Daiwa Sushi

Unlike others that suggest or imply getting here early, around 5−6ish in the morning, I got here nice and late thinking that all sushi restaurants are about the same in terms of freshness and quality. I got here around 11:30am and was told it’ll be about an hour wait.
So why come here early if you’re still going to wait about an hour anyway? Unless you’re an early person, getting here a little later didn’t really matter. In fact, my wait which was estimated by an employee working there turned out to be only 30 minutes, line moved pretty quickly.
There are 2 sushi booths and each booth served about 12 people at a time. I got omaske and it came out to 4100 yen, was it good? Yes, but I wouldn’t wait 1 – 2 hours in line for it, other sushi places that I’ve been to tasted almost as good. If this was a 10/​10, I would rate the other great restaurants a 9.75÷10. It was worth the 30 minute wait, but not a 1 – 2 hour wait.
The food was fresh and the size of each piece was generous. Come here if the wait time is less than an hour, it’s definitely worthwhile for the experience. But expect the experience to be brief, because as soon as you finish your last piece, they actually tell you (politely) to leave. I’ll come back if the line is short.

Can’t beat Tsukiji Market — when compared to sushi in San Francisco, it’s a no-​brainer to come here or Sushi Dai. They are both excellent. Daiwa’s line moves a lot faster though. They’ve figured out the system and churn people out in as little as 15 minutes. Fast, cheap, great sushi. When I went here in Feb 2016 their tuna and uni nigiri stood out to me the most. Tuna from Japan is just amazing.
I got here around 5:20am and we ended up waiting maybe 45 minutes with about 20 people in front of us. Not too bad! I think it cost around 4000 yen per person which is nooooothinggggg compared to the $ 100-​$ 200 omakases in the bay area, and Daiwa’s is the same quality or better.
Omakase only — no menu.

Tout simplement ma meilleure expérience culinaire japonaise.
Durant notre séjour, nous n’avions pas mangé sushi, préférant économiser pour le fameux marché de Tsukiji. Et nous avons eu mille fois raisons!
2 adresses sont archi connues des guides touristiques: Daiwa Sushi et Sushi Dai, son voisin.
Les deux ouvrent de 5h à 13h, alors n’arrivez pas trop tard car quand il n’y a plus de poisson frais, c’est fini!
Nous sommes arrivés à 9h et la queue prenait 50 minutes. De façon très japonaise, un jeune homme ordonne la queue pour encombrer le moins possible le passage. Profitez-​en pour lui demander le temps d’attente.
Le restaurant est tout petit avec 2 comptoirs pouvant accueillir un peu moins de 15 personnes chacun.
Après cette attente où vous aurez révisé les différents noms de poissons, installez-​vous au comptoir devant votre maître sushi.
Né prenez pas le set, pour touriste.
Regardez la carte affichée au mur ou les poissons devant vous et commandez à l’unité. Le cuisinier grommelera quelques mot, les préparera alors en direct devant vous avant de vous servir au fur et à mesure sur votre planche, avec déjà un peu de shoyu dessus.
Prenez les ensuite avec les doigts et mangez les d’une bouchée.
Fermez les yeux. Savourez. Vous êtes au paradis.
Ordre de prix: comptez plus de 10.000¥ par personne. Pas la peine de faire les gros yeux: quand vous aurez goûter au Ôtoro (800¥ pièce), vous comprendrez. Et vous reviendrez.

