Hatsunezushi — Restaurant in Tokyo

Very disappointing, avoid this restaurant.

We took the Hayato course (not the master but his apprentice) in the evening for 22.000 Yen pP after reading many excellent reviews on Tabelog and Google Maps.

However, we were disappointed like never before in a restaurant in Japan.

Menu: The menu basically was a cheap lunch omakase with a Chawanmushi Appetizer, several nigiri sushi and a miso soup. No snacks were served, no Uni, no Otoro and the overall fish quality and freshness was far behind what we experienced in other venues (eg in Ginza).

Chef: The chef took great care of „entertaining“ his guests by taking photos of everyone holding the fish or a plate with heart shaped ikura. In my opinion, the chef should put more emphasis on training his skills in slicing fish and preparing nigiri instead of doing fancy entertaining. He appeared to us as he just got started a few weeks ago but not at all like a trained and seasoned sushi chef. Not comparable to the beauty and elegance one can witness and expects from high-profile sushi venues in Tokio.

Price: Given the hefty price tag of 22.000 yen, what you get is far below standard in Tokio. There are several others venues in the city serving lunch omakase for less than 10.000 yen which exceeds Hatsunes fish quality and preparation by far. Additionally we had two beers and some water and payed 5000 yen on top for top.

Conclusion: I cannot rate the experience with the master but would highly recommend to avoid his apprentice Hayato for both meal quality and preparation skills. I am definitely ready to spend a decent amount on restaurants but in this case, it really hurt spending that much and getting so little in return.

Go to other restaurants that are truly passionate about their craft and serve excellent sushi for less than half...

This will be an experience of a lifetime. If I were to ever be struck by sudden memory loss, I truly hope that the flavors and memories created here at Hatsune will last. I was visiting Japan and wanted a proper Omakase experience. As a last minute planner I stumbled upon a booking website where most of the Michelin rated eats could be found.

There was an opening for 1 slot and I decided to hop on a train and make my way over. The pricing in all honesty was very fair. You walk in and immediately feel so welcomed as if you are a prince or princess. The atmosphere surely draws in a sense of an excitement. Peculiarities like 30 year old aged soy sauce or the finest green tea entice you for the journey to come.

The Itamae (head chef) presented each and every dish with a educational backstory and then began preparing each dish with delicacy and precision. They even let us snag pictures of each.

The room starts getting filled with love and before you know it you’re at the end in a state of trance. I recommend you book your trip around a pit stop like this and truly savor each and every bite as you probably won’t find an experience like...

Unfortunately unsatisfactory. The meal was composed of about 10 pieces of sushi plus a small appetizer and a dessert. The chef proved to be skilled, but the quality of the sushi wasn't consistent. Some pieces were great, others had a too strong fishy aftertaste. Moreover, it wasn't enough for the price.

The expectation was high because of the price (22,000 yen/person, drinks not included) and because it had 2 Michelin stars in the past.

What I also didn't like was that we were asked if we would like more sushi. It wasn't mentioned that there was an extra charge for that. It wasn't obvious since there's no menu.

At the end of the meal we received the second bill. Additional 11,110 yen for two glasses of sake and two pieces of sushi. The bill didn't have the cost breakdown, so one cannot even see how much is the cost of each element.

Overall, the experience was ok, but it didn't match the price. I...