Sushi Kurosaki — Restaurant in Nikko

We were visiting Nikko as a day trip on a whim, and saw this place on Maps and decided to check it out.

They're usually reservation-only for dinner, but they were able to let some people in since it's the off-season. Very lucky; otherwise we wouldn't have gotten to try it!

I had a chat with the lady at the counter. Her English was fine but a bit stilted; we conversed in Japanese to make it quicker.

They source their fish from Tsukiji in Tokyo, getting it brought in twice a day. Basically, great value for amazing food all the way up here in the mountains.

They will do some things off-menu, too. You can get tea served hot, they'll offer to switch out some of the types of fish if you prefer, etc.

Since they were not crowded, the staff was way more engaging than expected. It's more than just the food quality that makes this place awesome.

Would highly recommend, but don't be like us and try to walk in without reserving for dinner - it's apparently very rare for them to be able to accept people without...

It's a cold night and we had checked with the good people at Hatago Nagomi that this restaurant is open during winter for dinner. But it is open at 6 instead of 5 ( which is what Google showed) We were there at 530 to queue as we were afraid to that they will not be able to accommodate us, but that was a needless worry as winter is off peak. They saw us at the door, and they invited us in earlier. Sushi is indeed very good. Neta is fresh, Shari complements the neta perfectly. I am usually not a fan of gizzard shard, but it was very well prepared here. not fishy at all. We also had one of the most wonderfully grilled trout. Fine and delicate! It's a husband and wife team and their hospitality is great. Patronised laso by their local regulars. Beats what u get at Tsukiji famous...

My biased idea - eating out for Sushi in a mountainous area is ridiculous - was completely scrapped and I questioned myself why I hadn’t visited this amazing restaurant though I am visiting this beautiful lake town almost every weekends!

Points to be specially mentioned are #1: The Sushi chef has a HIGH sense of professionalism. #2: The hostess is a very pleasant and likable lady and her “Omotenashi (Japanese hospitality)” is moderate but very considering. #3: Not knowing how they are managing in that remotely located area from the sea, however, all of the served raw ingredients were fresh. #4: Their price setting is quite reasonable!

Should you visit the town, you cannot miss this wonderful restaurant. Hindsight is always 20/20!

Damm! Forgot to...