Shimizu Sushi

The world of Tokyo sushi chefs is a glamorous and lucrative one. Chefs can even hope to land TV appearances, with the top among then becoming household names. The head chef at Shimizu Sushi, however, doesn’t go in for any of that. All he wants is to ply his trade — providing top quality Edomae sushi — with honesty and skill. He even went as far as to turn down a Michelin star in the past to avoid the inevitable surge in visitors, preferring instead to serve a smaller number of people with a deeper level of personal interaction. Because of how much he values direct communication with his guests, Shimizu-san doesn’t entertain language barriers. You’ll have to put Google Translate back in your pocket, I’m afraid. Instead, find a Japanese-speaking friend to accompany you. If you can clear the hurdles of their strict door policy, you’ll be well-rewarded with high quality tuna, and large pieces of nigiri. Due to the size of the portions and the honest pricing, Shimizu sushi is known as a total steal, providing top quality at about half the price of similar establishments.