavors of the ocean that I didn't know was possible. The respect, passion and love he shows for his work is so admirable and inspiring. Our entire dinner lasted almost 3 hours and every second was so worth it. He has quite the international staff so it's totally fine if you don't speak any Japanese. They take time to explain what each piece is and how to best enjoy it. The restaurant seats 7 guests at a time and it's tucked away in the basement with no apparent door sign. A true hidden gem in every sense of the word.

I found out about Sushisho Masa from my brother. The idea of ~3 hours and over 50 different pieces of sushi sounded incredible! I read that it can be difficult to get reservations here without being local, but luckily I was able to obtain one through my credit card concierge. Place can also be somewhat difficult to find if you don't know Japanese. As you enter the doorway, there will be stairs going down immediately to your left. The restaurant itself is small, seating only 7. Chef Masa only speaks a little English, but the two staff working with him (I know one was from Sweden) speak English very well. In addition to this, they also have a book and will show you pictures of the item you are about to eat. The service here was amazing! Everyone was incredibly knowledgeable and the pacing of the meal was perfect. I never had to wait too long between each course. Come to Sushisho Masa hungry. They offer over 50 courses here, along with a beer or sake pairing if you choose. They stated they had less variety than usual due to the hurricane in the area. Despite this, I still had pieces I've never had before: octopus sperm, the lining of some type of clam, etc. It's incredible how they use the different parts of the fish. I've been to multiple omakase dinners in the past. This exceeded all of those easily. This was honestly the best meal I've had in my life. If you're willing to splurge a bit (over $350), definitely try and get a seat at Sushisho Masa!

How do I NOT have a review for this place? This is the best sushi bar, hands down. Even with the hefty price tag. I've been here at least 3 times now and each time the sushi chef prepares the sushi just the way I like it. He asks for your preference and what you can and can't eat. He'll ask you the reasons too because if it's a reason that doesn't fly with him, he'll make something for you to try anyways. As for me, I'm SUPER picky with my sushi. I can only have a select few raw. The rest must be cooked in some fashion. No problem for chef. He'll prepare it just the way I like it. Don't like wasabi? Don't worry. He won't put it in, but he'll still make you try some. I did and I don't like wasabi, but I can have the wasabi at this place. Very strange. My friend, on the other hand, can eat EVERYTHING. So chef serves everything! Chef will check with you how many more pieces you can eat as you go along. OH so yes, this is omakase (chef choice) only. You can't order individual pieces you want. You'll just have to eat whatever he serves and you pay at the end whatever he charges. Beware though. He doesn't accept reservations from foreigners. You have to book through your hotel. He's really picky about no-shows since he only has 7 seats. A no-show is no-good.

My friend and I came 30 minutes early but the seats weren't ready for us until few minutes (5-7 minutes) after our appointment time. Normally, in these type of cases, we would have been a little annoyed given the humidity in the waiting area. However, our experience made us forget any annoyance that we had as soon as we sat down. We were greeted with a warm towel and the omakase started right away. To be frank, not every single piece fit my taste buds. However, after trying what I believe to be some quality raw fish at the Tsukiji Market couple of hours before the Masa experience, nothing in Tsukiji compared to what I had at Masa. I truly appreciated the chef's incredible skill every time something caught me by surprise, like how the squid had the texture of cream! Even the pieces that I thought I could never try were absolutely delicious. For people who do not know anyone in Japan, I suggest making the reservation at the Pocket Concierge website. Most hotels or hostels are not willing to make a reservation due to the cancellation charge. Most highly recommend for anyone visiting Tokyo!

48 hours after dining here, I still can't quite find the words to fully describe my experience. Put simply, it was a front row exhibition of master craftsmanship and hospitality from Chef Masa and his crew. Dinner was a symphony of seafood, with many different pieces and occasionally thoughtfully distinct "movements" within certain pieces: served grilled vs raw, inner layer vs outer layer, salted vs sweetened. Dinner was an award winning play: the ankimo, the nodoguro, the katsuo, the uni, the toro, and the 50+ pieces of seafood were the captivating actors of the evening, with Masa-san as the genius playwright. Dinner was an elegant dance performance: Chef Masa's fingers moved gracefully and nimbly as they waltzed from the vinegared rice to the fish to the freshly grated wasabi to the sweet soy sauce. Dinner was an relentlessly mesmerizing novel: each piece begot the next, and I was so curious to find out what was next. Even after 50+ dishes, I did not want to stop. And as the wistful old adage says, all good things must come to an end. Thus too did my first meal at Sushi Sho Masa draw to curtain close with heartfelt audience gratitude and appreciation. Yet like many other books, performances, and meals, there are usually sequels - similarly if not more enjoyable ones, too. So thank you, Sushi Sho Masa, for this delightful evening. I look forward to coming back.

The sushi restaurant is located near the Nishiazabu intersection. There are only 7 counter seats. When I visited there, the two of five seats were foreigners who were not able to speak Japanese. One of sushi chefs was trilingual and he communicated among Chinese, Japanese and English. The course is only rely course called "Omakase." The top sushi chef whose name is Masa is one of the best sushi chef. His Sushi is delicate and tasty. That is the art! We enjoy eating not only sushi but excellent fish dishes. Although the cost is expensive, you can eat a real Sushi called "Edomae."

