Tokyo | Turns out you can book a sushi restaurant with a prestigious pedigree just one day ahead.

Decided on a whim to have sushi the next evening, and surprisingly this place in Ginza still had a seat open. The chef’s pedigree is impressive — a disciple of Sushi Keita, the one-Michelin-star spot in Tsukiji.

🍶
Vinegar-Marinated Kelp
Hirame (Flounder) ⭐️
Mehikari (Greeneye) ⭐️
Botan Shrimp, Bonito
Isaki (Chicken Grunt) ⭐️⭐️
Grilled Nodoguro ⭐️
🍣
Otoro ⭐️
Akami
Spear Squid
Sardine
Shima-aji (Striped Jack) ⭐️⭐️
White Amadai (Tilefish) ⭐️
Arctic Surf Clam ⭐️
Sweet Shrimp
Aomori Purple Sea Urchin
Anago (Sea Eel) ⭐️
Tamago

I figured that in a city like Tokyo, a sushi place you can book just one day ahead would be lucky to even have decent food (hey now), but the whole meal ended up exceeding expectations.

🥢 The otsumami leaned heavily on grilled fish, but the texture and flavor never felt repetitive. The isaki, skin charred while the flesh stayed raw, was the best bite of the whole meal.
🍣 As for the sushi, the shari was strongly acidic with a moderate saltiness, grains nice and firm — but every pairing of rice and fish worked well together. The catch wasn’t quite top-tier, but the Aomori purple sea urchin was massive, and the shima-aji, white amadai, and Arctic surf clam all performed well too.

✅ The chef’s English is great, no communication issues at all. The vibe at the counter was relaxed too — when he served the otoro, he joked, “That bite just cost you three thousand yen!”
⭐️ The restaurant only runs one seating a night, at 6pm — great news for drinkers and anyone who wants to properly savor their dinner. You can eat slowly, drink slowly, order more at your own pace, no worry about being rushed out.

Lunch is only 15,000 yen — perfect for resting your feet with sushi after a day of shopping in Ginza.

🍣 Sushi Horinouchi
💰 29,700++