Sushi Yoshitake

Let’s see, where do I actually start.
I made my reservation for 2, via a third party, that charged $ 35 a person for the reservation, probably because of the 3 Michelin stars this place has, ugh. I contemplated going through the hotel concierge route because it would’ve been free, but ended up going through the 3^rd party. When I made the reservation, there was no mention of a second counter, or where we would be seated. Fast forward to that day. this place is a bit hard to find, but when you find the building, it is on the 3 °F. I first walked in, not knowing if I had the correct place, but they indeed confirm that it was Sushi Yoshitake. A gentleman greeted me, and had us walk back out from the main counter, through a small little hole in the wall (literally), into another private second counter. I was SHOCKED. I booked the reservation thinking that I would get the man himself making and serving my sushi, but nope, I was in this private counter with his apprentice chef! I was fuming that I wasn’t able to sit in the main counter, especially since when I walked in, it wasn’t full! The reason may be because we’re foreigners, and Mr. Yoshitake does not speak english, but I wish I had known beforehand because I could’ve spent that extra money for another restaurant!
Anyway, I was pissed, and I would’ve done what Roberto S did in his review, and leave, but I paid the reservation fee already, and would have needed to swallow $ 70 to leave. Now that I think about it, I should’ve, just to show them that this isn’t right. Also, like other Michelin starred restaurants, they would take your jacket and hang it up, or put it to the side, or something. Yoshitake DID NOT! We had to hang our jackets on the back of their chairs!
Our apprentice chef was named Dai, who actually seems like a nice and humble guy, but unfortunately, he got to feel the wrath of myself, and my RBF (rest b*tch face), almost the entirely night LOL. I even asked him if people sit at this counter and he said yes, it’s typically for VIP guests and such. And I was like, can you be bullshitting me any more? WHO THE HELL WOULD WANT TO SIT AWAY FROM THE ACTUAL CHEF IN A SECLUDED COUNTER?
Anyway, the meal went on as planned. There course was divided into an appetizer and sashimi half, and then a sushi half. The former was 7 courses, and the latter was 14 courses including the tamago and the miso soup. The food was good, but the experience was meh. The apprentice chef knows English because he used to work at the Japanese Embassy in the US. He’s only been at Yoshitake for 3 years, but Yoshitake trusts him enough so I guess that’s a good thing. The apprentice chef is named Dai, and he seemed genuinely sorry about our experience.
Overall, the price ended up being $ 450 after the exchange rate, but plus the extra $ 70 was $ 520. The price was decent, and would’ve been better without the reservation fee, but it is what it is. Good omakases in CA will run you around $ 200 or so per person, plus tax and tip, so the price is right around what you would get, but you get better quality fish haha.

Made a reservation here though a top hotel concierge. Got there last night only to be seated in their new «private sushi counter». When we inquired why we weren’t with Chef Yoshitake, they basically said same food, different counter, and the chef’s counter was booked. If we knew that, we NEVER would have come here. They tried to pawn us off to an apprentice chef while charging us $ 600US for dinner. Also in their «private room» they had a little pamphlet in English about how to eat sushi. Really? I researched for months and chose to come to this top notch place only to be bait and switched to an apprentice chef? I don’t think so. Book places like Sho Masa, where the chef really cares– this place is resting on it laurels when it tries to do a switcheroo to people. And if they did it to us, they might do it to you! AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!
PS– we left– walked down the street and had a great omakase dinner for half the price! No famous brand name chef, just fabulous food served with a heart!

