すしまさ — Restaurant in Uji

This sushi restaurant is quite off the beaten path for the traditional tourist, but I am writing today because I want other individuals who like to venture beyond the conventional sites and heavy foot traffic to find this absolute gem of a sushi place!

My boyfriend and I got lost and wandered into this neighborhood after visiting Uji. It’s tucked away in a residential neighborhood. We walked in around noon and asked the chef if he had space for 2 in my broken Japanese. After some back and forth (I promise to learn Japanese better!!) he welcomed us in and his wife also arrived. They were both so sweet! We used Google translate to communicate and to read the menu. Some items require reservation for the chef to prepare, while others you can order a la carte. We ordered two sets of sushi, which included my favorite: chūtoro 😻

The chef also came by with another plate for us, which we weren’t familiar with. It was sea bream, which tasted divine — it had a subtle smokey flavor and lovely aftertaste. The miso was also a treat, complemented by herbs that enveloped its nutty taste with earthy notes.

We loved everything we had and ordered more, this time a large roll that rounded out the entire meal. We left feeling full and happy to have found such a diamond in this little neighborhood.

I also saw on my walk that the Nintendo Museum was about to open nearby, and am bracing myself for even more visitors to this lovely restaurant. Hopefully my English review is helpful in the future, and that the chef is ready to see more...

Want one of the most down-to-earth experiences in Kyoto? Go visit this husband and wife duo who were probably two of the sweetest people we met on our entire 18 day trip. It's just a 10 minute walk from the Nintendo Museum so you can fill your belly after some nostalgic fun at the Nintendo Museum.

Our walk took us through the small town of Uji where we didn't run into a single tourist. There was no one else inside when we entered what I assume to be the lower portion of the couples' home. They didn't speak much English but we had a great "conversation" through our language apps.

We ordered omakase and let me tell you, we were so full. But we enjoyed every last bite. What was even better than the meal itself was connecting with the couple and learning about how long they've been married, how long they've owned the restaurant, their family, their hobbies, while also sharing our experiences with them. We were treated very kindly and they took really good care of us.

The crafts and things around the shop? She made them. The photos on the wall? She shot them. And baseball? He's a big fan. Go ahead, take some time away from the super heavily tourist populated spots and give these two a visit and tell them we said hello and miss them!

*Bonus? As we were leaving the restaurant, two little girls who were locals said hello and chatted us up a little bit. A nice cherry on top of what was already a...

I'm reviewing this almost 5 months after my visit, but I really want to share my experience and I highly recommend this place. I went here for dinner after spending the afternoon in Nintendo Museum. I randomly found this place days before my visit thanks to the good reviews about the omakase sushi set, which I ordered since i love sushi. The inside felt homey, and it's a really quaint area. It was a cold spring evening and coming inside the restaurant felt warm. Being a solo traveller, the owners were so welcoming and very hospitable. And the food was very good, nothing fancy, but comforting and really genuine. As I finished my meal, Oba-san gave me these little origami as souvenir. I want to visit them again when...