Sushi Yoshitake — Restaurant in Tokyo

A bit of a late review, but better late than never. This is based on notes I took 3 days after the meal.

Was here for the 2018 winter menu. Undoubtedly one of the best omakase I've ever had. Truth be told, there were dishes here that even MASA does not serve.

First things first, reservations are a must. You will be turned away at the door if you try to walk in. No photography. No perfume or cologne or any scent beyond your body sweat. The chef asked us to eat it with our fingers.

[Notes] Hokkaido botan shrimp, grilled over charcoal, served with eggplant paste and ginger jelly - a perfect grilled white on the shrimp, really builds up your anticipation for the rest of the course

Steamed abalone with liver sauce - the liver sauce is incredibly flavorful and goes great on top of the supple abalone, the leftover liver sauce was served with a small serving of rice. New favorite

Uni, wakame seaweed, yam, okra - delicious cold dish, wakame seaweed is like nature's own chilled noodles. Two varieties of uni, seems to be Chilean and Hokkaido (Ensui?), grade A based on its vibrant golden yellow color, smooth, creamy, and slightly sweet [/Notes]

It's been 4 years and I still remember this meal like a fanciful dream that lingers in the back of your skull.

Definitely revisit upon...

Best meal of my life.

The thought behind each dish does not go unnoticed. Sushi Yoshitake has the most excellent and unusual rice in its rich seasoning and perfect texture. Each dish is given in the perfect order creating a harmonious balance between appetizer and sushi courses. For the appetizer round certain plates were unexpected surprises, such as one of the highlights of the night being the abalone liver with rice. The sushi rounds focus is all on the fish and rice. There are minimal interventions with other ingredients allowing for the fish to speak for itself, which it does. Everything is about attention to detail however the chef has a relaxed demeanor making the environment comfortable and thoroughly enjoyable. No photos, allowed for you to be present all evening and enjoy watching the craft with no distractions. Overall, a memorable night that I would...

The reservation service we used gave the impression that this place would be incredibly fussy in regards to manners….so we got dressed up in our best suits, no colognes, no pictures, no browsing on your phone…..”rules” which our fellow Japanese customers ignored (turned up in shorts and t-shirts; browsed their phones between courses etc) so don’t be too intimidated the place is actually quite chill and the chef was a riot. Such a nice jovial guy. Most of the staff spoke excellent English. Ok the food was amazing, the rice was more highly seasoned than I had before (Edo style according to the chef) delicate fish. I really enjoyed the sushi adjacent dishes, like ikura mixed with egg yolk, chawanmushi and abalone liver sauce with rice. Excellent sake selection. Saying that even though it’s actually a more relaxed dining experience than advertised….don’t turn up in...