THE BEST ! I just had 55+ different pieces of sushi, some of which were the best I have ever had in my life. I've been to most of the 4-5 star Omakase's in New York City, Hawaii, and California, etc... and this one is tops. ALSO Better than that pretentious, grumpy, foreigner-hating old man in the movie. The servings were magnificent, using so many different fish, and sometimes different styles of preparation, and different sections of the same fish. Some pieces require so much effort but you notice the effort when you place it in your mouth. Then you close your eyes and nod approvingly, while making soft sounds like you would hear from an erotic movie. Let me see what I can remember... fugu, firefly squid poached, firefly squid baked, Chu-toro, O-toro, tuna, sea trout, sea grapes, tamago, ankimo (best I ever had), aji, kohada, ebi, mirugai, mirugai stomach, hotate, three other clams, kin-medai, scallop fringes, red uni, purple uni, east Hokkaido uni, anago served three ways, whale tongue, ika, horsehair crab.... and twenty others... My hotel concierge procured this reservation for me seven weeks ahead of my visit. Grand Nikko Daiba is an excellent hotel. Close to food, shopping, bus, train, theater, etc... You gotta come here, but you have to bring two things, $300 and a huge appetite. You won't regret it. They are really nice there, they tell you what every piece is and even show you in their book of fish. They take their time, I was here about 2.5 hours. You're allowed to take pictures of anything and everything, and their English is okay, the important thing is they try. I can't wait to come back.

One of my favorite sushi spots in Tokyo for a welcoming staff and atmosphere, English speaking staff (at least one on hand and the chef also understands a little) and high quality at a lower price tag sushi. Depending on how much you eat + drink, the cost can range from $200 and up. I haven't broken the $300 target yet. The chef says his repertoire consist of over 50, yes 50! dishes! I think the longest streak I had was 25 and I was obnoxiously full. Highly recommend this place. The offerings change with the season and their spring season is my favorite. Winter tends to be more white, strong oily fishes with vinegar sushi. Enjoy!

We were super lucky and fortunate to secure a reservation. The waiting list for this place is half year long. The chef only serves 7 people at time. Each morning, the preparation starts at 10 and then dinner begins at 6pm. The omakase style dinner starts with some sea weed and sea grapes. Then follow by so many different exotic fishes that I could not remember their names(including few different kinds of fish sperms). Anyway, this is definitely one of life time experience for me. I enjoyed everything. Our bill was 50800 yen. It was worth every penny. The restaurant is hiding downstairs. It is very quiet and small. After open the sliding door, gently note the stuff that you are here, don't just walk in. The head chef speaks a little English. One of his assistant chef speaks English, Chinese and Japanese. They will explain all the dishes, some have pictures on a fish book.

I just wish I could give this restaurant more stars. This meal changed my life. I chose this place deliberately because all the overhyped Michelin starred Sushi restaurants - like Jiro - will provide you with a 300$, 20 minutes experience with no more than 15 pieces and they will shove you out the door, and you will probably not be served the really special stuff they are serving to regulars, just because they believe you do not know what you are eating and they are wasting it on you. You will literally see your seat neighbour being served special cuts you will not be able to indulge in. Back to Masa. I only managed to get a reservation through govoyagin, because I was not staying at a hotel and these types of restaurants do not accept reservations from foreigners, due to them being prone to not show up or not know what kind of restaurant this is. I shared the small place with 6 others, strangers but very friendly people and we all left as friends. This meal bonded us together. I was served somewhat between 40 and 50 courses, I lost count. It was a near 3 hour experience. Chef Masakatsu Oka speaks good english and he and his apprentices explain to you in detail what you are eating, using a seafood encyclopedia. I had everything from clam ovaries to fish liver, fatty o toro and the best uni I have ever had. And we even got 3 different uni dishes. Me and my neighbour both shed a tear at the same dishes. If you love sushi, and I do not mean california rolls with cucumber and cream cheese, you will be blown away. You will be ruined for sushi, but it is worth it. I have eaten a lot a lot a lot of sushi and this is something else. And it was cheap compared to the rest of the restaurants with the 20 minute discriminating experience. With sake and loads of green tea I paid 27.000 yen. If you can, go. If you are deciding where to go on your trip, go. Seriously. Both the chef and his apprentices are the nicest people, pictures are allowed but do not let a piece of fish on the plate longer than a few seconds. And please do not be like the honeymoon couple from L.A. who wanted to have their sushi spicy with chili flakes, drowning the pieces in soy sauce after being told to eat them as they are, without seasoning, or taking the pieces apart to get rid of something they did not want to eat. It was embarrassing. UPDATE September 2016: This place still blows me away. Masakatsu Oka remembered what I had last time and provided me with a new unique experience. UPDATE 2017: It has been 4 visits now, Masakatsu Oka still baffles me with his skill.

