Miyakozushi

Randomly stumbled across this on Unilocal,but this is NOT a place that you could ever find without knowing about it. Far, far removed from the main subway lines in the middle of a sleepy community in Itabashi, it took a cab driver 20 minutes from Akabane station to get us to the general vicinity, from where we had to walk down a narrow alleyway to reach the restaurant.
Thank god for the photos of the exterior, and for トモ T’s assistance in securing our reservations.
We got started off with a tuna aspic made with what seemed like kelp and mushroom stock, then… shirako (sperm) of all things. Surprisingly, it was good.
There were a lot of really good pieces. The saba was marinated for a very short period of time so the vinegar was not very overwhelming in the slightest; the chopped green onions on top helped to cut through the fattiness of the cut (Mackerel is very oily) and emphasized the freshness. Yet it was incredibly tender, not tough or chewy in the slightest.
The uni was from Hokkaido. Incredibly sweet and delicate, totally different experience from the Mendocino and Santa Barbara uni that I’m used to. Could be the colder waters.
The grilled dishes like conger eel and the clam were also great; you could continue to taste their smokiness for minutes after swallowing. I actually forgot to ask if it was over a wood fire or not, but it sure tasted like it. At no time was a blowtorch ever used for searing.
The chuutoro was solid, melt-​in-​your-​mouth. Or so I thought. The otoro… HOLY CRAP. DID YOU SEE THIS MARBLING? Our cut retained a piece of chewy fascia as the rest of the tuna just… sublimated. If it wasn’t there I would almost have wondered if the tuna had evaporated into my imagination. I continued to chew, in a state of denial.
The kohada was a treat. It wasn’t the season for shirako (the tiniest phase of the fish). That may change if you go there during the summer.
Throughout the night, there was this block of tamago I’d been eyeing all night. I wondered if we’d ever get to talk. Finally, at the end, we got a monster piece of tamago that was a bit on the wet side, and juicy with savory stock. Definitely not a sweet tamago. But it helped cap off the meal and left me quite satisfied.
I think I left out a piece or two by accident. Actually, I’m sure of it.
The grand total for all of this? 7000 yen/​59.44 USD. Color me impressed. This was a meal that easily could have exceeded 120 USD. I couldn’t tip him, so I had to give him a gift of roasted Marcona almonds from America instead.
This is definitely not a place to go to on a whim with an hour to kill; our meal lasted over an hour and a half, and took quite a trip to arrive and depart from. But if you’re worried about being a foreigner… while the owner-​chef knows VERY little English, he was extremely accommodating for tastes and preferences (though honestly I was down for everything and anything), and was honored that we chose to come all the way over to try the place out. Also, confused as all hell. But really flattered.
(I could tell you more about some of the regulars there too, who were crazy-​friendly, but that’s for another time.)

A premium quality sushi bar hidden in the quiet residential area of Itabashi-​ku.
Sushi hunters like myself are signed up with a single mission:
— to discover the best tasting sushi at a reasonable price.
We will endure long flights, crowded trains, waking up before sunrise, and wait in long lines in order to achieve this mission. Sooner or later, you will discover that some of the best sushi bars in Japan are hidden in obscure neighborhoods.
A good example of this is Miyako Sushi (aka Miyakozushi) near Itabashi City Hall Station on Mita Subway Line. It is about 30 minute train ride northwest from central Tokyo. It makes sense, right? Why would biggest bag for the buck sushi be in high rent areas like Ginza, Nishi-​Azabu, or Shinjuku. If a sushi chef is paying $ 7,000 per month on rent, he needs to get his returns from you!
HOW COOL: Very cool to know this place. In fact, likely too cool. That is, sushi master might have an heart attack if he sees a non-​Japanese speaking customer coming into the sushi bar. If you become a frequent customer here, you are a super cool Unilocaler. By the way, I learned about this place from Unilocal Elite «Jun T». You might mention «Jun» to the sushi master, which will buy you some credibility.
Will he be accommodating to Gaijin? I don’t know. I know for fact that the guy is really cool and nice to customers. «Anything goes,» he said. He is NOT one of those famous Sushi Nazi that scolds his customers if the they don’t order the sushi in the correct way. The only request he has is that you don’t do things that disrupts other customers.
WHAT TO ORDER: This sushi bar actually has a menu with prices. It is only written in Japanese, but it is good to know the kind of prices to expect. However, my recommendation is to just say «Nigiri Omakase» please.
COST: Nigiri Omakase is about 5000 Yen. With drinks, it ran me about 8000 Yen per person.
SMOKING: Smoking is allowed, so if that bothers you, don’t go here.
HOW GOOD?
So where does Miyako Sushi rank in my best sushi list? Near the top for sure. There is no point in comparing Miyakozushi with super high-​end places like Sushi Saito, Sukiyabashi Jiro, or Sushi Mitani. These three places with run you about $ 300 to $ 400 per person. I don’t know too many places that is below $ 100 that serves the quality of sushi served here. He is a second generation sushi chef following his father’s footsteps. He is quite masterful without being so rigid. I highly recommend this place.