Catalina G.
Yelp
2 stars for the food quality to cost ratio, 3 for the incredibly kind chef. I'm having a hard time writing this review as the chef was so incredibly nice and incredibly patient with my American friends who had had too much sake and were being very loud. But, as a regular frequenter of 1, 2 and 3 star Michelin rated omakase restaurants around the world, Nishiazabu did not live up to expectations. I am a big fan of the Edo Mae tradition of aging the fish, this give it a unique flavor that requires no addition of soy sauce. I find that at the Michelin starred restaurants, the flavor of one piece of fish alone and with no other condiments sets apart the best from the aspiring to be. When served alone, the flavor of my Nigiri was no better than that of an everyday sushi restaurant in New York. There was no Otoro or fatty salmon or anything out of the ordinary that would make you say wow. We were served whitefish. Plain. The uni was a tiny piece served in a tiny dish. I thought our Nigiri had too much rice, making the meal feel heavier than it was. Also, the chef would occasionally brush the fish with sauce but it would run over onto the rice. Maybe this was his style, but usually great care is taken to keep the rice without sauce. The sake pours were huge limiting you to one or two kinds. Also, our hotel said it would be 15,000 Yen per person without drinks and it came out to a little over 20,000 Yen without drinks. This was maybe a $70 meal but definitely not a $200 meal. In comparison to the other 2 Michelin Starred restaurants we visited in Tokyo, I just don't understand. I really wanted this to be an amazing experience, but it simply was not.