My favorite sushi place in the world so far!! (Sushi Yasuda and Sushi Azabu in New York were my favorite before Sushisho Masa) Service: 5 stars I ate almost 53 pieces of sushi/sashimi for the duration of 2.5 hours. For every piece, the chef would explain to me what it was and how to eat it in English and a support staff would open a book and show me what fish it was and what cut of the fish it was. Another staff kept a close eye on my tea and replenished it regularly so my green tea never got cold. Quite attentive, patient and gracious hosts! The chef was quite funny and lively quite contrary to my previous expectations of a dedicated top-notch sushi chef. Food: 5 stars There were so many rare types/cuts of delicious fish/seafood I've never had in my life. Nothing disappointed me. My absolute favorite piece was the Hokkaido Purple Uni! It was so sweet, creamy, and umani that you felt like you have "died" and gone to sushi heaven lol also I like the fact that rice was smaller portion than the ones in most other places. The only thing I thought could maybe improve was that in some pieces, my sushi rice was a bit dry. But nevertheless, food was top-notch. Highly recommend: Hokkaido Purple Uni Tamagoyaki

Very enjoyable experience, even in the center of the universe of all things sushi. Given the quality, the quantity and just the great positive vibe given by Masa and his staff, price paid was well worth it. 2-3 hours of pure sushi bliss. They tried very hard to explain ALL the fish that was served, ...but to be frank, after a while, I just simply nodded my head and was already in anticipation for the next bite. "...I really don't care what you're serving me...let me just eat it!" I would definitely come here again when I'm in Tokyo. Pointers : Do have your hotel concierge make a reservation on your behalf WELL ahead of time (3 months for me)....

Staggeringly wonderful. This was certainly the best sushi I've ever had. It was truly the experience I have always dreamed of having. As pretty much all the reviews have stated, it's tiny, intimate and unique. The plating and preparation was artfully done and the fish was perfect. We started with the Okinawa sea grapes which were both beautiful and delicious. I definitely had some things I've never had before and would be lucky to have again. We had three kinds of Uni from Hokkaido, all different areas, textures and flavors. Ankimo, Shad, baby Shad, Ebi, Chu toro, Otoro, mackerel of several types and cuts, abalone, scallop, sardine, clam, Ebi head, brain, tamago and more. I am not embarrassed to say that I absolutely pigged out. It was an exceptional experience and I learned a lot about fish, sushi and even how to eat it properly. They kindly put up with my gaijin ways and educated me without making me feel stupid or ignorant. I'm so honored we were able to try this place since only 7 seats are available. If I could eat here regularly, I would love to make that happen. I would highly suggest coming in here and letting the chef guide you without any restrictions. You will try things you've never had and will probably like also. The skill involved here was unmatched. I did feel I was in the presence of not only a master, but an artist and a genius of flavor and texture. This was the sushi experience I was hoping to have and I cannot thank this team enough for being so patient and friendly. Wow. What a meal! I was so full but ate several pieces past my maximum because it seemed a crime to stop. You would expect such high level service to be snobby or unapproachable but it was quite the opposite. Well worth any effort or wait.

Eating at Sushisho Masa is dinner and entertainment combined. I was on my Honeymoon and was fortunate enough to get front row seats to see Chef Oka perform which was easily the dinning highlight of my trip. The sushi is unlike anything I have ever eaten. Chef Oka has different techniques for different fishes. Some he ages, and some prepared fresh. We also had no restrictions on what we couldn't eat, so Chef Oka didn't have to adjust or modify anything for us. If you do have restrictions, they will ask you ahead of time. Words cannot describe the sushi, so just come experience it yourself! Some tips for anyone wanting to dine here: -Book in advance/ 1 month+ -They do not take reservations from foreigners -Although they take credit cards, they prefer cash -Pictures are permitted, but I'd suggest putting down the camera and enjoy Chef Oka's performance. -English friendly -Be prompt Also on my visit, 2 guest from Singapore behaved so badly. They arrived late, didn't eat the sushi placed by the Chef until 5 or 10 min's later, started texting and emailing (while still sitting there), They totally messed up the timing of dishes. But even with all this happening Chef Oka was still able to keep track of what dishes needed to be served. Please don't be these guest (I'm sure these guest know who they are...lol). At the end of the night, I was able to stuff down about 50 pieces of sushi. My wife however stopped around 43. If you want an exceptional sushi experience from a Great Chef, Sushisho Masa is the place! P.S. I earned Chef Oka's business card at the end!!! =)

I had the best meal in my life here! All the sushi and sashimi were super fresh! The choices of seafood was the highest standard. I will say that be prepared to fork out US$230 per pax, but meal is worth it. We ate omakase style for close to 3 hours! What you pay for is a once in a lifetime experience. Also I recommend reserving a seat 2 weeks in advance.

Sushisho Masa offered wide range of choices according to your preference (if you have any). Food flows constantly to you with typical Edomae style sushi and other kinds of sushi. Chef and staff keep you very well educated on what we are eating, such fish type, fish cut, how the meat is prepared, and other interesting facts that goes along with each of the dish. There is never a dull moment during my meal. Quality of the fish is top notch. While I am very satisfied on my experience, I also felt very sad that I probably won't find such good sushi place after my Japan trip. This meal will change my way of eating sushi in the future.

What a fantastic restaurant and experience this is! We had high expectations coming here after reading all the good reviews. And we were not not disappointed. Actually the opposite, they were triumphed by reality. The staff are most accommodating and we were able to make a reservation on a fairly short notice. We had a reservation for 9pm which made us the last seating for the night and gave us plenty of time to thoroughly enjoy the atmosphere, the tableware, the sake and obviously every piece of culinary art that was placed in front of us. If you have the opportunity to come here, I am confident that you won't regret it.

