Sushi Chidui

In Japan, the sushi counter has long been a place where craft is passed quietly from hand to hand. At Sushi Chidui in Ebisu, Tokyo, chef Yuki Chidui carries that tradition forward in her own way. Trained first in design, she began making sushi in 2010 and later led an all-female team at Nadeshiko Sushi, mentoring a new generation of women behind the counter. The restaurant sits across from the Maison Franco-Japonaise, a small, reservation-only space where warm lighting and muted tones set an easy, welcoming mood. Guests can watch each piece take shape up close, and her background in textile design shows in the colors, tableware, and careful sense of space on every plate. Her curiosity eventually reached beyond the kitchen to the fish itself. In 2021, she began working with producers in Hokkaido to raise yakuzen salmon on a custom feed that includes ingredients used in traditional medicinal cooking. For her, flavor begins long before the fish ever reaches the counter. The omakase centers on this salmon, served as nigiri balanced carefully against the rice. It carries little of the usual fishiness, offering a delicate umami and a clean, light finish as it softens on the tongue. Alongside it come seasonal seafood from Hokkaido and across Japan, presented with vivid color and paired, if you like, with Japanese sake or wine. Whether dining alone, as a couple, or with family, guests find a meeting point between chef, producer, and table. It is Japanese cuisine in Japan told gently, one piece and one story at a time.