Sushidokoro Isseki Sancho — Restaurant in Tokyo

I almost never write reviews, but this experience was so appalling that I feel a responsibility to warn others. My husband and I had booked this omakase months in advance, full of excitement as visitors from Australia, expecting a special night to remember. Instead, we left feeling humiliated, excluded and utterly dehumanised by what turned out to be the single worst dining experience of our lives.

The service wasn’t just poor - it was insulting, demeaning, and, without exaggeration, discriminatory. In fact, we received more warmth, courtesy and respect from a convenience store clerk at Family Mart on our way home than this! Omakase is meant to be personal, attentive and memorable. You pay for the experience as much as the food. Guests look forward to the chef’s care, interaction and human touch. But from the moment we sat down, we were made to feel invisible.

The chef in charge - a Japanese woman with long black hair tied in a ponytail and braces - never greeted us, never offered a basic smile and never even acknowledged our presence. She barely muttered the name of each dish as she slammed it in front of us, avoiding eye contact completely. We were placed at the farthest end of the counter, in a cramped corner directly facing the clatter of dirty dishwashers - hardly the experience anyone books omakase for.

What made it so much worse was the blatant contrast. Seated right next to us was another foreign couple, who happened to speak Japanese. To them, she was all smiles, laughter, and warmth. She chatted, joked, explained each dish in detail, posed for photos and treated them like honored guests. To us - sitting literally inches away and paying the same amount of money - she gave less than nothing. No conversation, no explanation, no welcome, no humanity. It was as though we were deliberately shut out, punished for not speaking Japanese. The difference was so glaring it was impossible not to see it for what it was: deliberate racism. At first we thought it might be a language barrier, but her English was perfectly fine - she simply chose not to use it with us. The difference in treatment was impossible to miss and left us feeling excluded and disrespected.

The food itself only deepened our disappointment. The sashimi was dull and not fresh. The sushi rice was wet, clumped and oversalted to the point of being unpleasant. The wasabi was wildly inconsistent - some pieces drowned in it until they were inedible, others with none at all. The sushi handed to us was sloppy, lopsided, and literally falling apart, while the plates given to our neighbours were placed with precision and pride, every piece neat and perfect. The double standard in both service and presentation was insulting and impossible to ignore.

And for this, we were charged nearly A$300 for two people, including an undisclosed “service charge.” For that price one would expect at the very least the bare minimum of courtesy. Instead we were served mediocrity, disdain and humiliation. We didn’t make one single complaint at the restaurant, but even if we did I don’t think it would have made a difference - the other staff saw how we, and other foreigners sitting round the table were being treated by this lady, and did nothing about it.

This was not just disappointing - it was deeply hurtful. We came in with open hearts, ready to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime omakase in Tokyo and instead walked out feeling belittled, disrespected, and unwelcome. I cannot overstate how much this night soured our view - not just of this restaurant, but perhaps Japan altogether.

I would never return. I would strongly advise anyone considering this restaurant to avoid it. Not only would I never return, I would happily pay money never to experience this kind of treatment again. If you are considering this restaurant, save yourself the money and pain and choose anywhere else. No meal is worth leaving with this kind of bitterness, especially at the very start of our holiday. Very...

First of all, the sushi was absolutely amazing. Great flavors, top-quality ingredients, and the pleasure of watching the chef prepare each piece in front of us made it a memorable culinary experience.

What disappointed us, however, was the service, which unfortunately affected the overall experience. When you pay ¥30,000 per person, you expect to receive the same treatment as other guests on the same menu—but that wasn't the case.

We ordered the sake pairing, as did the couple next to us, yet we were served different sakes throughout the course. Even more confusing: a specific plate was served to everyone at the counter—except us. When we asked, we were told there are "small variations between customers," which felt unfair, especially since we were all on the same ¥22,000 course (+10% service charge).

Later, we learned that some guests had chosen a "VIP" option—which we understand—but others who received the dish we missed had the exact same course as us. We were eventually given a different special plate, but by then, the inconsistency had already left a mark.

In short, while the sushi was among the best we’ve ever had, the lack of consistency and transparency in service left a bitter aftertaste. It was the most expensive meal of our trip, and feeling confused and left out during the dinner made it feel overpriced. Still the chief is talented and sushis...

My boyfriend and I were super excited to have omakase in Japan. We picked this spot due to the good reviews. However this restaurant was a huge disappointment. Firstly, the seat that was given to us was at the very end and our view was of the dishwasher and the server cleaning dishes, making drinks, and seeing servers constantly come in and out of that space. It felt super cluttered and uncomfortable, if our dinner is $500+ I expect to be in a good environment and comfortable seat as well. This was our first experience having omakase in Japan and honestly the omakase I have had outside of Japan was a much better experience than tonight. Secondly, the service was very mediocre, the food pace was very awkward and servers are not attentive enough. Also we saw one of the main chefs pull out his phone mid service- he was holding his phone below his working nigiri table so customers directly in front of him were not able to see this but from our angle being at the very end we saw he was playing on his phone which gave me sanitary concerns as the chefs are making food with their bare hands. Lastly, food wise nigiris were good but not amazing I have had much...