Sushi Matsumoto is a restaurant you'll want to add to your list of special finds.
EAT TOKYO Tips | A Restaurant That Stays With You
Sushi Matsumoto: A Special Find for Your List
Delicious restaurants abound throughout Japan. But what makes one particular establishment truly special to you? For me, it's a place that makes me want to return again and again. While many restaurants offer excellent food, surprisingly few inspire a craving to revisit a specific dish. Sushi Matsumoto is precisely one of those rare gems.
Photographs by NAKAGAWA TsukasaText by MAKIGUCHI June
Playful Appetizers, Traditional Nigiri
Sushi chef Mizuho Matsumoto opened her own restaurant in a prime location near Akasaka and Akasaka-mitsuke stations in June 2017.
Since then, she has captivated gourmands from Japan and abroad.
At the beautiful, solid hinoki cypress counter, guests can enjoy a course menu (starting at ¥23,000, subject to seasonal ingredients) featuring sashimi, appetizers, nigiri, soup, and dessert, all showcasing seasonal ingredients and the chef's ingenuity.
The fact that there is only one omakase course offered speaks volumes about the chef's confidence.
For example, here is a sampling from a day in March:
After warming the stomach with soup, enjoy deep-fried small fish (nebuto, about 5cm) from Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture; tender steamed abalone; seasonal sashimi; a dish of uni wrapped in squid; a generous portion of hairy crab meat, flaked, mixed with miso, and returned to its shell; flash-fried boiled firefly squid, crispy outside and tender inside, served with a sweet sauce; delicate white fish with a sweet sauce; fried kiss (smelt) with a sauce of cream cheese and shuto (fermented bonito); and nore sore (baby conger eel).
Each dish is a succession of appetizers, varying in preparation, seasoning, texture, and temperature, offering a rich tapestry of flavors. The surprising yet harmonious combinations of ingredients create deliciousness that evokes fresh wonder and a profound sense of bliss in savoring Japanese seafood.
Following these are traditional nigiri sushi, designed to highlight the natural flavors of the ingredients.
"I like to play with the appetizers, but keep the nigiri in the traditional style," says the chef. Even so, Matsumoto's creativity shines through in her nigiri. When excellent ingredients are sourced from different regions, she might offer a 'comparative tasting,' or add a twist to the seasoning to enhance the ingredient's flavor.
One of the signature tastes of this restaurant is the 'otoro nigiri.' Only the sinewy parts are seasoned with a secret blend of salt. Experiencing the exquisite harmony of the silky tuna and the coarse salt melting in your mouth is a moment of pure bliss.
The sweetness of the fatty tuna and the saltiness melt together in the mouth, enhancing each other to leave a rich, lingering aftertaste.
EAT TOKYO Tips | A Restaurant That Stays With You
Sushi Matsumoto: A Special Find for Your List (Part 2)
Delighting Diners with Sushi's True Essence
The chef's playful spirit and innovative ideas stem from her extensive experience as a sushi chef and her unceasing quest for perfection.
After training for 10 years at Ginza Kyubey, she moved to South Korea and opened her own restaurant. This experience of viewing Japanese food culture from an external perspective likely nurtured her unique creativity.
She continues to draw inspiration for new dishes by dining out at various types of restaurants, satisfying her personal curiosity. Her drive to constantly seek out the new remains as strong as ever.
This is driven by her desire to keep diners, both foreign visitors and regulars, engaged with constant surprises and to provide them with the quintessential sushi experience, ensuring they never grow tired of the offerings.
Once you step through the doors of Sushi Matsumoto, you'll understand how the chef's dedication permeates every aspect of the cuisine. Of course, a selection of sake is also available to complement the exquisite seafood.
The chef recommends 'Yo no Teio,' a sake from Hiroshima. Despite its imposing name, it has a smooth palate and is perfect as a starter, pairing wonderfully with sashimi and appetizers. This Tokubetsu Junmai sake offers a deep flavor whether served chilled or warm.
The intimate space, with only eight counter seats, offers a comfortable sense of privacy. There is also a private room for up to four guests, making it ideal for business dinners.
For lunch, a single course of nigiri sushi is available (from ¥10,000, reservations required). We recommend starting your experience with this traditional sushi course.
This is a restaurant you'll want to add to that special list of places every discerning diner keeps.
Sushi Matsumoto
3-12-18-3F, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
TEL: 03-5544-8500
Hours: 12:00 PM - 2:30 PM (Last Order) /
6:00 PM - 10:00 PM (Last Order)
Closed: Sundays and Public Holidays
Reservations Required