We started off our trip with a visit to a cult favorite of sushi lovers- Daisan Harumi.  This tiny 8-seater (and 1 table) restaurant is known for its top quality fish and eccentric chef/owner Kazuo Nagayama, who in addition to preparing wonderful sushi also dabbles in book writing, ceramic design, and seaweed harvesting.

Nagayama-san hand writes his menu daily, a ritual that can take up to 90 minutes.  He then marks with orange circles the items that are particularly fresh for that day.  While you can order a la carte here, if you’re a first time visitor (like we were) it’s safer to choose omakase.

While no english is spoken at Daisan Harumi, we were still able to get by with a limited food vocabulary and most importantly, an earnest interest in the meal served.  Despite a full seating that evening, the staff and Nagayama-san took time, usually via pantomime, to answer our questions as well as educate us on the finer points of sushi dining (ex. the amount of wasabi used relative to the fattiness of the fish).  Also of great help was a very nicely produced sushi book written by the chef.

Our meal consisted of a sashimi starter and 8 or so pieces of nigiri with a couple of prepared items for variety. Everything was oh-so oishii!   There is just something truly different about eating fish this fresh.  The tuna for instance (maguro, chu-toro, o-toro) was firm without a hint of “fishiness” and intensely flavorful.  Needless to say, the rest of our meal all yielded gastronomical surprises.

Highlights of our meal included:

• Ika (Baby Squid) – a true surprise that started off with the familiar tender crunch like other ika but quickly morphed into a subtle creaminess that melted in the mouth with a sweet taste that lingered for awhile.
• Anago (Sea Eel) – we had this grilled and it was absolutely sublime.  A slightly crispy exterior with an almost buttery (think foie gras) interior.
• Kuruma Ebi (Japanese Imperial Prawn) – probably the most popular prawn in Japan, was just barely boiled giving the meat a solid texture but preserving its sweetness.  The heads were also fried to perfection.
• Hotate and Uni are also worth mentioning.  Nagayama-san sure knows how to select the best and freshest.

Lunch and dinner prices hover around 10,000 Y and 20,000 Y respectively.  While pricey, it’s a good (and cheaper) alternative to some of the better-known (Michelin starred) sushi establishments in the city.

Our first meal in Tokyo was fantastic and very memorable thanks to the staff and Nagayama-san.  While a bit out of our price range for dinner, G and I both agreed that we would definitely be back to Daisan Harumi for lunch if we ever make it back to Tokyo.

Additional photos from Daisan Harumi.

———————————–

Daisan Harumi (第三春美鮨)
東京都港区新橋１丁目１７−７
1-17-7 Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
+81 3-3501-4622 ‎