During my trip to Tokyo in January, I visited the Tsukiji Fish Market. Got there at 4AM in hopes of seeing the tuna auction, but unfortunately, they were closed off to tourists during that holiday period (which you should def research, look into & make sure if you’re trying to go. We checked online and it said it’d be open, but wasn’t…) Anyways, after unsuccessfully trying to see the auction, we decided to wait in line early for some omakase.
To be honest, we had originally intended to go to Sushi Dai, but the line was already way too long when we got there at 4:30AM. However, we saw Daiwai right next door with a much shorter line, & decided to wait for that. It opens at 5:30AM unlike Sushi Dai, so we had to wait a little bit longer, but were seated right away when the store opened.
Interior & Service:
— they have two stores (w/​seating areas) right next to each other, which makes seating people a lot more faster (2x the space as next door)
— a little cramped, but very homey, comfortable and warm during the winter
— extremely friendly staff that serve you right away when you sit
— our sushi chef understood basic english when we ordered extra or had special requests, and was always smiling at us!
— extremely fast & efficient service: for the omakase, after we finished with each sushi or round of sushi, they immediately have our next one. they serve miso soup & appetizers almost immediately after you order
Omakase Highlights:
Just wanted to say first that you HAVE to get the omakase. Esp. since you’ve probably already traveled so far and made it to the Tsukiji Fish market and waited a long time to get in the restaurant, it is 100% worth your time and ¥3500
— Uni (sea urchin) — I normally don’t like Uni that much, but it was surprisingly not fishy and very good
— Otoro (fatty tuna) — It was so good I ended up ordering a second piece of fatty tuna
— Ebi (sweet shrimp) — definitely one of my favorites
— Chutoro (medium fatty tuna) — so soft & fresh that it melted in my mouth as I ate it!
Just wanted to also say that I have never had a more expensive breakfast or have gotten so full from breakfast alone — but it was definitely one of the best starts to a day in Tokyo! This is for sure a must if you ever visit, as I have only had sushi this good and this fresh a handful of times in my life.

Skip the tuna auction and «sleep in» a bit, so you can wake up and get to Daiwa Sushi early. I mean, Tsukiji Market is a tourist haven and I can see why; who doesn’t want sushi for breakfast?!
My boyfriend and I arrived at Daiwa Sushi at 7:50ish and the lines were already formed. However, given our journey, we waited anyways, which turned into a 45 minute wait. It wasn’t all too bad because the sushi was soo worth it. Now I know why it’s a crime to add soy sauce, especially mixed with wasabi to your sushi. Great sushi tastes perfect on its own. With funny sushi chefs and the affordable prices for Omasake, my only regret is not coming back the next day (my last day in Tokyo) for another round of sushi.

Go to the fish market early, they said. Get there between 4−6AM to watch the auction! The lines for the sushi restaurants are long!
NOPE! Of course my bf and I didn’t wake up in the middle of the night to go the fish market or get a chance to attend the auction. Of course I didn’t get there in time to line up at Sushi Dai. Who goes to the fish market on a random Tuesday morning? apparently everyone
What do you do when the auction is over and the most ‘famous’ sushi dai’s line is 5 hrs+ at 9AM on a tuesday? GO TO SUSHI DAIWA! I wouldn’t even call it an ‘alternative’, bc it’s pretty amazeballs! Do a quick round at the market and then its time to eat! A couple of things to note/​what to expect:
–It’s about twice the size of Dai, aka moves wayyyy faster
–We got in line around 10AM and waited for about 45min
–Get a snack from the tamago store/​stall 2 – 3 shops down on the left — Daisada — and eat it while waiting bc u get all the hungers in excitement
–There isn’t a ton of ‘service’ — everyone sits at the sushi bar and the sushi chefs behind the counter serve you — aka chopsticks, wasabi, ginger, soy, and a sushi wooden block/​plate/​platter is set in front of you and the chef puts the pieces down as he is done making them
–Definitely get the omakase — chef’s choice — it’s soooooo worth the price and we added a few extra pieces bc everything is o-​face fresh and delish
–Don’t expect a super ‘refined’ meal like you would at some 5 star NYC sushi restaurant… but this by no means says the food is worse/​not as good… like i said — O-​FACE
–No one speaks english super well, so expect some pointing — but no worries, they have a picture menu!
We left super super happy!

Couldn’t wake up for sushi tai so lined up for sushi daiwa instead. Got there around 11:50am and waited for one hour. Definitely very fresh but probably got there too late and the shop must have run out of most of the ingredients since I didn’t get any special type of fishes or shell fish but just tuna, egg, uni, congo eel, etc…
Though it’s good but a little disappointed for the varieties I got.
Judging by the Unilocal photos of sushi dai, it seems that sushi dai offers more variety of fish. Next time…

Got the omakase which had otoro (fatty tuna), chutoro (med fatty tuna), uni (sea urchin), hamachi (yellowtail), ebi (shrimp), ika (squid) and anago (eel), tamago (egg). It has a long line up, though not as long as Sushi Dai. The sushi is fresh. The best was the otoro and uni. The uni is so fresh that all you taste is the sweetness.

