Sushi Umi is tucked away in a quiet corner in Minami-Aoyama. It is a roughly 10-minute walk from the Omotesando crossing.
Go through the sliding, black-colored wooden door with noren (curtain) hanging above. You will see the restaurant’s name written in calligraphy in Japanese characters right next to the door. The kanji name for the restaurant represents a combination of ocean and flavor with a suggestion that guests enjoy the simple taste pure flavors of the ocean. As you enter you will see 10 plain wooden counter seats, with the sushi chef standing in front of the guests.
Koichi Taira, third executive chef of Sushi Umi, is from Kagoshima Prefecture. With only a vague idea of wanting to get a job that would use his hands, Chef Taira plunged into the world of sushi after graduating from high school. He started working at a sushi restaurant in Osaka and learned the basics of sushi. A master chef at that time prompted Chef Taira to continue on this path. After gaining more experience, Chef Taira joined Sushi Umi in August 2019.
While ingredients are mainly procured in Toyosu Market, some are purchased directly from local fishery operations all over Japan. The emphasis is on obtaining the best seasonal ingredients for the restaurant specialties. Sushi Umi uses Hitomebore rice grown by a renowned master of organic farming. Rice is cooked in a donabe (earthenware pot) made by a leading producer of pottery in Japan.
The omakase course, for both lunch and dinner, consists of ten appetizers followed by thirteen nigiri sushi pieces. Of all the pieces, Sushi Umi is most confident of the quality of kohada (gizzard shad) and anago (conger eel).
Reservation is a must!
店主を筆頭にスタッフの威勢の良さは間違いなく都内随一。そして、寿司はそんな威勢の良さとは裏腹にどこまでも上品で、食べ疲れのしない優しいお味。このギャップがまた楽しい。2019年9月で2代目の大将は独立し、新たな主人を迎えることになります。（このコメントは2代目在籍時代のものです） Quote from Google Map Review
Photographers: sushi_piitan
