Sushi Kadowaki is located on the sixth floor of a building in the heart of Ginza's club district, but when you open the sliding door of the restaurant you'll be greeted by a small garden with babbling water.

If you then open the second sliding door, you will be greeted by a spirited greeting, and your eye will be drawn to the dazzling plain wood counter and the imposing wooden icebox that sits in the center of the room.

The boss is full of good vibes

As a sushi restaurant, in what direction is it heading?

This is because there is no other form of dining where the boss's personal way of thinking and personality determines everything as much as in a sushi restaurant. As someone who has experienced it on behalf of the readers, the first thing I must point out is that this restaurant is filled with a very good vibe emanating from the boss.

It is immediately clear that the master, Kadowaki Masatoshi, has an extraordinary attitude towards his ingredients and is the type of person who thinks nothing of the enormous amount of effort that goes into preparing them.

The three appetizers that come on top of the meal are a total effort. The chef is concerned with how to bring out the natural flavor of the ingredients. Even in the bamboo shoot stew, he doesn't use a single drop of dashi. The bowl is filled with the refreshing flavor of young bamboo shoots at the beginning of the season, so much so that it is almost overwhelming.

The appetizers of "black abalone" and "hairy crab" are overwhelming

The black abalone is steamed in sake for two hours. The liver is simmered in sake and strained, and a small amount of butter is added to reduce the bitterness. Finally, it is finished with the juice of an uncoated, pesticide-free lemon from Hachijojima. The slight adjustment of the butter and citrus acidity creates a perfectly balanced sauce.

After eating the whole abalone that stuck to my teeth, the waiter gave me a handful of rice and said, "Please mix it with the liver sauce." He's very considerate of his customers. Because I don't want to leave a single drop of liver sauce behind. I'm so happy to hear such a suggestion. The way this rich liver sauce rice shakes the five senses is so immoral.

Hokkaido's "hairy crab" is mixed with purple sea urchin, which has been grilled over charcoal to bring out its sweetness, and then sprinkled with dried mullet roe. No extra seasonings are added, but wow, it's amazing. What a rich and complex trio of flavors.

This is truly "natural crab cream" (by the master). An explosion shoots through my head. The master also does something sinful. If you eat something like this, you won't feel anything with regular crab.

In this short time, I learned something. It is the boss's greedy and headlong attitude in his quest to make delicious food. Furthermore, he is a positive and talkative man, and he and all his staff are thorough in making sure that customers feel as comfortable as possible.

And above all else, the chef is dying to feed his customers the dishes he has spent so much time and effort preparing. He is an eager person. I was most touched by his enthusiasm.

The rice is "Egami no Kizuna" and the vinegar is a blend of three types.

Once we finished the appetizers and moved on to the sushi, an even more amazing world awaited us.

They source the finest quality fish from all over Japan, but when it comes to white fish they place great trust in "Jo-nii," a discerning fishmonger from Kagoshima.

In the first place, just paying a lot of money does not guarantee you will get a good fish. If the chef is not one that the wholesaler or fishmonger has high hopes for (i.e., if the chef is not skilled), they will not be able to sell you good ingredients. Of course, that is because people naturally want to leave this fish in the hands of that chef.

This explanation will be lengthy, but since we are talking about sushi, please bear with me a little longer.

First, the all-important rice, the sushi rice, is purchased directly from farmers in Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture. The brand is "Egami no Kizuna." Old rice is often used for sushi due to its moisture content, but this rice has large grains and is not sticky even though it is new rice. It also takes on vinegar well, making it a perfect rice for sushi. It is cooked in a hagama pot.

The vinegar is a blend of three types. Two types of red vinegar are used, the taste and aroma of "Yamabuki" and the umami of "Yusen". The rice vinegar "Shiragiku" can be used on its own, but it adds a refreshing touch (I think?).

"Instead of changing the type of sushi rice, we decided to use one type that would go well with all the sushi toppings," said the master.

The result is an exquisite combination, but it must have been difficult to arrive at that point.

The first three types of sushi are a shock to me!

It was finally Sushi's turn. All three batters, from the top of the lineup, hit clean home runs.

(Sorry for the Dodgers comparison) The equivalent of Ohtani in the first place is a "medai" (sea bream) that has been left to sit for about five days. The flesh is moist, and when you bite into it, the flavor overflows into your mouth. If you're expecting an ordinary fresh fillet, you'll be surprised by the richness that is so far beyond compare. It's kind of shocking. Instead of boiling it in, it's topped with just a pinch of salt. This salt brings out the flavor even more. It goes extremely well with the sushi rice.

