Sushi Sakai

Located in central Fukuoka, the biggest city of the southern island of Kyushu, this Edomae sushiya uses local ingredients to create world-class nigiri which sees it ranked as one of only five sushi restaurants in Japan to hold three Michelin stars. The exact reason for the success of Sushi Sakai is hard to pin down, since it’s down to so many holistically connected factors. The greeting from the chef welcomes you into the carefully organized interior, which sets the ambiance for the first bite of the appetizers, which prepare the palate for prime sake samples. Every single second is carefully attended to — perfect moment after perfect moment. There’s a generous number of dishes included in the omakase menu. All of the nigiri is temperature-matched with the rice, which is itself a special sweeter variety from Yamagata, prepared with crystal clear spring water. It’s difficult to put a dining experience like this into words without them seeming to fall short, so the only thing for it is to get on the waiting list yourself.