Sushi Ryujiro

Though his family ran a Chinese restaurant, Chef Nakamura Ryujiro decided from a young age that there was only one path in life for him: sushi. His determination to pursue the culinary craft landed him first in the kitchen of Aoizushi in Kanagawa, where he trained for five years. He then completed a circuit around some of the finest sushi restaurants in Ginza, including two years in the kitchen of Sushi Hagihara, before being accepted as the apprentice of Nagano Mitsuyashi — legendary head chef of Umi. It was under him that Chef Nakamura adopted his sushi-making philosophy: make sushi to touch the hearts of people. To that end, he sources the finest ingredients, such as hon-maguro bluefin tuna from the vaunted tuna wholesaler Yamayuki. Each nigiri he makes is said to be absolutely perfect in terms of construction: solid enough to maintain its shape, but delicate enough such that it falls apart precisely as it enters the mouth. The chutoro (medium-fatty tuna) is particularly satisfying; Chef Nakamura After his mentor’s sudden passing, Chef Nakamura stepped into his place behind the counter, running the restaurant for four years before starting Sushi Ryujiro in 2019. His mentor would be proud of how far he has come; earning a Michelin star in the Michelin Guide Tokyo 2023, he has also established an outpost in Singapore in August 2024. Michelin Guide: 2023 - 1 Michelin Star