Three michelin star and completely well deserved. There are only 3 sushi restaurants in Tokyo with 3 michelin stars: Jiro, Saito, and Yoshitake. I picked Yoshitake to visit because the chef speaks English quite well and unlike Jiro which rushes you out in 45 minutes or less, each of the 2 service per night at Yoshitake lasts about 2 hours each with only 6 seats per service.
Reservations were very hard to secure, We ended up calling Visa Signature concierge and signed an agreement that our card would be charged the full amount if we were to flake out. At 28 000 yen per person, that’s not a small amount but that really justifies why they would do it. The restaurant serves only 12 people per night and is booked every night. Each seat is worth a lot.
I had the best sushi of my life here. We were served with not only sushi but 18 delicious courses of amazing dishes in total. The signature dish is the sliced abalone with abalone liver sauce. I would kill to have a big bowl of abalone liver sauce with rice. The flavor is so unique and wonderful. I also loved the tender Japanese octopus and the double uni.
The sushi, of course, is amazing. Everything comes sauced so you don’t need to put anything on it. The sushi rice is flavorful and hot. It is important that you eat your sushi right away as the rice will start to fall apart. If you don’t pick it up and put it in your mouth right away, they will politely encourage you to do so.
Chef Yoshitake is quite chill. He answers questions, explains the dishes, and even jokes with the guests. They allow us to take pictures but warned us that they do not allow videos. When we leave, Chef Yoshitake comes out personally to walk us to the elevator and even would take pictures with us at our request.
With the amazing exchage rate at the time of my visit, my bill came to under $ 240 for one. I would call that a bargain. I definitely recommend a visit to Yoshitake if you’re in Tokyo.

I know this may sounds like a sin, but I am not convinced on the three michelin star Yoshitake rating. Yoshitake is a «once in a lifetime» experience; meaning, come here once, and be done. The menu never changes! I have been here twice and the sushi/​appetizer same both time. No variety!
Yea, its good, but when spending $ 250 a person, I would hope a bit more variety both times. That being said, it is still an amazing experience. Come here once! But don’t expect much variety compared to Saito, Harutaka, etc.

Ok. Yes, it is 5 stars — in a Unilocal sense, it should probably be 6 stars. However, I’m not sure I agree with Michelin. There are at least three other high end sushi shops I would hit if it were my last meal in Tokyo. I’m not saying where because I’m stingy. :) Kidding, I tell people all the time. But in all seriousness, this is a wonderful Sushi experience, I just am not sure two varieties of uni should be served together in the same gunkan. Nor do I tend to like having an English instruction list of how to eat sushi in front of me before I even sit down — just doesn’t feel Michelin 3-​start to me. (On a side note, I know this is partly because a lot of idiot gaijin come and behave badly that this even has to happen, but I hate knowing they’ve been there before me…) Finally, some of the piece sizes are strangely large and not delicate. Not something I’ve come to associate with Edo-​mae sushi in Japan. I truly don’t mean to take anything away from the people who went there and loved it. This is clearly in my top 50 restaurants in the world. But it may not make the top 10. (And the top 5 are all in Japan.)

The very best sushi in the world. But the abalone appetizer is even better!

Sushi Yoshitake, Three michelin starred sushi restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo. I have never ever tasted sushi that tasted like it did at the sushi yoshikawa. Talk about obsession with perfection and its absolute best a human being can offer in making a simple dish such as sushi. Looking at the each piece of sushi seemed as if I’m looking at a piece of a high end jewerly or even a watch.
The color of the sashimi and rice with the dim light setting made it the most beautiful piece of art that one can see. Eating each piece of sushi only left your heart wanting one more bite of each but only one piece of each sushi is served.
At the end it is the biggest tease ever to your body giving the most ultimate tasting thing but all you had was one bite of each. Even in the end you feel like you can start over the entire course again to end the misery of the teasing that each sushi has made you.
Its the simplest thing yet most complex japanese dish ever. Most The sashimi had the most alive texture i have felt in eating any sashimi. The seasoning was just enough to allow the most beautiful taste each fish had to offer. The moment it goes in your mouth, it doesnt melt but feels like something is going to happen and you chew and more and more flavor comes around dancing in your mouth.
The absolute perfection in temperature, timing, and perfect most exclusive ingredients give this natural sensation of food orgasm. The egg was one of the sofest and best tasting egg ive ever had. It was almost like a custard. Also miso was one of the best ive had. I would like to comeback here again in the future. ありがとうございました。

Amazing meal in every way. Sushi was the among the best, I have ever had.
Great service.
A bit hard to find but worth the effort.
Wide variety of exceptional and exotic seafood, many of which I have never eaten or seen on a menu.
If you are in Tokyo and have the opportunity, indulge your senses with this creative, innovative and artisty in the food arts.

