IMPORTANT: Chef Udatsu will not be in the restaurant on 5th August - 9th August. His trusted protege will be offering the course during these days.
Please note that you may be asked to sit on the second floor.
■ Concept
Udatsu Sushi exudes a calm and welcoming atmosphere located in a quiet residential area off the beaten path in Nakameguro. Chef and owner Hisashi Udatsu aims to combine world-class techniques with the highest quality ingredients in all within an ambiance of art and warm hospitality. They have devoted themselves to traditional Edomae sushi(dishes using seafood caught from Edo: Tokyo Bay or the river) and created a space where it can be presented as an art form. Our Thier concept of 'Art collaborated with Sushi' is reflected in the design of the restaurant, with concrete walls adorned with artwork reminiscent of an art gallery. The counter, where our their valued customers enjoy their meals, is made from 150-year-old Yoshino Sugi(Japan brand cypress). While preserving tradition and embracing evolution, they strive to deliver new and awe-inspiring experiences to their customers.
■ Chef
His family owned a small butcher shop in Kunitachi City, Tokyo. Every day, he could smell the sweet and sour aroma of sushi rice and the fragrance of tamago (rolled omelet) coming from the neighboring sushi restaurant. From a young age, he would secretly leave home, sneak into the sushi restaurant, and the kind-hearted chef taught him the essentials of sushi-making. Despite making grand claims about opening his own restaurant someday, his unwavering conviction led him to apprentice at sushi restaurants in Kanda, Ginza, and Nishi-Azabu after graduating from high school. In 2019, on the 16th years of his career, he finally opened 'Udatsu Sushi.'
While they pay attention to every ingredient, they especially focus on rice. To achieve the perfect shari (sushi rice) that matches his ideals, They directly communicate with farmers and has them produce rice exclusively for Udatsu Sushi. From planting to harvest, the timing is carefully managed based on the weather and temperature of each year, and the harvested rice is stored in a dedicated room.
They also blend three types of vinegar made from pesticide-free rice by Iio Jozo in Kyoto, to complement the rice. As for the fish, they visit Tsukiji Market daily, listening to the advice of professional fish intermediaries, and carefully selecting fish that pairs well with their rice. They adhere to traditional methods of preparation, such as giving proper treatment to the fish, including salting and dehydrating, to match the fish with the shari.
To complement the balance of fish and shari, they combine matured mirin and soy sauce from Kondo Shoyu, a 100% domestically produced soy sauce, as well as soy sauce from Horikawa-ya Nomura in Wakayama, which is fired with firewood, and a blend of matured mirin and sake-infused simmered soy sauce from Mitsuru Shoyu in Itoshima, Fukuoka.
They also visit various regions to convey the feelings of the producers. They use Asakusa nori (seaweed) produced in Izumi City, Kagoshima. Asakusa nori is currently designated as an endangered species in Japan, but the fishermen in Izumi City have been making it through non-acid processing after 23 years. As a new initiative, they also incorporate completely pesticide-free herbs from Kajitani Farm in Hiroshima. They have completed the specialty herb rolls of Utsuda Sushi, which combine fish and herbs.
With each sushi piece, they pour their heartfelt emotions
