Open for both lunch and dinner, Sushi Mizukami offers several courses to accommodate the guest’s preference. The chef’s recommended omakase offers four seasonal dishes, followed by 15 courses of nigiri. Using classic Edomae-style methods, his sushi is clean and refined, bringing out the natural flavor of the ingredients.

Sashimi yuba and Bafun sea urchin is a beautiful starter. The silky yuba, or tofu skin, is made by Yubahan, a specialty store in Kyoto. Bathed in delicious baby clam broth, the different textures and flavors come together in your mouth.

Boiled with just sake and water, abalone is full of its rich umami. The shellfish is served with the liver simmered in a sweet and spicy sauce made with sugar and soy sauce.

Bonito steak is cooked with great technique. The fish is first dried in straw and grilled over charcoal with the skin crispened just before serving. The steak is served with spring onions, grated daikon and homemade yuzu pepper.

The nigiri courses begin with lighter toppings, followed by bolder flavors. Seasoned with just rice vinegar, Mizukami’s sushi rice is characterized by its sourness, which allows the flavor of the fish to come through. He also makes sure that the size of the nigiri is adjusted to the guest’s appetite to make sure that everyone can enjoy the same courses from start to finish.

Japanese sea bass has a light and clean flavor. The fish comes from a Tokushima fisherman who uses low-stress fishing techniques to preserve the quality of the fish. Akami comes from a bluefin tuna caught off Shimozen in Aomori. The meat is rested for 8 days to deepen its flavor. Gizzard shad, a popular Edomae topping, is seasoned with salt and vinegar, left for about 2 days.

Clams are exquisitely cooked. The shellfish are boiled and draped in a flavorful tsume sauce, made by simmering conger eel broth for 5 days. The smooth egg omelet is flavored with shrimp and Yamato yams. It is cooked carefully in a special frying pan called gyokuban to prevent any air bubbles in the egg. The resulting texture is moist and fine.

INGREDIENTS
Every morning, Mizukami visits the Toyosu Market in search of the best ingredients. He always makes sure to taste the product before purchasing it. He also believes in buying from stores he knows because he values relationships and trust in people. The tuna is sourced from Yunoka, a specialized vendor that he’s known since his days at Sukiyabashi Jiro. The sea bass in the summer months comes from Koichi Mura, a fisherman who works off Naruto City in Tokushima. He is very particular about his work, and his motto is minimize the stress put on the fish. He uses a special method where he lets the fish swim around in a tank for a day so that the fish forget the stress of being caught. He also transports the ship to his customers by placing them upright in the box instead of laying them down. The result shows in the freshness of the fish.

Rather than choosing by the brand, Mizukami asks his rice shop to send two types of rice, one with a rich flavor and stickiness, and another that is easy to break apart. He mixes the two rice using a specific ratio to achieve the ideal consistency for his sushi. The yuba, or tofu skin, comes from Kyoto's Yubahan. The namafu, a traditional delicacy made with wheat gluten and mochi rice flour, is sourced from the renowned Kyoto restaurant, Fuka.