²⁰¹⁴⁄₂₀₁₅ Michelin 3 stars, Tokyo
Located in the Ginza area in Tokyo, this 3 star Michelin restaurant was excellent in every way, from the minimalastic sushi bar décor that housed 7 seats.
In terms of my resume: ive only been to a handful of Michelin sushi restaurants, with 1 other being in Japan, the remainder of which were in NYC. This was my first 3 star Michelin sushi restaurant.
The restaurant was slightly hard to find, just know that is on the 3^rd floor on the building, so get your smart phone out, or take a picture of the japanese characters and start trying to match it up if you are a foreigner. Once seated, there is a server who will take your coats and direct you to your seat. The service here was very good considering the limited space. There are 2 other sous chefs at the bar so even though it seats 7 people, I saw at least 5 staff members (The master, 2 sous, server/​waiter, and 1 other random person in the back probably doing food prep)
The chef does speak some english so he can recommend some sake for you which I highly recommend.
Price: depending on the currency, it was about $ 500USD for 2 people, i got 3 carafes of sake. There is only a drink menu, it is omakase, so no ala carte options in terms of the food. Chef will ask if there are dietary restrictions/​allergies prior to beginning.
The food was amazing, Im not going to go through all of the courses, but I would say the abalone and abalone liver sauce was probably one of the best things Ive ever had. He tells you to save the sauce so he will later drop a small ball of rice in there so you can get all of that precious goodness. Uni as expected from Hokkaido, but he used 2 different ones and put them both into one piece. Like most sushi places, last course is the tamago, this was one really moist. At the end of the night we were the last to leave and the master sushi chef escorted us to the elevator where the last memory we have of the experience was him bowing to us as the elevator door was closing.
This place is worth going to for the abalone dish itself, but everything that was served was excellent. Cant wait to come back to Tokyo for more 3 star sushi goodness.

For my 200^th review… gotta do a review on one of the best sushi meals of my life. In fact, it might be THE best sushi meal I’ve ever had.
It was amazing to dine at Sushi Yoshitake (a detailed restaurant review can be found on my blog). From beginning to end, I thoroughly enjoyed the freshness, creativity, artistry, and the explosion of flavors.
If you’re in Tokyo, you have to have some amazing sushi. Deciding where to go can be hard since there are so many great restaurants, ranging from inexpensive to very expensive. I picked Sushi Yoshitake for my indulgent sushi dinner, based on other reviews. It was about 17 courses of amazing tsumami and nigiri, one after another, and I was in a state of bliss.
Chef is also very friendly, which is not always the case in famous sushi places in Tokyo. He even spoke a little English, and he tried to explain every dish as it was presented to us. And presentation it was! Every course was not only delicious, it was beautiful to look at.
All in all, I was happy I experienced my first 3 star Michelin restaurant at sushi Yoshitake. It delivered on everything from creativity, taste, artistry, to the shared passion of food. Highly recommend!

Hardest part is locating where the restaurant is. So make sure you get there early and figure out where it is. If you’re using TripAdvisor, it’s actually the building to the right, you need to take the elevator to the 3^rd floor to get to it. There is no English signage so make sure you know the characters you are looking for.
As for service and food, it was excellent. A wide variety of exotic seafood, made in a way we have never seen. Very creative and well worth the price.
If you’re going to be in Tokyo, this is the place to go for high end sushi.

We were Michelin star sluts on a recent trip to Tokyo and our gluttonous adventure started here. Overall, it ended up being the 2^nd best sushi of our trip.
Like all our other reservations, we had the hotel concierge call and snag ²⁄₆ seats at the counter. It’s located on the 3^rd floor of a nondescript building and the signage is only in Japanese– below it on the sign are some hearts, so if you see those, you found the right place. Interior was typical light, clean lines, minimal.
While I won’t bore you with every course, it was a playful spin on omakase. The fish was mind-​blowingly and chef Yoshitake was really cool and interactive with his limited English. Yes, pictures are allowed, which is a good way to remember the meal long after the taste has left your lips. Don’t miss this one if you have a limited time here!