Had dinner here last night and woke up still dreaming about my experience at Sushiso masa :) A symphony of incredible flavors directed by Master chef and his incredible team. The flow of the meal was perfect. Taking you up down and sideways though different flavor profiles and textures. How can fish bones taste so good. Fish sperm was mindblowing. The Edo style marinated sushi was a real treat. Many types of fish that I had not tried before expertly described ( which fish, which piece of the fish, and where it was caught) with pictures. Trying so hard to remember everything. Bravo !!!

There have only been a handful of times in life where I've been so full that I've been afraid to see food. My experience at Sushisho Masa definitely got that stage and that's not a bad thing! We came here after watching The Jiro documentary. However, rather than wanting to spend $350+/person on a 20-25 minute meal, we wanted something that would last longer to allow us to enjoy the food. We found Sushisho Masa through a YouTube channel (EatYourKimchi) we followed and decided to make a reservation. The whole dining are is very small, about 8 seats in total, all in front of the sushi chef. So reservations would definitely be the safest play. I lost count after the 1 hour of our 2 hour meal, but I'm sure we had over 20 courses each course consisting of 1 or more pieces of sashimi and/or sushi. I've tried fish that I've never heard of in my life, and they were amazing. I believe my girlfriend had preordered us a set menu, but we couldn't finish it. After 2 hours of eating I had to throw in the towel and let the chef know that he had beat me. I'm still salty over my loss. To give you perspective, we were the first to arrive and began eating promptly around 7:05 pm. A party of 2 came in at 7:15 and another at 7:30 and by 9pm we were still the only ones eating. I was full at about 8:30, and figured the set menu was close to ending so decided to wait it out. Imagine the horror I felt as he continued to make more. I was hoping my gesture of unbuckling my belt would show I was hitting my limit but it kept coming! I couldn't tell if the parties next to us were staring out out of awe or disgust but it didn't matter. The food was amazing. Would I want but again? For sure. But next time I will be sure to let the chef know when I'm full. My body cannot continue to take such punishment, regardless of how enjoyable the food

Here's the thing; you're going to have an incredible meal, that's for sure. However, there were a couple things that made the encounter a little awkward. First off, we were running late to Tokyo from our previous destination due to weather so we called ahead to notify them, asking if we should reschedule because we didn't want to be rude. They replied that it was okay to arrive late, so we showed up thirty minutes after our scheduled reservation. When we walked in the whole staff became wide eyed and kicked us out immediately like we had made a huge faux pas. There was no one at the door and the man on phone gave no instruction so it's not like we had any idea that we weren't supposed to just walk in. Then we waited, which was understandable; we were the ones who were late, after all. After we were finally seated, I noticed that we were definitely given less attention than the other guests by the head chef, which was frustrating. I just wish that if this were going to be the case, that they had just rescheduled us instead. My mother, who I was dining with, also noted that everyone else besides the head chef (including staff) was a foreigner, which didn't bother me, but it seemed to affect her trust in the establishment. She still says to this day that the place was a tourist trap. And then at the end of the meal, I received a bill from the staff. Because we had already paid in full when we made the reservation, I was confused. But apparently I had "overeaten" so I was charged an extra $50! I had read from other reviews and blogs that the course included 45-50 pieces until the chef says no more which was what I did. I will admit that I forced the last 10 pieces down even though I was really full because I wanted to try everything, but little did I know that it cost me more money! So we ended up paying $300+ per person, no alcohol. And to make things worse, because I didn't expect to pay again when we arrived, I didn't have enough cash on me so that was just an all-around embarrassing situation, between getting a bill for "overeating" and having them just accept my credit card because they didn't want me to leave to go to an ATM nearby. So in the end, do I think the meal was worth it? A somewhat hesitant yes, considering the length of dinnertime (2.5 hrs even after we showed up late), the way each and every one of the 50 pieces was meticulously prepared, and the inarguable quality of fish. The food itself was absolutely 5/5. But the restaurant loses a star from me because the service put a damper on the experience. Thankfully, there are so many world-class sushi restaurants in Tokyo, so there's no need to go through that again.

My husband had his heart set on Sushi Saito but after trying and trying my coworker could not get us reservations. She heard this place was good and decided to make reservations for our anniversary meal. We were going to be in Tokyo for just two days. This place did not disappoint. I could not have been any happier with her choice!! Chef Oka knows how to turn a meal into an unforgettable experience. With each item they showed us pictures of the fish from this book. I tasted things I have never tasted before. There were so many items I could not keep track. I did upload all the items I could eat so enjoy the pictures. Each item was super fresh and tasty. I noticed Chef Oka loves to add a drop of lime to his pieces. A few things I never had before, sea grapes, red uni, sweetest giant clam, sweetest shrimp, sweetest abalone. I thought Hokkaido uni was sweet. The red uni is even sweeter. I heard there is purple uni so hopefully when we come back they will have the purple uni. I ate 43 items and that was not the entire meal. My husband was able to put down 50 something pieces. The couple next to us were still going. According to the staff there is about 65 items for the omakase. You can see that Chef Oka is very passionate about what he does. Each item was made with love. Too bad we don't speak any Japanese. Throughout the entire meal he was chatting it up with the couple next to us. He was very happy and had a good energy as he prepared each piece. His staff is very tentative and sweet. I must have drank at least 10 cups of green tea. For anyone that loves sushi, do try to make it out here. Worth every penny.

