Tsuke Edomae — Restaurant in Austin

TL;DR: If you can get a booking, this is the best sushi in Austin hands down.

I haven't been to Jiro's place from Jiro Dreams of Sushi in Japan, nor have I been to Omakase in NYC. I have had my fair share of sushi, not only in Austin but the likes of Toronto, London, and Paris. So far Tsuke Edomae is my favorite and at the top of the list.

We originally booked this for my birthday in April, however they had to move us as the chef was going back and forth to Japan on a frequent basis to gain additional experience from his mentor. Originally I was very upset that we had to move the original reservation and we were able to find a date suitable for myself and a few of my friends.

There were a lot of things to overcome that were situational and environmental in order to make this possible. Let me explain; the day that I went we had a severe thunderstorm watch in this particular area. We then had a few servings of sushi and the storm came and it was very strong with hail and gale force winds. All of my friends, including myself, were concerned about our cars that were parked outside. Then soon after the storm passed the fire alarm started to ring in the building. We thought that would be a short duration, however it was almost 25 to 30 minutes before we were able to even get to the next serving of sushi. We even had to go to the market next door to buy some cotton balls to put in our ears in order to endure the loudness of the alarm. The hostess was so gracious to ask if we wanted to continue or cancel/reschedule the reservation. My friends and I are troopers so we assured the hostess that we were going to commit to waiting out the alarm and not let any of these freak of nature events, literally, dampen our night.

Okay enough about the setup. Let's talk about sushi. The sushi is amazing! The service is spectacular. The environment is inviting, cozy, and fun. We had the sake flowing...

The first piece was a white fish with creme fraiche and tobiko. The crispiness of the skin was on point, the fish wasn't overly marinated yet the saltiness of the tobiko with the creme fraiche gave it a richness and saltiness that really balanced well. Well it was a true piece of art.

The chu toro and the akamai tuna were marinated in soy sauce and presented in a way that was so appetizing. It was perfectly marinated and not overly salty.

We had skipjack tuna and Japanese jack mackerel both were so fresh, well balanced and not fishy at all. Mackerel does have a tendency to be a little bit more fishy than other fishes. However, you can definitely taste the freshness here and it DID NOT have any fishy taste to it.

You have an option to add on otoro and/or uni. The otoro literally just melts in your mouth and was so good, whereas the uni had the right level of creaminess and brininess that you would expect for very fresh uni. I highly recommend adding on these pieces to your experience.

It is a testament to chef Mike, his attention to detail, and culinary talent as my wife who does not eat raw fish in fact ate every piece. She said that she enjoyed it. This is after almost 12 years of trying to get my wife to eat proper nigiri sushi.

Thank you Chef Mike for a wonderful evening. It was a memorable one and thank you for introducing my wife to a whole new level of sushi. We will definitely try to be back if we can get a reservation. Highly...

I have tried for 11 months to get a reservation for Tsuke Edomae. Finally, in the month before I leave Austin, I got it. All I can say.. it's worth the effort.

Logistics: Parking at Mueller is hard. Worst case, I recommend the Mueller Town Center Garage (5 minute walk) for about $6-8 ($2/hr).

Chef Mike has learned from some of the best and brings his vibrant personality to the table in this intimate omakase experience with his partner Nhi. I won't spoil all of his secrets, but ask him about the cost of the ingredients versus what he makes. Spoiler: What you're paying for is truly mostly raw ingredient cost. I feel blessed to have had a meal with someone so dedicated to his craft.

High level details: There are two types of rice (shari) that vary in vinegar and style, meant for fatty fish or shellfish like scallops. These are a true differentiator of this experience against others. Many of the nigiri pieces include mazumaa wasabi, which is minced fresh before your very eyes. It can be quite strong sometimes, but never overpowered the seafood and rice in my experience. Our experience included the following:

Chutoro Medium Tuna soaked in mirin, sake, soy sauce Goma salad with sesame dressing, ground with a mortar and pestle and combined with vinegar and maple syrup from Canada Chutoro Otoro Hand Roll Hokkaido Scallops Tachiuo Japanese beltfish (No photo) Madai Sea bream Ika Squid Monkfish Liver ankimo Aji Jack (Mackerel) with green onion - shockingly fatty! Marinated mackerel with cucumber, ginger, and chives Akami lean tuna soaked in mirin, sake, soy sauce Tiger Prawn Soy Dashi with Tempura Eggplant and Bell Pepper Otoro wild bluefin ($140/lb) (A la carte) Sawara Spanish Mackarel Katsuo Skipjack Tuna with ponzu and olive oil Sakura Masu cherry blossom trout Uni Sea Urchin (a la carte) Sea conger eel mitsume boiled eel fat and brown sugar with sake and kirin (Yoshino Tsukiji Mike) Tamago Farmer's Market Strawberries

My one piece of feedback is that the meal felt interrupted by providing the a la carte options midway through. I would recommend those be provided at the end, so as to not disrupt the flow for guests that opted out of the a la carte. (I'd highly recommend both, but they are pricier cuts at $30+ a piece. I went with the uni and would say it was worth it.)

But overall, the experience was one of a kind. What other chef makes the weekly drive to an airport in another city to pick up his imported fish fresh every week? You'll be delighted by his attention to detail, down to the beautiful instrumental music (that may remind you of Ocarina of Time?) bringing you to...

In short, this is our newest favorite restaurant in Austin. Chef Michael represents the Edomae style of sushi amazingly - not only in his skill of the food, but also his philosophy and all the little details that many of us in the states would miss if we never traveled to Japan. I would highly recommend trying this place out if you can snag a reservation.

Below is my full review. For context, my husband and I have had sushi in many places, from Sushi Arai in Ginza to Shiro's in Seattle ( Jiro's apprentice ) to a handful of Michelin stars in San Fran. This place gives them a run for their money. Yet, I think Michael would appreciate them all. I'll highlight a few special areas that set him apart.

Firstly, the texture of fish: it's not fishy at all, had the perfect preparation, wasabi ratio, and rice texture and temperature. The tempura was crisp, light, and flaky. It's the lightest I've ever had (yes, including in Japan), and that takes a ton of technique and timing to get it right.

Secondly, freshness of fish. Many say they are sourced from Japan, but most of the times, it changes hands a few times before it gets to the restaurant. It's not necessarily bad, but you can tell in Edomae style sushi. Here, it's fresh. How can I tell? The uni. We’ve had our fair share of uni at various restaurants across the U.S., and typically judge a place’s supply chain by how fresh and well-kept their uni is. The quality here blew us away—it’s even better than some Michelin-starred places in San Francisco that pride themselves on fresh shipments. The uni here was impeccable, showing the chef's dedication to sourcing only the finest ingredients.

Lastly, what we truly appreciated was the commitment to traditional Japanese customs. From the absence of tipping to small, thoughtful details like the plain, unlaquered wooden bar and the little animal statues that greet you at the entrance, and yes, the kinda sketchy door in a random complex- every element mirrored the authenticity of Japan. This restaurant understands the art of quality over quantity and refuses to follow the "scale" culture so prevalent in the U.S. dining scene. It’s a refreshing nod to the way things are done in Japan, with respect for tradition and craftsmanship and honoring every customer that comes through the doors.

We came home very nostalgic of our love for Japan and unboxed some tea from our last trip while writing this. If you read this Michael, thank you for this amazing experience and bringing such an excellent representation of Japan's Edomae sushi to our backyard. Your mentors should be very proud. Hope we are able to...