Udatsu once again proves that fat and char together create the best flavour – and it really doesn’t matter if the fat comes from premium wagyu or a delicate cut of tuna. This is not something we expect to enjoy at a sushi restaurant, but it pretty much sums up Udatsu’s take on the most iconic of all Japanese culinary traditions – textbook perfect sushi that still manages to sneak in a few surprises to make it exciting for the modern palate.
Head chef Hisashi Udatsu’s background has something to do with his contemporary approach to sushi. Udatsu comes from a family of butchers but picked up the sushi trade by choice, and so he is not strictly bound by heritage rules. It’s clear that there’s still a great deal of respect for tradition: that beautiful slice of fish, gleaming as if it has just been hauled off the sea; the perfectly formed shari (vinegared rice) that’s still warm to the touch; the bare whisper of seasoning that teases your palate but never detracts your attention away from the seafood.
Those alone would have been enough to make good sushi – but Udatsu brings in another element to elevate his food further, using ingredients or techniques not usually seen in sushi. These creative executions seem neither gimmicky nor out of left field, as they are informed by modern cooking and the current food trends. In other words, they make sense.
It’s that sticky dashi jelly on ishidai (striped beakfish) that makes you lick your lips in delight. The use of red hot charcoal to lightly sear a piece of beautifully marbled tuna to add a toasty flavour. It’s that gorgeous trout and seaweed roll that’s stuffed with a fistful of fresh micro-herbs instead of rice. And that luxurious double uni sushi that’s piled high with two types of sea urchin roe and sandwiched with a piece of seaweed crisp to cut through all that buttery richness. We also can’t stop thinking about that unctuous fatty tuna smoked in hay and applewood – it is the tastiest piece of fat we’ve ever eaten.
All this creativity is also only possible with top-shelf produce. Chef Udatsu handpicks his fish daily from Toyosu Market and, together with a farmer from his hometown of Kunitachi, he spent several years developing a proprietary strain of rice that is only used at this restaurant. Udatsu then combines the rice with his own blend of two or three types of vinegar to create his distinctive shari (sushi rice).
Fresh herbs and vegetables, which are featured throughout the omakase course, come from Kajiya Farms just outside of Hiroshima, which supplies pesticide-free herbs and edible flowers to the country’s top restaurants. All this culminates in an inspired omakase course, of which there is a vegetarian option that requires reservation two days in advance.
Udatsu has all the markings of a hidden gem. For one, it’s tucked away along a residential street in Nakameguro within an inconspicuous house. Inside, the interior is cool and sleek, with a hinoki cypress counter taking pride of place among polished raw concrete walls adorned with contemporary art. It’s the kind of place you’d bring visitors to impress, and they will be, right down to the last dish of tamagoyaki (Japanese-style omelette) that tastes like a heavenly piece of ultra-smooth basque cheesecake.
Note: Udatsu Sushi only serves omakase courses based on seasonal ingredients that change on a monthly basis. As such, dishes may differ from those mentioned in this article. The restaurant can also accommodate gluten-free and vegetarian diners with advance notice.