This place DESERVES all the 5 star reviews that were given. Everything everyone else wrote about the food, the service, the ambiance, the personable chef and staff ... ALL TRUE!!! It was a DELIGHT to have had the opportunity to sit and consume what was served!! He presented dishes outside the "norm" and we LOVED EVERY BIT of it!!!! CANNOT wait to go back!!! We went around the new year -- and learned many businesses close for the Christmas/New Year holiday. We were fortunate enough to have stayed beyond the normal holiday closure and was able to reserve a date that worked for us!!!

I've ruined myself. This was my first omakase experience, and if you've read any of the other reviews, they're all accurate. The Sushisho Masa experience is truly a 5-star experience. Go big or go home, amirite? Miraculously, I was able to lock up a reservation through https://www.govoyagin.com/ for $45, 8 or 9 days out from the date of our dinner. I highly recommend making a reservation at least months in advance. When you roll up to the address, you'll question whether or not you're in the right place as the 'restaurant' is set below ground in a very unassuming building in Rappongi. Don't worry, walk downstairs and there you'll find ye treasure. Pro tip via Eliter Stephanie H.: grab a seat front and center or on the left side to be served by Chef Masakatsu Oka. The two furthest seats on the right, facing the chef are served by his apprentice. But let's be real, with only seven bar stools in the entire place, there ain't a bad seat in the house. For the next 3 hours, we were bombarded by incredible pieces of fish, some local to the waters of Japan, others to the far depths of the ocean. All insanely fresh and prepared with absolute mastery. Having the opportunity to watch Chef Oka and his apprentices work was an honor and quite the show. Ultimately, decided to throw in the towel before I made myself sick and ruined the experience. If I go back, I'll definitely make myself puke, bro.

Absolutely the best omakase experience I have ever had. Much better than any of the Michelin star places! Every piece of sushi was exquisite! I wish I had more room in my stomach to eat more. The service can only be described as five star. The chef and staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. They can speak English and explain how each piece of sushi is prepared and are also more than happy to answer any questions you have. If you want an unforgettable experience come here. They take reservations up to three months in advance (I used pocket concerige to book)and they fill up fast as they only have 7 seats and 2 services per day.

Just make a reservation. If you are a foodie, love sushi, or just love anything Japan, just go. 7 seat place. You can make reservation through a concierge. Place is not hard to find just Google it. Had 40+ omakase course. Didn't disappoint. They have staff who speaks English so you can have stone explanation on what you are eating. One of the best dining experience I ever had. So just go!

Everything I wanted and more. Chef Masa handles every piece of fish personally and his knife skills are on full display throughout the meal. Over 50 bites that didn't stop until the very end of our allotted time (and after one couple from the next seating already came in). The staff was incredibly attentive and informative. Two of them spoke great English and added interesting context for various dishes or showed us pictures of what the fish looked like. The uni was the best I've ever tasted, by far. I was always someone who didn't love the taste of uni, but this meal changed my mind. We had three different unis prepared in three separate ways and all of them were showstoppers. There was another dish that was a grilled fish with a huge mound of fresh wasabi (much more mellow than than what you're probably used to) and citrus that was my favorite bite of the night. Unfortunately forgot to write down the type of fish after they told me. The price wasn't cheap, and we racked up another $75 in surcharges (I assume most of that was from the two sakes we ordered). But my girlfriend and I didn't regret a dime and talked about the experience for the rest of the night. Would recommend to anyone who is looking for a fun, casual, non-rushed splurge dinner in Tokyo. We booked using Pocket Concierge about two months in advance.

5 stars for value alone. I don't think I'll ever be able to find another restaurant serving up such top quality omakase with so many servings for the price. At around $200 per person, we were offered 40+ different pieces until we were completely full, but a party next to us kept going for another 30 mins or so. Unlike other famous sushi restaurants in Tokyo, the chefs won't stop offering you sushi until you're completely satisfied. You will be paying the same price regardless of how much you eat so come with a big appetite. Compared to similar quality restaurants in the US, you'll find a much wider range of offerings here. The beginning of our meal was pretty shellfish heavy, with the chefs offering us bits and pieces of clams cooked in a variety of ways. Local Japanese fish and uni are offered towards the middle and end of the meal. The toro mille feuille was a standout dish! Alcohol was surprisingly reasonably priced. An order of sake (4 small sake glasses full) ran roughly 1300 yen. The meal with a generous amount of sake ended up costing roughly $250 total per person. Language barrier is not an issue here for foreigners. Most of the staff speaks English to some degree and one of them is a native Mandarin speaker. Reservations are required and should be booked well in advance since the restaurant can only sit a handful of people. We made a reservation through our hotel concierge 2 months ahead of our reservation date.

