Shibuya Sushiki

When it comes to sushi, there is nothing more important than freshness. These are the words of Chef Takumi Marui, head chef of Shibuya restaurant Sushiki. A specialist in Edomae sushi, Chef Marui’s culinary career started with him working part-time in Japanese restaurants, before moving on to a high-end kaiseki restaurant. He then moved to Australia to work in a hotel restaurant, then struck out on his own to set up two extremely popular Japanese restaurants. He managed them until his return to Japan, where he worked at a sushi restaurant until becoming head chef of Sushiki in August 2022. Throughout this long career, he has focused specifically on one central tenet: no cutting corners. Chef Marui proclaims that he and his staff are more particular than anyone else when it comes to choosing their ingredients. In the sushi world, connections with fishermen and wholesalers are everything, he explains. This is why he and his staff visit the fish market every morning, using their longstanding connections with several of the most well-known suppliers in the business to their advantage to give them the freshest catch of the day. These fish are then handled with the utmost care, stored in Sushiki’s carefully-controlled cold environments that have their temperature and moisture closely monitored. Chef Marui and his team then prepare their sushi with techniques that highlight Japan’s seasonal flavors, boldly incorporating ingredients into traditional Edomae sushi that other chefs wouldn’t even dare to try, like Western vegetables. There are no especially flashy techniques or presentation tricks on display here. Sushiki’s three focuses are these: simple nigiri and small plates that let the freshness of the fish speak for itself, a selection of whiskies and sake that complement the fish excellently, and a comfortably quiet atmosphere with typical Japanese hospitality that lets guests give their undivided attention to the meal. “Truly delicious food never gets boring,” says Chef Marui. And the steady stream of regulars making their way down Dogenzaka Street to line up outside Sushiki’s doors is testament to that.