Sushi Suntos

In the world of sushi, there’s a pairing theory: appetizers should be white, and the main course red. Tsunashima Kyosuke, from the brilliantly modern Sushi Suntos in Omotesando, throws convention aside. In the past five years, his venue has impressed diners with its bold interpretations of classic sushi, where creativity takes center stage, and tradition is just the starting point. The concept already puts Sushi Suntos on the edgier side of a sushi-ya, but one needs to get straight into action to see why. The chefs in the kitchen build a sushi menu that divides its time equally between the old and new worlds. The impressive sommelier-picked natural wine selection, meanwhile, anchors the dishes in something equally remarkable but surprisingly affordable. The menu puts more focus on fish, where ocean dwellers are processed using different cooking methods. Take the dish the cubed cream cheese, for example, which gets flavored in shijimi clam soy sauce. Its rendition of the “tuna trio” that steals the show: a “train” of sushi rice blanketed by tender bluefin tuna slices, topped with melting sea urchin and a glossy, drool-worthy layer of salmon roe. Meanwhile, there is familiar textural and flavor brilliance in the nigiri. A translucent slice of sumi-ika squid (Japanese spineless cuttlefish) is peppered with yuzu and sea salt from the Goto Nada Sea. Clams from Kujukuri, Chiba Prefecture, are boiled and paired with orange wine. Throughout the course, a sleek glass of wine accompanies the dishes — lighter-bodied white wine sweetening the traditional flavors, while red wines pair beautifully with more robust flavors. In Sushi Suntos’ dining room, with its wood grain motifs, all attention is drawn to the food and conversation. Counter seats provide a front-row view of the chefs crafting their nigiri, while cozy table booths envelop diners in a blissful merging of then and now. Casual or formal — Sushi Suntos does both.