I will never be able to see sushi in the same way. I'm not sure how to really describe what Chef Masa helped me experience. It's different for everyone. I entered the establishment and was immediately graced with a hot towel, green tea, and the started of seaweed and sea grapes. My tea cup was never empty, since the staff was always aware and constantly replacing it for me. My eating surface was always clean for the same reason. Chef Masa and his crew knew exactly how to best satisfy my palate by judging my reactions to certain dishes. After making a remark about how I enjoyed the rich creaminess of their marinated shrimp, I was graced with a series of courses directly tailored to me. Octopus liver, fish liver, uni. In total I was served almost 60 pieces of sushi and each one was an experience for my tongue and for my mind. It was so interesting to see Chef Masa work and to explore the differences in each piece of sushi. I learned more about fish than I knew there was to learn. We were led to taste how some fishes change taste based on age, and how grilling a fish or leaving it raw changes the flavor. How different pieces of the same fish can be vastly different. It was an experience I can't quite piece together in words. I hope to come back and see what Chef Masa will have for me next time.

This is a phenomenal way to become learned in sushi while you are in the sushi capital of the world. It is a pretty easy reservation to get (there are only seven or eight seats total, all at the sushi bar) and chef Masakatsu Oka is by far the most personable person I met during my trip. I'll preface by saying that the pinpoint meticulousness wasn't quite what you would experience at Jiro, but certain pieces I did enjoy here more than at Jiro (such as the sea urchin). Not to mention that it's far and away greater than what you will find in the United States. Plus, his vendor is the same as Jiro's (Tsukiji Fish Market, which I also recommend visiting). You also spend half the money you would at Jiro and get double the pieces. While I didn't feel "rushed" at Jiro (as there is a method to the quick service), it is true you can expect to spend around 20 to 30 minutes there. At Sushi Sho Masa, our meal lasted close to three hours, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. It is a small establishment, but it works perfectly as part of the experience (who wants to eat at a bustling, loud restaurant anyhow?). As the meal consists of up to around 40 pieces, many delicacies were unexpected (some of the offerings may surprise you). Chef Masa and his staff are extremely attentive and personable to you, taking the time to indicate what every piece is before serving it, as well as explaining the seasonality of it, providing pictures of the original fish, and diagrams of how it is prepared. They also tell you if you should include soy sauce with each piece. The conversation was very back-and-forth, and even a few regulars who dined while we were there included us in their conversation with the staff. I can't find any fault with this restaurant and as I said, it could have served as a one-stop shop to sushi education during our trip across Japan. And I was not made to feel rude or discourteous when I couldn't quite finish every piece because I was so full. The staff thanked us many times for our patronage and made us feel right at home. Probably the most enjoyable restaurant experience I've ever had and I would instantly revisit here rather than try a new place if I went back to Japan.

One of the most beautiful dining experiences. Could I be mad about Sushisho Masa ruining sushi for me the rest of my life? Not at all, as it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all! We made reservations a month in advance through a local Japanese friend as they don't take walk-ins, and I believe they take 2 dinner seatings an evening. There are only 8 seats total in the restaurant, all directly in front of Chef Masakatsu Oka. Almost needless to say, omakase changes daily based on the fish/seafood available freshest that day. Sliced and assembled deliberately and artfully just seconds before each bite. Chef Oka would serve us each piece, tell us the Japanese name, and offer us some tid-bits of info on it if he had any to share (i.e., where it's sourced, if it's a winter fish, etc.)--all with a warm and genuine smile. Then one of his apprentices will follow with a book and show us the fish we're eating. I would say we ate about 30+ pieces of sushi in the end and drank maybe 3 orders of sake with our meal. We did not take any photos as to not be rude or blatantly touristy, and focused on savoring every piece of sushi placed in front of us. There were several instances where I almost wanted to cry it was so good--and just the realization that I've never actually had "good" sushi before. (And I've lived in LA and live in NY where I've spent quite a pretty penny on sushi before--much more than this meal! It just doesn't compare...) My only disappointment was that my stomach couldn't take more! Definitely one of the meals that will go down in history in my memory. I definitely believe it was fairly priced (especially because a meal like that would've cost double in NYC), and it's worth every penny of the splurge. Even with our rounds of sake! Just an overall outstanding meal!

I cannot say enough how amazing this experience was!! The sushi is the best that we have ever had and we've definitely been ruined for any sushi we'll eat in the future! The Chef and his apprentices describe all of the fish they serve and how it should be eaten (alone, just wasabi, just a little soy sauce, etc). Everyone was so friendly and we had an amazing end to our Tokyo trip! Definitely happy we did this at the end and not the beginning because the rest of the sushi we ate would've been sub par to this experience. We booked through the concierge at our hotel 2 months before our trip and definitely recommend doing that to secure your time and date as there are only 7 seats in the entire restaurant. Let me help you out with the location...the restaurant is to the right of another sushi restaurant and it is in the basement. It is not at street level like we thought. Look for the wine box outside of the front door and the restaurant is down the stairs on the left. You'll be walking through blue curtains. Enjoy the experience!!

Be prepared to spend 2-3 hours here but well worth the wait. Made reservations through my credit card concierge service. Think the bill for two and LOTS of sake ended up being around $500 USD. But well worth the price especially since it's about the same (or possibly a bit less) for lesser quality in San Francisco.

The best sushi I have ever had. Everything is butter and melts in your mouth! It's so, so, so amazing! We booked 2 months in advance, we got our hotel in Japan to book for us because you need to speak fluent Japanese. There are no walk ins. The restaurant can only seat 7 people. Chef Masa is very talented and lets you know how to eat every piece of sushi/sashimi, whether to use wasabi, wasabi + soy sauce OR as is. Chef Masa and his apprentices will also let you know what kind of fish it is and show you from a book. Chef Masa also makes sure you don't leave hungry, he'll ask you periodically if you're full or how hungry you are. Highly recommended!!!

