The lunch course at Sushi Saito has to be the best-kept secret in Tokyo. For 5500 yen, diners are served a tiny appetizer, miso soup, 10 pieces of exquisite sushi prepared by Chef Saito himself while you watch, and a tuna roll to finish. Considering that it's only about 1500 yen more than the omakase course at Sushi Dai in Tsukiji, but with the benefit of a reservation (i.e. no 3 hour wait) and the unforgettable mesmerizing experience of watching a sushi master in action, not to mention its 3-Michelin star rating, I was fairly surprised that I was able to secure a reservation for lunch only 3 days in advance, and even more surprised to find 3 empty seats throughout the lunch (in a 7-seat restaurant). While I'd love to keep this secret to myself so that I never have problems securing a lunch reservation, I've decided I shall share, so that you too can enjoy the perfect sushi dining experience that is a meal at Sushi Saito.
Unfortunately I have no photos, but there are some great ones here: http://www.potatomato.com/seat/archives/002588.html
Food rating: *****
Bang for buck rating: 5
The essentials:
No website
Location: next to entrance to a garage directly across from the US embassy, 1-9-15 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Price of 10-piece omakase lunch: 5500 yen (~$60); dinner prices increase significantly
Do you think I can make the reservation speaking in English?
ReplyDeleteFabio
I've the same doubt as Fabio.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure, but it's worth a try. I speak only "survival" Japanese, but they were very gracious about trying to understand me. Reservation in Japanese is "yo-ya-ku" so if you say yoyaku, with the number of people and date, hopefully they will figure it out!
ReplyDeleteHello! My husband and I are traveling to Tokyo in late-October and would like to eat lunch at Sushi Saito. About how long did the lunch course take?
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Hi Pam,
DeleteSorry I just saw this, hope it's not too late for an answer! The lunch took about an hour. The chefs are fast and prepare the next sushi while you are eating your current one, so it will go fairly quickly. Hope you enjoy!