Sushi Gami

Chef Takashi Sakagami might be the only person in the world to have given up bass for bass. Having fallen in love with music as a teen, he moved to the United States in his 20s in hopes of becoming a professional bassist, but returned to Japan a discouraged man after just two years. It was then that he was approached by an acquaintance to become a live-in sushi chef — a small gesture of generosity that would end up changing the course of his life forever. It was from that humble sushi shop that he ascended to head sushi chef of Kazahana at the Conrad Tokyo, later moving to the Grand Hyatt Tokyo to become sous chef of its sushi restaurant Roku Roku. His career then took him to the famed Kashigashira in the former Tsukiji Fish Market. Having built up a solid base of followers over his 35-year career, Chef Sakagami’s choice to start his own sushi restaurant was something greatly anticipated by sushi enthusiasts all over the world. And sure enough, at Sushi Gami, Chef Sakagami continues to bring crowds seeking a taste of his trademark sushi. Now with free rein to unleash the full extent of his culinary creativity, Chef Sakagami serves up course menus that not only showcase his mastery of the Edomae culinary style, but also allow him to take the art form to even greater heights. His signature dish is the crab mille-feuille, which, similar to the French confection of the same name, involves several layers of crab stacked together. The crab is steamed rather than boiled, letting it retain more moisture and firmer texture. It is then compressed together with layers of kani-miso paste, for a bite so full of flavor that Chef Sakagami jokes it’s capable of sending guests to heaven. For a closing dish, Chef Sakagami serves another trademark of his: the shrimp miso potage. Made with botan shrimp for extra potency, the soup is rich without being overpowering — the perfect end to a meal. Sushi is, of course, only as good as its ingredients — and visitors to Sushi Gami can also rest assured that Chef Sakagami gives his guests only the best. 35 years of excellence has earned him the respect and goodwill of only the best seafood suppliers in Tokyo: for instance, he remains one of the few chefs in the nation who serve the elusive budou “grape” shrimp, so named for the clutch of eggs ensconced in their legs. It’s not just the seafood. His shari rice, sourced exclusively from Aomori Prefecture, is dressed with preservative-free pure red vinegar, free of additives like salt and alcohol, while his Ariake seaweed comes from the Saga coast. He even rejected 20 varieties of pesticide-free, organic wasabi before settling on his current pick, sourced all the way from Hokkaido. Guests are also more than welcome to pair their sushi with sake from Hokusetsu Sake Brewery, one of Niigata Prefecture’s most famous breweries. Each one is chosen by sake master and sommelier Yasuyuki Kitahara, one of the country’s foremost experts in the field.