I ate here in 2014! It was magnificent. I really enjoyed how chef Masa explained every fish we ate. He knows enough English so you won't feel left out. I would recommend coming here to eat sushi if you can. Though the price is high, it's well worth it. Important! Don't forget to make your reservation in advance.

Amazing 2 hour dinning experience. You will never see sushi the same. Food was great and staff was so nice. They explained all the fish to us in English, even referencing a book when necessary. Consider this an experience, and as such comes at a premium (¥¥¥¥) Reservations are necessary as the restaurant only seats 7.

I don't even know how to start this review. Sushisho Masa is one of those magical experiences that leaves you speechless and living life like it's a dream! Before coming to Japan, I contemplated for many weeks deciding on where to go to get a 5 star traditional sushi experience. I really wanted to check out jiro's hype but after weeks of research and looking into making a reservation, I concluded that jiro was not worth the money nor headache. They discriminate like no tomorrow to travelers, 20min max for the meal of 10-12 pieces, and to book you must speak Japanese & live in Japan & book 2 months in advance. Unless you got a well connected friend, good luck. Additionally, Jiro is barley at the restaurants now! After comparing alternatives one after another, I finally came across the new kid on the block! Masa! This place was insanely famous and chef actually trained at one of the best sushi establishment prior to opening his own. Dig a little more and found out that it's a 2-3 hour experience with extremely hands on learning from the chef himself . Now the hard part, reservation! Everyone that did their research on true sushi is trying to book this place! 1 month prior booking required! And I was due to fly out in 3 days... I called my Amex platinum just for the hell of it and see what they can do (note most 5 star locations don't take outside booking due to traveler cancellation) and lord behold they came thru within 24 hours! I knew signing up for this card prior to my honeymoon was well worth it! On the day of the actual meal, we arrived 15 mins prior to our 7pm booking. As we walked around trying to find it, it was like finding a delicious Waldo. After many failed attempts we had to waive down a local and thru the magic of google he lead us to the restaurant (which we actually walked by and tho if this was it). As soon as we enter two staff immediately grabbed our coats and took us to our assigned seats. We both ordered green tea. Now just a quick shine on their service, the green tea never went past half cup nor reached a cool state, it was changed every 5-10 mins! After we clean up, we started an experience that became 60+ pieces of heaven. Although I would love to detail each and every piece for you, it would be impossible. Just know that you are in amazing hands, and their signature is not fatty tuna but actually a different local fish which blew the fatty tuna away! Additionally, during mid course I changed from green tea to sake and they give me unlimited sake for free! P.s if you get too full Midway through the course tasting, let the chef know and he will go easy on the rice. Otherwise if your a fat ass like me and wanna shove down as much as you can on those amazing imported and local fishes. Just let him know you get down, and he will stuff your face! Overall, this was a once in a lifetime experience with unbelievable service. The 3 hour meal ended in a flash, which means you know you are in good company!

The chef, his apprentices, and 7 chairs. An amazing two hours eating some of the best sushi in Japan. Each person is around $250 a person and about 20 sushi each. Because it is an omakasa, it is the chefs choice on what is being served but you can tell him in advance what you can't eat. The chef and his apprentices have a book of fish to show what kind of fish it is. Definitely felt like it was worth the $250 price tag.

Sushisho Masa 4-1-15 Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo Basement Floor I dined here in October 2013, so depending on what season it is, the dishes may vary. For example, during my visit, fresh and not frozen ikura was available. This was the meal we splurged on during a visit to Tokyo, Japan. And at the start of the trip, no less. Random gem of a find, based only on a YouTube video and foodie blogs full of amazing stories and photographs of the 2+ hour sushi dinner served by Chef Masakatsu Oka. Over the course of the evening, we enjoyed approximately 40 different pieces of fish or accompaniments. No, that is not too much at all. It was well paced and thoroughly enjoyable. Nothing like what we had expected, but beyond it. Depending on the season, the fish may vary. We found ourselves dining on fish rarely found outside of Japan, lightly marinated fish, aged fish, the same fish prepared multiple ways, the rare baby salmon, fresh (not frozen) salmon roe, delicately grilled fish, etc. The presentations of the fish were often like artwork, just like the beautiful ceramic dishes they were served on. The chef even spent the time to explain what was and how to eat each item, if we wished. We left the restaurant somewhat dazed and in awe, so elated over this new culinary discovery for us. We had several other sushi meals throughout this trip, but this was the highlight amongst them. Sushi, at least outside of Japan, will never be the same for me. Basically, I probably won't be content having sushi elsewhere in the world. Personally, I would be happy if only absolutely "authentic" and sustainable sushi restaurants existed outside of Japan, but that's another story for another time. If you want to do more research on Sushisho Masa, the chef also apprenticed with Chef Keiji Nakazawa at Sushi Sho. The restaurant is in the basement, just down the stairs that are right next to the entrance of a nondescript building near a street corner. We gave ourselves plenty of time to find our way there from the Roppongi Station, which is up the hill a few blocks from the restaurant. There are only 7 seats. Several seatings per evening. You will need reservations, but they are not impossible to get, even on short notice. Or maybe we just lucked out. The food, service, chef and his apprentices, setting, all combined to make it a truly memorable meal. Even months after our trip and dinner, we reminisce fondly about this restaurant. Hoping to revisit again...