"True Octopus" is one of the main dishes in the first half. The second choice, Mookie Betts, is as expected. It is an octopus from Sashima Island on the Miura Peninsula. The octopus grew up eating shrimp, crab, spiny lobster, and turban shells, and "the growing environment is similar to that of Akashi in Hyogo Prefecture," according to the master.

Perhaps due to the perfect cooking, the flavor is so strong that it is impressive. This is the second shock that hits you. I think that anyone who eats it, like me, will realize for the first time that octopus is a special ingredient in sushi. The skill lies in the nori seaweed that is placed between the octopus and the rice. The nori seaweed, which is food for crustaceans, acts as a middle ground and connects the octopus to the rice.

The third Freeman is a small fish, but it was left to rest for five days after the blood was drained. It is said that the flavor reaches its peak at this point. Combined with the sweetness of the vinegar, it is the most moist and flavorful small fish I have ever tasted. It is truly delicious.

"Chilling" brings out the best in flavor

Perhaps Master's sushi could be described as "evolved."

However, even though he calls it an evolutionary system, it is far from being unrefined, like putting caviar on top of sea urchin. His search for sushi ingredients is rather about subtraction. He orders fish that have been properly nerve-killed and bled, or he orders fish that have only been nerve-killed, drains the blood in-house, sprinkles salt on them, packages them, and then lets them sit at ice temperature. This is known as "chilling."

The master doesn't like the word "aging," but it might be better to call it "ice-temperature aging."

This is because it is completely different from the so-called trendy aging (= dry aging). With that, moisture is lost, but with the master's method, the meat remains fresh and the umami components of the protein increase. In red meat, it is inosinic acid, and in white meat, it is lactic acid. Therefore, in the case of white meat, the fat is beautifully emulsified and turns white. I have never seen anything like this!

I never knew sardines and cockles could be so delicious!

I would like to mention all of them, but since there are about 15 types in total, I will narrow it down to a few.

First, Himi's sardines are drained of blood, marinated in vinegar, and chilled in ice for about five days. This milky texture is like butter. It's completely emulsified. It's almost luscious. I've never eaten sardines with such delicious flavor that exceeds the limit. It's a masterpiece.

The icehouse is kept moist and at 7 degrees, but the sushi ingredients taken out of it are left in the marinade for a while until they reach room temperature. Every single piece of sushi goes through this delicate process. Temperature control is essential when it comes to sushi.

The thick "torigai" (cockle shell) is sizzling on a heated stone just before being made into a ball. This gives it a more fragrant flavor than if it were grilled. The pleasure of your teeth sinking into the shellfish meat is indescribable. It is a richness that cannot be compared to that of a regular fresh cockle. Each and every step is brilliantly ingenious.

The red meat of "spring tuna" landed at Misaki Port was marinated. It was sticky, but had a light and clean taste. It was amazing. I wanted to eat another piece. The "Bafun Sea Urchin" from Hokkaido was also blissful. This one doesn't contain any alum, so it has no bitterness, only sweetness and umami. What's more, it was mixed with the rice! It was heavenly. There was also a faint taste of the seaweed that the sea urchin fed on.

Dried gourd wrapped in the finest seaweed

I would also like to mention "dried gourd rolls," but before that, I must talk about seaweed from the Ariake Sea.

Among the first harvest, this is the highest grade "Shunkuroyuu". What's more, the master is incredibly selfish, as he asked for raw dried seaweed before it was roasted at the production site. He gives it a final roast just before it is made into rolls. The black seaweed turns green. Not only is it crispy, but the aroma and flavor are incredible. I don't think you'll find seaweed like this anywhere else.

I particularly like dried gourd rolls, but it's rare to see dried gourd sliced ​​into thin strips and wrapped in seaweed like this. The seaweed is impressive first, and then the dried gourd blends in with the seaweed because it's so thin. The master came up with the answer to how to make it taste the best, and sliced ​​it into thin strips. It was a fitting way to end the sushi meal.

However, there is actually still a final touch, the "shijimi miso soup" is so tasty that it makes you exclaim, "Ehhh!", but that's something you'll have to try for yourself. The customer next to me said, "I want to drink this before I die" (laughs). I can understand that.

As for alcohol to accompany your meal, we recommend a number of rare Japanese sakes that are rarely seen. Please enjoy pairing them with other alcoholic beverages.

Sushi Monwaki

Address: 7F ACN Ginza 4 Building, 6-XNUMX-XNUMX Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
TEL: 050-5385-4750
Business hours: 17:00-22:00
Regular holiday: Sundays and public holidays

Omakase: From 35000 yen (tax included, service charge not included)