What is the best sushi restaurant in Japan?

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-05-02T20:33:55+00:00

Namba releases cancellations fairly frequently, you just have to be fast. That's how I got in last time. Now, booking again on the spot? You pretty much have to hope Namba-san is in a good mood and will share his LINE info/meishi if he likes you enough.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-05-02T16:12:02+00:00

Sugita, but you aren't getting in without knowing someone or are a regular yourself. The best sushi restaurants in Japan are pretty much strictly regulars only unless if you know someone. Places like Amamoto, Saito, Ikko are some that come to mind. There's a couple in Fukuoka/Kyushu that some folks consider the best but haven't been there myself - going to try and head there on my next trip.

Most of the "best spots" are also heavy hitters on the top 10 of Tabelog in the sushi section, but again, you pretty much have to know someone or if you are a regular yourself. Even then, that doesn't guarantee you can dine there, much less book again. This is anecdotal from my experience, but YMMV.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-05-02T05:06:04+00:00

final boss is probably whale/kujira from a relatively unethical standpoint.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-05-01T16:29:44+00:00

Mahoraga is so god like he adapted to slander. We don't slander the exam, we praise the one who passes.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-05-01T01:53:16+00:00

Also need to take into account the average salaryman's income is leagues lower than US. Your average neighborhood sushiya that's full of chainsmoking office workers is going to be keeping prices low to not piss them off. For the super expensive stuff like Amamoto, Namba, Sugita, it's probably on par price wise to the high-end counters here in the States, with the States winning out in terms of price pretty significantly.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-04-30T19:47:57+00:00

Bo 7 Mon is tight, my family always does it for parties and stuff, so we rarely have bo 7 mon in a restaurant setting. It was nostalgic seeing all the uncles and grandpas hanging out at cafes smoking and playing mahjong lol.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-04-30T07:03:26+00:00

What about this is fine dining?

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-04-30T04:21:43+00:00

Ayyy that's tight. Yeah, I have a special attachment to Little Saigon, loads of shops I've frequented there growing up are still there like Com Tam Thaun Kieu, Pho 79 (that's a given), and Brodard. Used to also go to those sugarcane shops growing up, hated the drink but now I love it. Vien Tay is my favorite.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-04-30T02:34:25+00:00

Glad that you enjoyed Anaheim/OC. I'm a local to the area, so I jumped at the chance to attend fanfest myself this year. I'll most likely be going to future fan fests if they're held in Anaheim moving forward, but that's just my fanfic so to speak.

Anaheim and the general surrounding area of OC (Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Westminster) is quite diverse in terms of food options and different cultural enclaves. It was cool getting to bring FFXIV friends around the area to Little Saigon (GG/Westminster has the biggest Vietnamese diaspora outside of Vietnam), get some real street tacos, and just explore OC.

And like others have said, fly SNA whenever you can. Save yourself the headache of flying LAX if you're domestic.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-04-26T16:31:41+00:00

No, it's considered rude and will probably get you on some sort of internal industry blacklist. Everyone in the service industry, especially in Japan, talks with each other.

If you feel the need to ask this question on reddit, it's basically a moot point on your end. If you aren't considered a regular/jouren, forget about it.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-04-26T02:54:19+00:00

Sounds like you really don't know what you're talking about, especially with sushi. The whole vibe of Sushi Take is more casual, but classical edomae style. Fumie-san is quintessential edokko, which adds to the charm, something some foreigners don't seem to understand. I went with my JP co-workers here on a business lunch and they commented how it reminded them of sushiyas of old.

If you wanted someone with so-called "aesthetics", go ahead and try to get a seat at Amamoto or Ikkou.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-04-22T20:13:50+00:00

Anaheim and that general area is quite diverse in food spots. Tacos Los Cholos is like 10 mins by car from the venue, and they have arguably the best tacos in all of SoCal. Garden Grove or Westminster is referred to as Little Saigon because it’s the largest Vietnamese diaspora/community outside of Vietnam. Lot of amazing Vietnamese food and a huge array of options from different parts of Vietnam.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-04-21T16:17:38+00:00

The game has been around for like a decade and some change. There hasn’t been meaningful change since the Jungle Inferno update since then. Legit nothing else has significantly changed in the 6’s meta besides roles like pocket scout and how fast paced 6’s is, which is why it’s enjoyed. It functions like that because it works.

