Garyu Sushi is not your average sushi restaurant. You can not only eat sushi here, but also try your hand at making the quintessential Japanese dish yourself. This one-of-a-kind space was opened by Tsubasa Tamaki, who’s best known for his popular pizzeria Pizza Studio Tamaki. Tamaki decided to branch out into sushi to showcase his appreciation for itamae (sushi chefs) and inspire future generations to become more interested in the art of making sushi.
You may think sushi is simple to make, considering that it’s usually just rice and fish. But crafting that perfect piece of sushi requires a lot of technical skill. Not to worry if you don’t know where to start, as the tables at Garyu Sushi are equipped with tablets showing tutorial videos on how to make nigiri and gunkan sushi in Japanese, English, Korean and Chinese.
You can have a go at making your own sushi with the omakase course (¥9,879), which can be ordered for lunch or dinner. It comes with an amuse bouche, salad, an assortment of three appetisers, ten pieces of sushi, noodle soup and a dessert. When we say it comes with ‘ten pieces of sushi’, what you actually get are the elements separately – sushi rice, neta (fish) and nori seaweed – which you have to then assemble on your own.
The set also includes tezu (a weak vinegar and water mixture), which you use to wet your hands so the rice doesn't stick, and Garyu Sushi’s homemade soy sauce to brush onto your finished sushi pieces. The tutorial videos also explain sushi terms and offer advice for making your sushi better, such as adding a small air pocket when shaping the rice so that it’s less dense.
There's also a children’s sushi course for ¥5,379, and a chirashi donburi (seafood rice bowl) lunch for just ¥1,890. With the donburi lunch, you can add broth to pour over your remaining rice for a delicious ochazuke.