I have come to realize quite a few amazing restaurants in Japan, are hidden in unexpected areas where tourits (like myself) would unseemingly pass by.
Listed below is our amazing 20 course meal:
Female snow crab w/​crab roe jelly
. The crab meat was sweet and the roe jelly added a nice briny taste which totally complemented the crab.
Golden eye snapper
. This sashimi was so delicate and a slight dab of the wasabi was perfect.
Marinated octopus
. So tender and flavorful.
Mantis shrimp
. A little crazy looking but this was so sweet and had a nice firm texture.
Steamed abalone w/​abalone liver
. Probably the most memorable dish during our omakase. I’ve never had abalone so tender! The abalone liver was so creamy and buttery that it almost tasted like butter. Chef gave us a little bit of sushi rice to mop up the remaining liver
.
Seared bonito w/​a mixture of green onion, ginger and wasabi
. Pleasantly surprised on how perfectly crisp the skin was seared which added a nice crunchy texture to this dish.
Chawanmushi w/​male crab
. The pefectly steamed egg custard served with more delicious and sweet crab.
Squid
, snapper (hanada dai?)
, chu toro
, otoro
, kohada
, barracuda
, arc shell
, two types of uni
, jumbo prawn
, sea eel
sushi were all so tasty. Each piece of sushi was perfect and I can’t help to start drooling as I look back upon these pics.
If that wasn’t enough food already, next up was a tuna and shiso leaf hand roll
.
To finally end the 2+ hour meal, chef concluded with tamago and miso soup
. I have never had tamago so buttery and sweet that it almost tasted cake like. It literally melted in my mouth.
We sat for a few minutes after everyone was done sipping on green tea and reflecting on how fortunate we were to have experienced such an awesome meal.

Chef Yoshitake is one of a small number of sushi chefs who have obtained the coveted 3-​star Michelin rating. Practically speaking, this means that you are in for a special experience.
I obtained a reservation to Sushi Yoshitake through my hotel concierge approximately one month before my trip to Japan and planned this dinner as my last night before going home. The experience was wonderful.
As a word of warning, Sushi Yoshitake is not easy to find — it is on the third floor of a nondescript building and there wasn’t (as far as I could tell) a sign in English. However, people in the nearby shops were very friendly and helpful.
There is limited seating at the sushi bar (if I recall, seven or nine seats), making for a very intimate experience. The service staff is uniformly excellent. When the server noticed that I was left-​handed, he rearranged my place settings to accommodate me.
Chef Yoshitake’s omikase is well executed. Each piece is prepared in such a way that the flavor comes to the forefront. The best way to describe the taste is to simply say that the fish «sings». A personal favorite was the uni (sea urchin). It consists of two types of sea urchin — one from Japan and one from California. They have different flavor profiles, but combine to create a truly amazing flavor.
After the meal, Chef Yoshitake is happy to pose for photographs. He also will stand by the elevator and chat after the meal as you depart. He speaks English very well and is happy to answer questions both during, and after, the meal.
Though the price may seem steep, it is worth every penny and an experience to remember. Next time I’m in Tokyo (whenever that may be), I’ll definitely be back.

preface: i ate here in September 2013 but just reviewing now since Unilocal is finally in japan :)
i can’t believe that i had the privilege to eat at a 3-​Michelin Star retaurant and Sushi Yoshitake lived up to its reputation! i had a 6pm reservation (my hotel concierge was able to help me with that) and i most certainly was not going to be late so i gave myself plenty of time to get to the restaurant — and i needed it since it is on a 3^rd floor of an office building and i did get lost for a little bit haha. google maps is your best friend when you are trying to find the place. got there with plenty of time to spare haha. the restaurant itself is very small with i think only 7 seats and 2 dinner servings a night. 2^nd seating i believe starts at 8:30pm. and definitely be prepared to spend some yen. dinner for 2 was about $ 600 but well worth the money!
watching Chef Yoshitake work was a show in itself. the care and detail he takes in his food is pretty incredible. we were served about 20 courses of sashimi and sushi and everything was so good. i have never tasted fish this fresh. my favorites of the night included: octopus — omg it was sooo tender and not chewy at all, the abalone & liver — something that i’ve never had before but am sure glad i tried, and the liver sauce was so rich and delicious. oh and the smoked bonito! another fish that i’ve never had but now its def a favorite of mine.
the overall experience though is why i can see that Sushi Yoshitake is rated 3 Michelin Stars. service was top notch all night. i didnt lift a finger to refill my own beer and its like the staff was able to read your mind and get everything to you before you actually had to ask for something haha. we were never rushed to finish our food and this was not an intimidating experience at all. plus chatting with the chef was a highlight of the dinner. he doesnt have a huge english vocabulary but we were able to ask him questions and have an ongoing banter throughout the meal. Chef Yoshitake as well as the whole staff were very friendly and super welcoming so us foreigners — chef even asked us if we wanted to take a picture with him at the end of the meal!