Mmm… It was our first time having sushi for breakfast. It was the best breakfast ever, and one of the best sushi I have ever had.
My friends and I arrived at the Tsukiji Market just after 8 o’clock on a Wednesday. Once we noticed the extremely long line-​up at Sushi Dai, we decided to give Daiwa Sushi a try (the second longest line-​up). Our group of six waited about 45 minutes; we were split up, four on one side of the restaurant and two on the other.
My boyfriend ordered the omakase. At 3500¥ before tax, he was served 1 maki sushi — 3 pieces of maguro (tuna) and 3 pieces of ikura (salmon roe), as well as 7 pieces of nigiri sushi, plus 1 piece of tamago sushi at the end.
* Otoro (fatty tuna)
* Chutoro (medium fatty tuna)
* Uni (sea urchin)
* Hamachi (yellowtail)
* Ebi (shrimp)
* Ika (squid)
* Anago (sea eel)
To try some of the other fish they offered, I ordered a la carte — in order of preference: otoro (x2), uni, tamago, tako (octopus), ikura, anago, and tai (sea bream).
Prior to visiting Japan, my boyfriend and I had tried chutoro in Toronto, but we had never tried otoro. The moment we placed the otoro sushi in our mouths, we knew the wait was worth it. It was rich and creamy; it melted in my mouth like butter. Mmm… It was heavenly!
To be honest, I never enjoyed uni… until this day. The uni at Daiwa Sushi was so fresh that it had a surprisingly — considering I have only tried uni in Toronto — sweet taste to it, and I loved it! It was a very generous portion as well.
Our sushi chef was an older gentleman who did not speak much English, but he was always smiling. Every time we finished our plates, he would ask us if we would like to order more sushi. Once we were all finished eating, he directed us to the cashier — which was understandable, considering the line-​up outside.
No doubt, I will return to the Tsukiji Market next time I visit Tokyo. I would like to try Sushi Dai for comparison, but I was very satisfied with my experience at Daiwa Sushi.

I’ve been Daiwa Sushi three times over my last two trips to Japan and I higly recommend this sushi joint that’s located in the heart of Tsukiji. Unlike it’s more famous /​popular neighbor Sushi Dai, you do not have to wait for hours (anywhere 2 – 6 hours from reviews I’ve read) to get some deliciously fresh sushi from the market next door. Wait times I’ve had here with a group of 3 was 45 minutes and with a group of 5 was about an hour (during busy times in the morning). I came here once by myself too and only waited about 15 minutes (but I got lucky as they were looking for one person). The line here looks deceptively long but there’s two portions of the restaurant (each seats around 10) and the chefs move super fast here so generally the turnover is pretty quick. I would generally estimate 30 minutes for every 20 people in line in front of you, which is not bad at all.
The omakase here is 3500 Yen, which is a little under $ 30 with the current exchange rate. That’s for 7 pieces plus a roll. It’s chef’s choice, but everything you get will be delicious. The standard fare usually includes toro, uni, anago, ebi, egg and another piece of tuna (usually chuutoro/​maguro). I’ve gotten these all three times I’ve been here, the rest have varied between visits. You can add additional pieces after you finish ala carte (which I highly recommend as the quality vs price is really imcomparable to anything I’ve had in the states). I recommend the toro and uni, but the anago is also really good.

Daiwa is certainly worth the quick 30 – 45 minute wait if you arrive around 5AM. Past that time and you might be out of luck.
$ 30 per person for omekase (chef’s choice) is pretty much the only way to go. You are shuffled into a super cramped sushi bar, served your nigiri one and time (you also eat them one at a time instead of letting them pile up so you can Instragram the whole set!), and then you are kindly asked to GTFO after about 20 minutes.
But the nigiri is world-​class with some flavors and textures I’ve only dreamt about. Daiwa really nails it and doesn’t skip on the omekase arrangement. Fatty tuna, sea urchin, mackerel, ark shell, scallop, squid. Everything was superlative — like a tears-​welling-​up type of euphoria. Tied for #1 sushi I’ve ever had with Sushi Yasuda.