I am so glad my husband and I went to Sushi Sho Masa. We still talk wistfully about this place. It's hard to find so definitely look for the small plaque on the ground. We were in sushi heaven. Every single piece of fish was so fresh it didn't even taste like fish. It's so hard to describe but once you've had sushi like this all sushi in the US and everywhere else is disappointing. My husband and I are ruined for life but happily so. We went to Japan after we were in Taiwan for a week and were happy to find out that one of the apprentices was also from Taiwan! We got to chat with him for a bit; he was friendly. Even though they are super busy prepping they're very smooth. Before each sushi they told us what type of fish it was and which part. My husband and I were determined not to tap out; each bite was so good. We stuck it out to the end and probably had 50 ish pieces. The other five seats were regulars. They had lively conversations and you could hear "oishii" and all we could do was nod empathically in agreement. The service ended after almost 2.5 hours and it felt more like an experience than dinner. It was a splurge for us but so worth it. I hope we can go back to Japan again one day and I would not hesitate to come back!

So glad we decided to come here! Best sushi experience I've ever had. Loved the variety of items and fish we ate, some fish I've never thought even existed! We were there for almost 3 hours. They explained everything and had a book to show us what type of fish or sea animal we were eating! I really appreciate them doing that because now I have pictures and description of everything I ate :). Who thought that fish ovaries were so good!!! It was worth every penny!! Next time I'm back in Tokyo I'm definitely coming back!

Excellent omakase! Having not been to saito yet but having had my fair share of omakases at the top Tokyo joints, sho was highly enjoyable! I was sick as a dog but got better just in time to make it to this omakase! And boy was I glad!! We were a party of 3 sitting at the bar. The boys ended up having 28 pieces of sushi and I had 26! Since I was still on antibiotics, I skipped the sake this time and opted for tea. The chefs behind the counter were super friendly and we ended up eating for about 3 hours! They explained every piece and the part of Japan the fish came from. I love love love that in Japan they age the fish! This is def a must have when in Tokyo! Checked the boxes on all fronts!

Best meal I have had in Japan: This is a tiny sushi place with 8 seats or so, attentive 5 star service and AMAZING fish. The entire experience is 5 star and portions are generous. We are foodies from NYC and I was so impressed. Everything is explained to you, the food keeps coming and coming. Hard when eating a pricy meal to say, that was worth every dollar but this meal was. The chef and his staff are attentive to every detail. Pure perfection. While in Tokyo if you are choosing one place to go, this should be it! Amazing sushi dinner with the freshest and most beautiful fish I have ever seen. It should be noted this was not a 5 minute experience instead we were here for two hours!!!

Hands down my dinner at Sushisho Masa was THE best meal of my life. Everything about it was amazing - the food, the staff, the experience. Unlike many other omakases, I did not feel rushed at all. Chef Masa and his apprentices were extremely attentive. They took the time to flip through a book to show us what fish it was and explained the different cuts. We had 52 courses over a span of 2 and a half hours and every course was delicious. For the best seat in the house, arrive early before your reservation and seat yourself in the middle. Sushisho Masa has set the bar so high that I went to Sushi Tokami, a Michelin starred restaurant a few days later and was immensely disappointed with my experience there.

This place is amazing. I had over 40 kinds of serving. Not only they just served the fish, they EXPLAINED what the fish is. This is important. Sure you're eating a meal, but you get to interact with the chef and ask questions as you go!

Our meal started with one question: "Is there anything you don't like to eat?" I'm very glad I said "No" because I was served some of the most interesting fish imaginable. As other reviews have pointed out, the price point is high (around $350-$400), but I have never regretted the expense. You simply can't get this kind of experience anywhere else in the world. Also, drinks appeared to be included with the bill, so if I were to go back I wouldn't hesitate for that extra round of saki. I was also very thankful that, while the chef's English is passable, he hired a translator to attend to us through the entire meal if we had any questions. He also had a reference book to show us and describe the different exotic fish we were trying. *If you arrive early, there was a small bar just upstairs that made a great cocktail with very friendly bartenders. I wish I could remember that place so I could write a review of it.

Like all the other reviews here, sushi sho masa deserves at least 5 stars. Prepare your mind & stomach for a marathon of flavor, i have never had a better sushi experience better than masa. They will serve as many sashimi/sushi pieces as you can eat. I think a 50 course is the max the chef is willing to do. Max i've done is a 40 course meal (i actually lost count) but it is well worth the bloated stomach lol. Each course is a small bite, they serve all kinds of uni (depending on season), abalone with the liver is a savoury experience like no other, so far ankimo monkfish liver is the best i've had here, think of the best foie gras you have had but without the seared taste & its like a jelly. Amazing. The pictures speak a thousand words that the mind cannot describe. My favorite sushi restaurant in tokyo! Prices are also not crazy like the 3 michelin star sushi restaurants. Highly recommend to book here in advance! Get your hotel in advance & get the hotel to book the restaurant in advance! Domo arigato gozaimasu hope u guys get to very much enjoy too!