If you asked Japanese diners what their favourite type of sushi was, most would probably pick tuna. You can find all sorts of restaurants that specialise in the fish, from budget kaiten-zushi (conveyor-belt sushi) joints to ultra-swanky places in Ginza that charge ¥3,000 a piece. If you want to get the very best tuna sushi, though, you should take your business to Irifune instead.
The ¥21,600 Magurozukushi Nigiri (literally, ‘all sorts of tuna sushi’) set here includes a dozen pieces of nigiri sushi and six rolls made with a variety of cuts (akami, chutoro, otoro and otoro aburi), plus omelette. Chef Katsumi Honda is in his seventies now, but he was just 27 years old when he first opened the restaurant back in 1968.
As if that wasn’t notable enough, Irifune also stays open 365 days a year, and it doesn’t close between lunch and dinner. For a real treat, we recommend bringing along your favourite red wine – yup, you can bring your own if you’re sitting at a table – and pairing it with some otoro aburi.