IMPORTANT UPDATES
Came at 5:30am. And there’s a line for Sushi Dai (Both places open at 5 — 5:30am now so need to update that.) Judging from this line, since I came a week before, it was about a 3 hour wait. So I settled with Daiwa (Pictures showed it had bigger portions) I was 7 in line, both sides of the restaurant already sat 10 each. So I waited about 15 minutes.
Both places get their fish from the Market. So its already extremely fresh, the difference is how they prepared it. Sad to know I won’t be tasting this freshness in the states nor will I be able to compare Daiwa and Dai.
Both places cost 4k yen, 4320 post tax, and around 36 US Dollars.(Previous recorded was 3500 and 2500…) Which is relatively expensive since i got something similar for 9 US dollars in Kyoto. (Yen went from 80 to 120 YEN per usd dollars the past couple of years so its pretty awesome)
This was for the omakase (Creators’s Choice — in case is Chef’s Choice), both places you get to choose one last piece, I chose otoro obviously, other people chose another piece of uni (Otoro wasnt included in the omakase)
IMPORTANT TIP. If you really want Sushi Dai, you’ll have to book a nearby place or have someone wait inline for you by like 4:50 so you don’t have to wait ages. I came at 5:30 am (As fast as I could from Taito Region and ran to the market)

Although I personally hate sushi, my overall experience here was good.
We waited in the lines for about 30 minutes for a weekday lunch (~noon). Our sushi chef was extremely cheerful and very welcoming. He recommended that we take the Chef’s recommended plate which came with a few rolls, lots of sushi assortments and a final pick of your choice (octopus). I just can’t stomach raw fish and so I had a hard time eating anything here. But, I went here with my husband who absolutely loved it.
I only wish someday I’ll grow to enjoy sushi.

I knew I wanted a inner market Tsukiji experience… so I made my way there through those little motor freight cars that WILL kill you if you are in their way. Be careful when you walk around the inner market. They are extremely busy in their businesses and do not care for idiot tourists who are willing to wait 6 – 7 hours for sushi because they can’t afford a reservation or are unwilling to pay for a 2 michelin star restaurant. I asked a nice gentlemen who pointed me in the direction of Sushi Dai.
I knew I didn’t want to wait in line at Sushi Dai as soon as I got there at 4:45 with a line that is more than 2 blocks down. WTF projected wait for Dai was probably at least 4 hours.
Anyway…I waited for Daiwa to open and was among the first to be seated. What I did not like: I felt very rushed throughout the whole experience. Whereas omakase is supposed to be at the pace of the customer. the sushi chef should be monitoring the pace and allow the customers to enjoy each of the pieces. Although I thought the sushi was very fresh and delicious (though less refined cuts)…I really disliked how fast I felt I had to eat in order to keep up. technically there should not be more than 1 piece at a time on your plate. but I guess who the hell am I kidding this place is no michelin experience. The guy next to me also had a bone in his piece (which is not unheard of but definitely not a pleasant experience).
I would say that for the price… it is pretty unbeatable for the quality. You would never find this anywhere else in the world let alone even Tokyo. I think it is the equivalent of paying half price for top level sushi. Would I go again? Hell yes.

one of the best sushi I had in my life!
If you don’t have enough time to stay in line for Dai, go here. The atmosphere is the same as sushi Dai and, actually more expensive. But the rice consistency is a tiny bit better (nuances of rice) and they serve you horse mackerel instead of spanish meckerel.
Unfortunately the miso soup is not that great but my girlfriend insist that the fatty tuna is better here.
It’s my second choice in Tokyo but is still among the best sushi you can have.

If you want to skip the 2 hour wait at Sushi Dai, this is the place to go. Located next door, wait is 20 minutes max when it first opens right after you watch the tuna auction. Sushi is just as delicious but it is pricier than Sushi Dai.
I had the best uni here, none of that nasty fishy taste you often find in sea urchin. There is a young chef here who’s 28 and is adorable; he explained everything in his broken English and we kept complimenting him on how great his sushi is. Service here is fast, they get you in and out. Not the best sushi of my life, but pretty darn good given how out of it I was at 6:30am.
Will certainly be back the next time I’m in Tokyo!

My first meal in Tokyo was at Sushi Daiwa. I hate lines/​queues with a passion, last time I waited in a long line/​queue was at the Apple Store and I ended up almost being arrested by Burlingame Police for threatening the Chinese people that had cut in front of me in line. So to be able to get Tsukiji Market and one of the two popular sushi bars out of the way was a priority.
We arrived in a line with about 20 people ahead of us at about 9am. The time actually flew by even though it was about 35 minute wait because we were busy talking to other tourists in the queue with us.
We were seated in this tiny sushi bar, so small that if a sumo wrestler ate here, they would require the Jaws-​of-​Life to get him out. Too small and uncomfortable for me. The sushi chef was very friendly and greeted us with a smile. We both ordered Omakase.
The Sushi: I thought out of the 8 nigiri/​sushi pieces, I liked about 5 of them. The tuna make’ was lackluster. It’s fresh, I know. It’s a decent price. Overall I could pass. Don’t believe the hype. People, this is Tokyo, The Land of the Rising Sushi! There’s plenty of places that have good quality sushi! But if you feel the need to line up then be my guest, but I promise you, you won’t see me in line at the Apple Store or here.

