Sushi Hanayoshi

Sushi chef Yoshioka Ryohei was born and raised in Niseko, a popular ski resort in Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido, to a family of soba restaurant owners, although buckwheat noodles was never his true callin. After 13 years of studying sushi-making and fish selection in Tokyo, he returned to his hometown in 2006 to open Sushi Hanayoshi. For the neta, Yoshioka selects seafood directly from the local market every day and works on a menu that changes accordingly. Customers can enjoy fresh sea urchin or Hokkaido abalone depending on the season. Yoshioka also sources superior quality tuna from Tokyo’s Toyosu market, which is lovingly placed atop sushi rice laced with a careful dosage of vinegar. How the fish is cut, as well as the type and amount of vinegar used in the preparation of the rice used in the sushi, is adjusted so each piece is unique. Alcohols are also carefully curated, with a wide selection of local sake and wine from across the world. The six-seat counter offers a direct view of Yoshioka’s sushi-making art, where conversations between him, his apprentices and regulars are a common sight. For Yoshioka, these interactions are as essential, if not more so, than the meal itself.