Sushisho Masa — Restaurant in Tokyo

Without a doubt the best sushi experience of my life.

Just trying to get a seat here is a task in of itself, however we were able to do so through Pocket Concierge. It was more expensive to do it this way, but it was worth it to get a seat.

The meal is undoubtedly expensive, however this is about as high end of a sushi experience as you are able to get and you will also be treated to (no joke) over 50 different types of sushi. Make sure you come hungry!

The chef prepares only the best sushi that is currently in season and goes through great lengths outside of restaurant hours to source and sample only the best produce to pass onto his customers.

Each piece of sushi is prepared in the best way possible to give you the best flavours from each cut. The restaurant itself is small with only around 8 counter seats, which gives you the opportunity to watch the master work his skills across every piece he prepares. The amount of knowledge and skill involved in every single dish he gives you is mind boggling and up there with the best you will find anywhere in the world.

There is also no problems at all with the language barrier, as they have fully English speaking staff working alongside the head chef.

You will experience all of the cuts of sushi you would expect as long as it is in season, tuna, prawns, uni, fish eggs, the works. But you will also try other rarer types of fish and some very unique ones. Make sure you come with an open mind to try anything. Certain types of milt was seasonal when we visited and we had three different varieties which were surprisingly delicious and expectedly creamy (if you're not sure what this is then try googling it).

The service is as professional as you will find anywhere in the world, but despite being a high end restaurant it also has a casual and relaxed feel to it where you don't need to feel pressured to stay quiet or anything like that. The staff will chat to you all through the meal, make you feel comfortable and instruct you on the best ways to eat each dish.

The only confusing part was at the end of our meal we had to pay an additional charge as it seems like the chef ended up serving us more than expected due to us just eating everything that was put in front of us. Apparently he was impressed by our appetite. I'm not sure if at some point you're supposed to advise that you are getting full or not so that he can start wrapping things up, he ended up serving us basically everything he had available at the time and had nothing else left for us to try. Just keep in mind if you visit that you may need to communicate if you are starting to get full.

Despite the very high price tag, it was absolutely worth coming here and experiencing high end Sushi at Sushisho Masa. I'm unlikely to have a better sushi experience for the rest of my life, which I personally think justifies the cost. If you are able to get a seat here then you won't be disappointed. This is as good as it gets, and you won't be left walking out...

This was, unfortunately, the only negative dining experience during our two-week visit to Japan – and by far the most expensive. At 80,000 yen for two, this omakase experience cost significantly more than any other meal we had, yet failed to deliver on basic expectations, let alone justify the price.

While some rare species of fish were served, the quality overall was subpar – not even on par with many conveyor belt or standing sushi bars we visited, which consistently delivered fresher, more enjoyable dishes. About half the 45-course meal felt like filler: items like radish, pumpkin, burnt salmon skin, shrimp heads, liver, and other organs. Furthermore, only a handful of dishes stood out as truly delicious.

What felt especially misleading, and frankly borderline fraudulent, was the additional 17,000 yen charge added at the end – despite having prepaid 66,000 yen. We were told this was due to “drinking sake” (two tiny cups that were highly recommended after eating organ dishes) and “eating more than average,” even though my wife stopped eating before the end and I simply finished the courses served to me (45 courses as advertised). We did not request any extras and were not informed these sake charges could apply beforehand.

The atmosphere was stiff and awkward – we were kept waiting outside until the exact start time, then rushed in with no introductions or welcome. Service was efficient but lacked warmth. It’s worth noting the chefs seemed hardworking, kept the workspace meticulously clean, and freshly prepared wasabi – small positives in an otherwise disappointing evening.

We’ve had omakase in the U.S. before, and while we recognize cultural differences, this experience felt transactional and opportunistic rather than intimate or curated. For the price, this was an exceptionally poor value, and the surprise charges left a particularly bad impression.

We had countless wonderful, respectful, and authentic dining experiences throughout Japan – which made this one all the more shocking. I would strongly caution others to do careful research...

The best sushi I've had in my life, even after living in Japan for 7 years and having had omakase before.

ℹ️English is spoken fluently by the sous chefs and the head chef speaks some. When you enter, they'll ask you if you have any allergies or things you don't like (one diner didn't want organs). I think they also ask you what rice portion you want for your sushi pieces, but if not you can tell them at the beginning if you want less rice.

The fish served was so fresh, and it was prepared with a variety of garnishes such as soy sauce-marinated garlic slices and pepper. With each piece, we got instructions on whether to dip it in soy sauce, add wasabi, or eat it as-is. Mix of sushi standards and unique fish, as well as different cuts of the same fish. They explained each piece in detail.

Even some fish that is normally just okay (like octopus and uni) were amazing. The uni wasn't bitter at all, it was buttery and full of umami, and the octopus wasn't chewy.

💴As opposed to what others have said, they did announce when the prepaid course was over and asked if we wanted to continue or not. There is indeed no set drink menu, so you have to be careful on ordering, but upon accepting the sake pairings and ordering one green tea (with refills) and a beer our extra charge came out to only ¥4800, which is reasonable considering the sake served.

🪜You do have to descend a flight of stairs to enter, and the stairwell is not climate controlled, so be ready to be hot/cold while you wait.

Disclaimer: I booked our reservation from JPNEAZY, and received the meal for free in exchange for an Instagram collaboration with them, but this review is not part of our collab (I'm writing this on my own). I really did enjoy this restaurant and if my salary wasn't paid in yen, I'd definitely...