Sushi Hayakawa

For anyone confused by the listing: this is 鮨 はやかわ in Akasaka — formerly 鮨 早川 in Ebisu, same chef, moved about four years ago. A nice touch for visitors: each neta comes with a small English/Japanese card — the fish, its season, and how it's prepared — so you always know what you're eating. I've w...orked through most of the omakase over many visits. The lineup shifts with the season, but a few things I keep hoping for: - Kuruma-ebi steamed to order, served warm — sweet and tender in a way pre-cooked prawn never is. - The "Hayakawa Special" roll — char-seared ōtoro with truffle, served with truffle soy sauce; the dish everyone remembers, and it's served twice for a reason. - Smoked "Red Snapper" (kinmedai) — smoked with straw during preparation, then again with oak chips after the sushi is formed; the aroma is the whole point. Its rarer sibling, smoked nodoguro, is the real prize when it appears. - Tuna across the spectrum, from lean akami through chūtoro to rich ōtoro. It leans into a little theater, but never at the expense of the fish — the cooking stays restrained and lets the seafood lead. A genuinely memorable Tokyo sushi evening, and easy to enjoy even if it's your first proper omakase. Highly recommended.

Visited June 2026