3 Michelin starred Sushi places in Tokyo are elusive. A dozen of phone calls by my friend in Tokyo to almost all of them landed us an 830pm reservation for two on our last night at Sushi Yoshitake.
Dinner service unlike Sukiyabashi Jiro is a bit more laid back. Compared to under 30 mins at Jiro, we spent about 2 hours at Yoshitake. Gave us enough time to savor each piece, making our money’s worth.
Place is located in the posh area of Ginza on the third floor of, like most restaurants in Tokyo, a nondescript building. If you’re not particularly looking for it, you would never know it’s there.
Two dining areas, 7 and 4 seaters. We came earlier than expected either by excitement or exhaustion from walking around all day. Seated right in front of the chef, we watched as he gracefully create/​cut each piece, anticipating and never disappointed.
The charming Chef kept each piece within the perfect temperature, never too cold or too warm. Just perfect for each bite.
Progression of pieces makes sense and to describe each one would be reviewing each in great detail. Let me just say that my favorites were the toro, abalone and of course Uni. Doesn’t mean that the others lacks anything, just that those three stood out more than the others.
After dinner, the staff nor the chef will never make you feel rushed. You’re given time to get yourself together and wake up from the trance each piece gave you. Chef Yoshitake will then meet you at the door to thank you and maybe chat a little.
Dinner will set you back ¥250,000 plus drinks would be around ¥30,000 each. Pretty steep but totally worth from beginning til end.
Just a note: tips aren’t required or accepted. Just a bow or hug and an «Arigato Gozaimasu» is enough.

One of the must-do’s during our visit in Japan was to dine at a Michelin 3 star rated restaurant. Reservations were made through a Unilocal friend living in Japan.
Along a posh strip of private clubs, bars and luxury retail stores, Sushi Yoshitake is located in a residential building up the stairs on the 3^rd floor. Once you walk in, you’ll think you stepped foot in the Tsukiji market. The smell of fish was obvious.
It is only a 7 seater with the Master chef at the helm and his sous chef at his side. We had a total of approximately 17 – 20 dishes. Each was prepared with precision and perfection. The fish temperature controlled and sliced multiple times in a criss cross fashion to air out. The sushi rice was perfect and didn’t fall apart. The hint of brown indicates a soy vinegar was used.
Baby squid with scallop in mustard vinegerette. Incredibly tender and melt in your mouth.
Miso soy braised octopus. This was probably the most tender octopus I’ve ever eaten.
Toro — medium and very fatty. The Japanese do not serve salmon from what I’ve seen. Their star is the tuna. Both pieces were very good. For some strange reason, the toro served at Daiwa Sushi tasted better. Perhaps we were too tired to enjoy.
Abalone in some squid ink liver paste. This was really good. The serving of abalone was generous as it was good. He gave us a bit of sushi rice to mix up the rest of the squid ink.
King crab with crab gel was good and you can smell how fresh it was.
Sea-​bream, bonito that was charred, and medium fatty toro rolls.
Chef Yoshitake and his staff did everything so you didn’t have to lift a finger. From pouring your beer, filling your water, to making sure you were comfortable. Not everyday do you get to sit down chatting with a Michelin 3 star chef. He even waits by the elevator to send you off.
World class chef and restaurant.