Sushi Tokami has an impressive pedigree. Set in a discreet basement space that once belonged to the three Michelin-starred Sushi Mizutani, it was the talk of the town when it opened in 2013. The chef Hiroyuki Sato was widely hailed as one of the city’s best sushi masters despite his relative young age and the restaurant earned a Michelin star within its first year of operation.
Fast forward to 2018: Sato has left the year before (he later opened Hakkoku) and Tokami is now helmed by his protege Shota Oda. The restaurant however, has kept to the same winning formula and the sushi is still excellent. Moreover, Oda’s affable demeanour has made a meal here quite a relaxed affair.
With Tokami’s close ties with Yamayuki, one of the top tuna specialists in Tokyo, tuna remains its calling card. You’ll enjoy three different cuts of the prized fish: the shoyu-marinated red lean meat, the creamier medium-fatty flesh (chutoro), and the rare tossaki from the base of the fish’s head, which is turned into a hand-roll and served at the end. Whichever course you choose, you’ll always finish with a delightful tamagoyaki (egg cake) that has a crackly caramelised top much like a crème brûlée.
Nevertheless, Tokami has truly stamped its mark on the shari (sushi rice). Using the premium Tanada rice from the mountains of Niigata, it is flavoured with a distinct red vinegar that’s been fermented with natural sake yeast. The slight warmth of the red-hue shari coupled with the hint of hay-like earthiness in the vinegar really do add some complexity to the sushi, and it’s a commendable nod to the traditional Edo-style sushi.