Eric C.
Yelp
Though head Mr. Keiji Nakazawa has left his original branch of Sushi Sho to make sushi on the shores of Hawaii, his modest restaurant still remains- tucked into a little alley behind Yotsuya Station.
For the time being, the sushi counter is manned by none other than Mr. Shingo Takahashi, owner of Sushi Takumi Shingo in Aoyama and former disciple of Mr. Nakazawa. He will resume his post at Takumi Shingo sometime in June or July of 2016, but nothing solid coming from him just yet.
The atmosphere when you enter Sushi Sho is warm and welcoming. The staff immediately greet you, check any coats or luggage you man have and promptly seat you for the meal ahead. While you can definitely come for the very reasonably priced Bara-chirashi lunch, I would definitely recommend coming back for dinner if you have the chance.
What makes Sushi Sho so interesting for me is the process of aging different cuts of fish in order to bring out the richer, sweeter flavors in addition to a softer more delicate texture. This contradicts most, if not all overseas notions that sushi use only the freshest of seafood. However, this is one of the trademarks that developed with the evolution of Edo-mae Sushi styles, which offers many exciting opportunities for sushi chefs to show their flair and knowledge of the ingredients.
In addition to their sushi, a large array of little dishes are also prepared as a little break throughout the course of the meal. For me, this is definitely a welcome change of pace while enjoying a vast array of sushi.
What may also surprise some visitors that are not used to the different variety of Shari (Sushi Rice) preparations in Japan is that Sushi Sho has 3 different Shari preparations to be paired with the profile of each particular neta (sushi topping.) Red vinegar, being the most robust in flavor is often paired stronger fish or aged fish which can stand up to its bite.
The combination of red and white vinegar is good for a range of fish and the white vinegar shari works best with white fish and other delicate seafood.
Keeping this in mind, the entire staff really do a wonderful job to ensure that you don't get cold rice during the meal, shuttling tiny bamboo bowls of warm rice constantly from the bustling kitchen for Shingo San. I had an absolutely wonderful meal and it was really so much fun and delicious to eat.
I had an amazing time chatting not only with some of the customers around me but also with the staff, and Shingo san who always made sure I had a topped off glass of sake to go with my food. His calm demeanor and willingness to chat and explain the process behind each cut of fish and each little bite really puts the customer in a state of ease. Many glasses of Nihonshu (all which were Shingo San's recommendations) and a belly full of sushi later, I was already thinking about my next visit.