Namba

Namba-san gets better and better, each visit better than the last. Went for the 8:30pm nigiri course, and the new cooked dishes interspersed throughout were a pleasant surprise, like the maguro “karaage” with wasabi greens, served in a roll. Beats isobeyaki in my book 😛 The su-meshi-yaki was like the best part of an okoge with 10 times more umami too! To see someone of his stature take these risks with his menu was kinda cool. But honestly what makes him stand out is the basics everyone else does, but not as well. The suzuki from Naruto had a crazy savoury quality like I’ve never had before. His hikarimono is consistently the best in Japan, with the shime saba and kohada having the perfect balance of sweet and salty, the just-shy-of-cloying iwashi, and the sayori having that crisp bounce. Wonderful. Namba-san mentioned that he isn’t a fan of awabi kimo sauces, and what a treat that turned out to be, as the additional shari was topped with uni instead of the traditional liver sauce. Who’s complaining? 🤭 Need I also mention that the slightly-loose shari is packed just right? Considering the price, just north of ¥30k, it’s clearly the best bang-for-buck “fancy” sushiya in Tokyo. It’s easy to pay far more and get far less.

Managed to secure the reservation finally after so many years and I would say it didn’t disappoint. Namba san’s skill and creativity is evident throughout the course, and even for ordinary fish it is prepared nicely and tasted great. Beyond that, the chef and staff were very kind, unlike many restaurants I’ve been before who’re mean to 外国人. Had the はなれ course this time and would not hesitate to come back!

Thanks to a dear foodie friend - the two bottles of sake make everything better! Dishes are average, nice ingredients yet a bit too creative. Nothing impressive. We can easily tell the skills of master and apprentice - sushis are 50/50. The temperature control is not well explained. Fortunately we are sushi lovers so let ourselves indulge into them and feel 😀 Ended up eating too much, enjoyable indeed

Namba-san's nigiri is smaller in size, with a more explicit focus on temperature (communicated clearly via the bilingual menu). Appetizers are numerous and creative. It's clearly a more "upscale" and "international" experience than many other sushiya in this price and prestige-category, but the food and execution are also truly excellent.

Love all the dishes here. We were able to get a seat for lunch in the private room which seats 4 ppl with its own private toilet. It’s great, the only down side was that the person sitting on one side would be looking into the back side of the counter which was not so nice. The chef was really nice and tried to explain the dishes. The dishes were carefully crafted and they even give you the exact temperature for all the dishes and rice that accompanied it. It’s a nice touch I must say.

The concept of precision on temperature does bring something different from both the fish and rice. Tunas are top grade stuff, also a few other prices are unique - and taste good obviously. Not sure how to secure a place here, seems the reservation opening in weeks ahead rather than months, much shorter and not great for planning. Do need some luck to be here.

The Most Precise Sushi Chef in Japan 🍣🇯🇵 In a world of perfectionists, Chef Namba sets a new standard for attention to detail. His famously scientific temperature control of every nigiri makes all 24 courses here a 10/10. He sources the best ingredients in the country, and when you add in his skill and strict temperature calculations, you get essentially the perfect sushi meal.

It’s my third time been here. Today I learned Chari (sushi rice) and fish has its own temperature. Chef thinks the best match for each sushi. Normally I don’t eat any form of clam because the distinguish taste but today after I tried it. I really loved it. Super delicious meal. More than half of the dishes I loved it so much!! Coming back in May.

Highly difficult to reserve a seat. One of the only 30 Gold star tabelog restaurants in Japan. Master chef Namba specialized in bringing out optimal taste of each ingredients through perfect temperature control. A representation of the peak of sushi as a crusine. The restaurant is located behind a simple door in the wall of a busy mall and the interior is quite simple. Inside, mastery can be found. Recommended.