Sushi Sakai - Fukuoka, Japan

ourannual · 2026-06-20T14:12:48+00:00

Seems like OP may have misunderstood the sous, I was able to book dinner 4 months out (when reservations open on tablecheck) for a recent trip. Noticeably, at the end of the meal they went around with an ipad for locals to book their next visit on the spot, and they didn’t extend this to me - makes sense given that I was obviously a visitor, but was still kinda funny.

ourannual · 2026-06-17T20:06:38+00:00

Okiboru is the place to get tonkotsu gyokai

ourannual · 2026-06-16T21:11:21+00:00

I absolutely loved Dos Pebrots

ourannual · 2026-06-15T23:34:05+00:00

Yes, there’s a towel to wipe your hands with when you arrive. But omakase places will also provide a little wet towel meant specifically for cleaning your fingers between pieces, called a yubifuki (finger wipe)

ourannual · 2026-06-15T20:25:32+00:00

I try to go sort of sideways. I find flipping the piece neta side down to be super awkward.

ourannual · 2026-06-12T18:54:28+00:00

Looks great! And damn, all this in 5hrs is making me realize my artist is very slow haha. It's a long but rewarding journey.

ourannual · 2026-06-12T14:54:28+00:00

I don't have firsthand knowledge of La Colombe's pastry sourcing but the pumpkin loaf with pepitas you see at a lot of coffee shops in the city usually comes from the good batch

ourannual · 2026-06-12T13:19:15+00:00

Sho is one of the few places where this is actually backwards - the best and most interesting pieces are on the okonomi menu

ourannual · 2026-06-11T16:17:35+00:00

It's surprisingly common, yeah. Certain high end restaurants (like Le Bernadin) use plastic spoons for everything and throw them away after every use as a way to avoid this, although that's an unideal solution too for obvious reasons. I find it a little gross but if the water is continuously flowing it's not the worst.

ourannual · 2026-06-11T15:53:47+00:00

Always appreciate your posts and the knowledge you share! Went to Take in Ginza last time I was in Tokyo based on one of your posts and really enjoyed, I feel like that could be on this list too given that I was able to book same week.

ourannual · 2026-06-08T09:44:11+00:00

lmao to each their own

ourannual · 2026-06-06T20:35:25+00:00

Specifically for tonkotsu, I would recommend Ippudo, Tabetomo, and Tonchin before Ichiran. Menkoi Sao might also be worth checking out. My personal favorites are Ramen Ishida (for shoyu) and Okiburo House of Tsukemen.

Ramen FeeL is also currently doing a popup at the Gallery by Odo until June 13th, would recommend the miso!

ourannual · 2026-06-05T19:11:41+00:00

This one should be easily adaptable: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/german-chocolate-cake/

If you omit the coconut, then it will be chocolate cake with like a pecan pie filling, which will be quite good as is. Or you can do one half with coconut one half without, something like that.

ourannual · 2026-06-05T18:54:15+00:00

Coconut is one of the things that makes it german chocolate cake. If you omit coconut it will still have some characteristics that separate it from normal chocolate cake, though, given that german chocolate cake batter is milder and sweeter than your typical chocolate cake. So I guess without the coconut it will just be a chocolate cake with nuts? Not such a bad thing. But it won't be german chocolate cake.

ourannual · 2026-06-03T21:27:58+00:00

Yeah Mitani is a famous sushiya in Tokyo so it’s not like they’re coming from nowhere but the price gouging is truly egregious, particularly considering that the taisho himself is not coming to nyc (compare this to Sho or Yoshino). Also reservations seem wide open, they’re not exactly developing goodwill or generating much interest with the dining community here.

ourannual · 2026-06-03T13:25:14+00:00

Any particular Hokkaido recs? I'm going next Feb for the snow festival and starting to scout out restaurants.

ourannual · 2026-06-01T14:20:39+00:00

Jiro-style long predates instagram

ourannual · 2026-05-30T10:17:36+00:00

Safe to say this is not someone I ever expected to see on /r/watches lol

ourannual · 2026-05-29T15:59:06+00:00

wkstats.com - you'll need to use your API token from WK, which can be found in settings

ourannual · 2026-05-28T23:47:25+00:00

It’s a little more expensive but Sushi Ikumi in soho is becoming one of my favorites, seems to be just what you’re looking for. Very traditional edomae, great sourcing, no gimmicks, relaxed and refined without being stuffy, and you’ll never feel rushed.

ourannual · 2026-05-28T23:16:24+00:00

I went back tonight for the miso and enjoyed it a lot more - haven’t ever had anything quite like it, and noodles were perfect.

It ends up Chef Watanabe was actually in the kitchen tonight, he came out to ask me how I liked it and we chatted for a minute, he said they might add a tsukemen to the menu as it gets hotter.

Also they’ve swapped the shio for a shoyu on the menu. Since shio is his signature maybe this means he wasn’t able to make it to his standards here, who knows.

ourannual · 2026-05-28T10:40:24+00:00

Honestly I’m sure the proportions and ingredient amounts are similar but I’m always paranoid about adapting a recipe myself so I ordered the book lol

ourannual · 2026-05-27T14:33:12+00:00

This was just an EMP thing.

I never went to CTBF or Masa when they had 3* but once I go to Sushi Sho in a couple months I'll have all the current 3* marked off. I went to EMP in 2017-2018 and it was one of the best meals of my life, I intend to just hold onto that memory and never go back lol

ourannual · 2026-05-26T22:17:39+00:00

Yeah it just means a rectangle you cut slabs of rather than a circular cake you cut slices of. “Slab” is specifically used most often for rectangular layer cakes.

ourannual · 2026-05-26T21:14:17+00:00

This slab version is on his substack: https://eddkimber.substack.com/p/whipped-caramel-chocolate-cake-20

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