01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
Set within a residential pocket of Ojima in Koto Ward, Sanoyume is an intimate sushi restaurant dedicated to meticulous Edomae technique and seasonal regional sake. Rather than providing an everyday soy sauce dish, the chef brushes each piece of nigiri individually with nikiri soy sauce or finishes it with salt to highlight the specific seafood. Fatty yellowtail, rich otoro tuna, tender simmered anago sea eel, and sweet kuruma prawn each benefit from precise knife work and tailored seasoning, served in an unhurried, focused setting.
The cooked side dishes woven throughout the multi-course meals have earned a loyal following of their own. Highlights might include chawanmushi savory egg custard crowned with sakura shrimp or starchy broth, salt-grilled beltfish, octopus tsukune patties, or cured white fish and mackerel. The drinks list is curated with equal thought: the owner sources various junmai and seasonal nigori sakes from around Japan, complemented by draft beer, house-made lemon sours, and shochu designed to match the food.
At lunchtime, set menus provide a satisfying midday meal accompanied by salad and soup. Options include the Hoshi set, which features 8 pieces of nigiri alongside 1 thin roll, and the Yume set, highlighting 11 pieces of nigiri. Counter seating is limited, allowing for pleasant conversation with the chef, so advance reservations are recommended for both lunch and dinner.
