Oban-zushi — Restaurant in Tokyo

Canadian from Vancouver posting here. For context, I speak little to no Japanese. All of my conversing with the gentleman working here (outside of ordering the food) was from hand gestures, and Google translate.

2 things about this place make it my favorite stop in shinjuku (a week into my trip, and this includes things other than restaurants).

1. The quality of the fish is amazing. They pick up fresh fish every day from a fish market that was listed on the menu, but I now can't remember the name. Honestly, it's the best salmon nigiri I've ever had. It is soft and buttery, perfectly fatty. It melts in your mouth. The magurodukushi is delectable. It's 5 different cuts of tuna prepared slightly differently, but they are all incredibly delicious and with a different fat content (I ordered this both visits). Tonight was my second time there, and both times, the miso soup had a different ingredient. One was a nice clam. Tonight was a piece of fish that was a nice treat at the bottom of the bowl.

2. The gentlemen working there are kind, incredibly professional, and so accommodating. They are just genuinely nice people that I could spend all day around even though we speak different languages. They enjoyed trying to converse with me, and the feeling was mutual.

When you ask for something, it's almost immediate (but not pre-set or pre made). Every person there has a hand in every order. Their professionalism is heartwarming. They are silent and attentive, unless you talk to them, then they are so kind and fun to deal with. The man making the nigiri is older, and for anyone who appreciates and understands well-made sushi, you will love him. The proportion of rice to fish is impeccable. The fish is thick and marbled (depending on what you order), the perfect amount of Wasabi in it.

One man spends all day there, from 8 am until the wee hours of the morning. His "star" as he called him, is the other man making the sushi. They are loveable and so dedicated.

I'll stop raving, but as a Canadian who grew up in a heavily Asian influenced city like Vancouver.... this place won my heart. No gimmicks. Top tier sushi. I will see them again tomorrow and miss them when I'm gone. I have been to fine sushi places in Vancouver, and nothing compares to this place I stumbled...

Wow! What a pleasant surprise. We came here for lunch. 990 yen per person for a fixed set lunch menu. That i call a very good and fair price. This place is a gem! The sushi quality is super good. You sit at the bar table and watches the sushi chef prepare your dish with outmost care. Its like looking at a painter painting a wall. They handle the fish so well. It turned almost into a dance watching them.

Anyway, me and my partner couldnt believe how good the sushi was. The staff asked us if we wanted wasabi inside or outside the fish. We had it prepared inside. The place is nothing pretentious and doesnt try to be. The white guy sitting in front of us smiled so much with every taste of the food he ate, almost crying probably because he couldnt comprehend how good the sushi was, just like us.

If you really want some good quality sushi, in Kabukicho (Shinjuku) we can strongly recommend this restaurant. Exceptional...

Visited May 2023

Oban-Zushi sushi restaurant is located on the corner of the Kuyakusho-dori intersection in Kabukicho, in Shinjuku.

It is very easy to reach on foot. We were lucky enough to sit at the counter and watch the masters preparing the specialities.

Of course, our opinion cannot have the same value as the opinion of the local people and Japanese customers in general, but I can confirm that I have eaten some of the best sushi in my entire life here. The tuna sushi (medium-fat) was unrivalled in its deliciousness. We reordered twice and could hardly believe how good the fish was - it literally melts in your mouth.

The plum wine was also very tasty.

All in all, it was certainly not a cheap but expensive experience that we will gladly repeat if we are there...