There are many fantastic sushi restaurants in Tokyo. It is impressive how many they are and their top level. Common to them all is that they are small, but none of the top sushi shops in Tokyo is smaller than Sushi Saito. As a matter of fact the restaurant is the smallest top rated in the world. Just seven seats tucked in quite close to each other and not even a rest room in the restaurant. You have to leave the restaurant and use a nearby public rest room if nature calls you.
Chef Patron Takashi Saito is among the younger master sushi chefs in Japan and was born in 1972. Saito-san got most of his training and perfected his skills at the famous Kyubei restaurant before he established his own shop. He has got an extrovert attitude and is attentive to all his guests so you will really feel selected in the master’s presence. It is not usual that any of the greatest chefs in Japan speak any English, but Saito will actually talk to you in some English and it is enough for any Westerner to feel welcome.
Sushi Saito is located in Akasaka just next to the American Embassy in the Nihon Jitensha Kaikan building, but you will have to look closely for the red curtains at the entrance of the tiny restaurant to find it. Once you have arrived to the restaurant you will find the atmosphere to be relaxed and enjoyable. Saito welcomes everyone as if they were regulars to him and you will probably soon end up in chats with the other guests who sit close to you so get ready for some interaction with both the Chef and the guests even if you do not speak Japanese.
Of course a lot of Saito’s cuisine is about sushi in all its forms, but during dinner service you will also have more elaborate dishes more like kaiseki. It is only sushi at lunch time and the fare is one of the best values for money in Tokyo at this top level, but the dinner quote is pretty much the same as for other top sushi restaurants in Japan. It costs some significant money, but you will have the best sushi available.
Chef Saito keeps his rice warm, but it is of course served at room temperature when it arrives in front of you with the best imaginable seafood on top of it. It is very impressive to watch the Chef work and how he measures the exact right amount of rice to each piece he serves you. He is extremely skilled with his fingers and each piece of nigiri is perfectly made every time. Sushi Saito is one of the best sushi restaurants in the world and a must for everyone visiting Tokyo.
Written by Andy