We arrived at 6 am and was told it would be a 45 minute wait. This was music to my ears given that a few days prior, we had waited in line at Sushi Dai for nearly 3 hours. Unlike Sushi Dai, Daiwa Sushi has two separate rooms, each of which can seat 12 or so people, allowing the line to move much more quickly.
I was expecting Daiwa Sushi to be on par with Sushi Dai but immediately learned that this was not the case. Don’t get me wrong. The sushi was delicious and far better than the majority I’ve had before, hence the 4 star rating. However, it does not deserve to be in the same category as Sushi Dai. For starters, Sushi Dai gives you the option to select an additional piece of your choice. Second and most importantly, the freshness and quality of fish was noticeably different; Daiwa Sushi does not melt in your mouth. We were big fans of the Spanish mackerel that we had tried at Sushi Dai and since it wasn’t served as part of the Omakase, we ordered two pieces a la carte. The Spanish mackerel, like all the other pieces we tried at Daiwa Sushi, was chewier and fell flat in comparison.
I realize that this review is somewhat unfair in that it assesses Daiwa Sushi in reference to its competitor, but before arriving in Japan, I wrestled between Daiwa Sushi and Sushi Dai. Ultimately, we had enough time to go to both. Hopefully though, this review will help those who are losing sleep over this very critical decision.
There is a reason the Sushi Dai line is significantly longer than that of Daiwa Sushi. If you’re looking for top-​tier sushi and want to avoid the exceedingly long wait, then Daiwa Sushi is your answer. However, if you’re looking for next-​level sushi and are willing to wait, go to Sushi Dai!

There’s «sushi» and then there’s sushi.
Daiwa Sushi is sushi and sushi that is in a class of its own.
I’ve never had sushi for breakfast but Daiwa sushi turns that notion into a reality that is hard to duplicate. For 3000 yen you get a 10 piece course that you can wash down with warm miso clam soup — considering you have to wait in a 2 hour line starting at 5am, this meal is absolutely satisfying to the core.

Everyone always raves about having some of the freshest sushi near the Tsujiki Fish Market in Tokyo… so we decided we better come and find out for ourself! We arrived around 8 am in the morning, and the line for Sushi Dai was already 2 – 3 plus hours long. There was no way we were going to wait in that line, so we found ourselves standing in line right next door… at SUSHI DAIWA.
The line at Sushi Daiwa was much shorter, at only 1.5 hours of waiting time. We heard the sushi served here was just as good (we didn’t know any better anyways), so why not give it a shot?! :)
Once inside, you were seated at the bar and immediately served something to drink (such as tea or sake, etc.) Then the Chef asks you whether you want the omakase, and of course you’re going to say yes!
We were served sushi in pairs, two types of sushi came out at once on your plate, and you eat it immediately. SO FRIGGIN GOOD!!! Every piece was fresh and soft, almost melts in your mouth with delightful yumminess.
At the end of our meal, my husband ordered a tako (octopus sushi) to try. We were both impressed by the quality of the sushi we ate, and by the affordability of it all! No wonder people would wait 1.5 hours to eat here every morning!
The meal only lasts about 30 minutes or so, and you’re out the door. That’s why the line goes by pretty quick outside, since most people eat their sushi fast (you’re served pretty fast too), and out you go!
I wouldn’t mind coming back here again next time I return to Tokyo. It’s irresistable!

Tokyo freestyle… Haiku breh
Land of rising sun
5 am in Tsukiji
Bustling and hustling
I see break of dawn
Tuna’s home the highest bid
foodkid breaks his fast
Time passes in line
tired hungry freezing cold
A test of patience
Sushi chef sushi
Discipline admiration
Knife the second hand
The Second Coming
First piece toro shaped the world
Second piece changes
Only piece Uni
Strong desires ocean flavors
Engulfed in the taste
Tamago treasure
foodkid favorite measure
Soft sweet and fluffy
Jiro dreams sushi
Ebi Toro head pillow
Daiwa Awakens