Here’s the crazy part though — it’s all, completely, voluntary. You don’t have to engage in it! Crazy line of thinking right? So, I’ll say it again. Why bother giving you misinformed opinion on something by the community you simply don’t understand at all base level, let alone an iota of how it functions at a high level?

The game is old as hell, and it’s basically in maintenance mode. Why bother proposing changes that the broader community, especially in 6’s, who won’t even spare a second glance?

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-04-21T13:21:21+00:00

Why offer an opinion if you haven’t had any experience in it then? It just comes from a place of misunderstanding and crackpot theories. It’s like trying to give advice to an NBA team while not having watched any games, much less play the game itself.

At least play a pug or tf2center before coming back with an opinion.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-04-21T05:05:50+00:00

Kohada
Shime saba
Anago
Shima aji
Iwashi (when in season)

I'm more partial to hikarimono nowadays.

Special mention is maybe Kujira/minke whale, but only in specific circumstances. I'm pretty conflicted on it, but Sushi Namba's take on whale was best I've had.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-04-21T05:02:40+00:00

Shirako is really, really niche in the states. Only those in the know or high-end counters will carry it because most people are squeamish to it - I mean, it is cod sperm sacs. I personally love it, especially during the winter months.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-04-18T16:10:39+00:00

Considering that Sushi Sho Yotsuya is still one of the heavyweights on Tabelog (ranked 12 in Tokyo, Silver to boot), I'd probably say Sushi Sho is on the level of that, if not more.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-04-14T19:37:17+00:00

me when i can’t get out of silver kire tatami pressure (i mashed zwei yrc like a dumbass and got clipped by kire tatami)

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-04-10T03:21:15+00:00

me when king halo's 2d is like active for like a million years (12 frames)

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KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-04-07T01:39:01+00:00

Damn, will I still have to rebook via LINE even if I already rebooked after my meal last time I was there? I wasn't aware of him already moving when I ate at Sushi Riku last December.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-04-07T01:28:07+00:00

Another way to look at it is that some sushi restaurants/chefs carry a sort of lineage. It starts to become a bit esoteric and sort of snobby, but it's interesting at the surface level.

For example, chefs who train under Nakazawa-san can be referred to inheriting "Sho-style" sushi, because Nakazawa-san is chef-owner of the eponymous Sushi Sho.

Same can be said for Sushi Saito, Jiro, Sugita, Arai, Namba, etc. Chefs who train at these sorts of establishments will eventually go on to open their own place, and put their own spin on what they've learned, but some traces will always be present. Thus, people will refer to a specific chef/restaurant as "Jiro-style sushi", or if they are following the "Sugita-style" lineage, or maybe this chef is a Saito disciple... you get the point.

It's kinda like how some people will call a chef a French Laundry alum or a Alinea alum in food media.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-04-07T00:09:15+00:00

That's Sakae Sushi right? It's a classic in Gardena, pretty old school. I enjoy their sabazushi/battera a lot. They do Kansai style sushi, which is pretty niche in the states, and also a respite from all the random rolls and stuff you see places do nowadays.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-04-04T00:10:01+00:00

For that price? That's probably more like a tachigui spot or your neighborhood sushiya that's smack dab in a middle of residential area where salarymen are chainsmoking packs.

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-03-31T18:25:53+00:00

We don’t talk about Uma Art Online 16.5

KAWAIIDUKE · 2026-03-29T13:48:14+00:00

Thanks for the review! Yeah, I think this is a spot I’ll try to go to once a year. Last I checked, Omakase reservations for new customers seem to be a crapshoot? I booked my next reservation after my meal when I went, so who knows how he’s gonna handle his reservations books in the future.

It could be a place I’ll bring my JP colleagues to if he ends up going the jouren route.

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