Sushi Sho Masa

Our meal started with one question: «Is there anything you don’t like to eat?»
I’m very glad I said «No» because I was served some of the most interesting fish imaginable.
As other reviews have pointed out, the price point is high (around $ 350-​$ 400), but I have never regretted the expense. You simply can’t get this kind of experience anywhere else in the world. Also, drinks appeared to be included with the bill, so if I were to go back I wouldn’t hesitate for that extra round of saki.
I was also very thankful that, while the chef’s English is passable, he hired a translator to attend to us through the entire meal if we had any questions. He also had a reference book to show us and describe the different exotic fish we were trying.
*If you arrive early, there was a small bar just upstairs that made a great cocktail with very friendly bartenders. I wish I could remember that place so I could write a review of it.

This is a phenomenal way to become learned in sushi while you are in the sushi capital of the world. It is a pretty easy reservation to get (there are only seven or eight seats total, all at the sushi bar) and chef Masakatsu Oka is by far the most personable person I met during my trip. I’ll preface by saying that the pinpoint meticulousness wasn’t quite what you would experience at Jiro, but certain pieces I did enjoy here more than at Jiro (such as the sea urchin). Not to mention that it’s far and away greater than what you will find in the United States. Plus, his vendor is the same as Jiro’s (Tsukiji Fish Market, which I also recommend visiting). You also spend half the money you would at Jiro and get double the pieces. While I didn’t feel «rushed» at Jiro (as there is a method to the quick service), it is true you can expect to spend around 20 to 30 minutes there. At Sushi Sho Masa, our meal lasted close to three hours, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
It is a small establishment, but it works perfectly as part of the experience (who wants to eat at a bustling, loud restaurant anyhow?). As the meal consists of up to around 40 pieces, many delicacies were unexpected (some of the offerings may surprise you). Chef Masa and his staff are extremely attentive and personable to you, taking the time to indicate what every piece is before serving it, as well as explaining the seasonality of it, providing pictures of the original fish, and diagrams of how it is prepared. They also tell you if you should include soy sauce with each piece. The conversation was very back-​and-​forth, and even a few regulars who dined while we were there included us in their conversation with the staff.
I can’t find any fault with this restaurant and as I said, it could have served as a one-​stop shop to sushi education during our trip across Japan. And I was not made to feel rude or discourteous when I couldn’t quite finish every piece because I was so full. The staff thanked us many times for our patronage and made us feel right at home. Probably the most enjoyable restaurant experience I’ve ever had and I would instantly revisit here rather than try a new place if I went back to Japan.

What a fantastic restaurant and experience this is! We had high expectations coming here after reading all the good reviews. And we were not not disappointed. Actually the opposite, they were triumphed by reality.
The staff are most accommodating and we were able to make a reservation on a fairly short notice. We had a reservation for 9pm which made us the last seating for the night and gave us plenty of time to thoroughly enjoy the atmosphere, the tableware, the sake and obviously every piece of culinary art that was placed in front of us.
If you have the opportunity to come here, I am confident that you won’t regret it.

Amazing 2 hour dinning experience. You will never see sushi the same. Food was great and staff was so nice. They explained all the fish to us in English, even referencing a book when necessary.
Consider this an experience, and as such comes at a premium (¥¥¥¥)
Reservations are necessary as the restaurant only seats 7.

I ate here in 2014! It was magnificent. I really enjoyed how chef Masa explained every fish we ate. He knows enough English so you won’t feel left out. I would recommend coming here to eat sushi if you can. Though the price is high, it’s well worth it.
Important! Don’t forget to make your reservation in advance.

There have only been a handful of times in life where I’ve been so full that I’ve been afraid to see food. My experience at Sushisho Masa definitely got that stage and that’s not a bad thing!
We came here after watching The Jiro documentary. However, rather than wanting to spend $ 350+/person on a 20 – 25 minute meal, we wanted something that would last longer to allow us to enjoy the food. We found Sushisho Masa through a YouTube channel (EatYourKimchi) we followed and decided to make a reservation.
The whole dining are is very small, about 8 seats in total, all in front of the sushi chef. So reservations would definitely be the safest play. I lost count after the 1 hour of our 2 hour meal, but I’m sure we had over 20 courses each course consisting of 1 or more pieces of sashimi and/​or sushi. I’ve tried fish that I’ve never heard of in my life, and they were amazing.
I believe my girlfriend had preordered us a set menu, but we couldn’t finish it. After 2 hours of eating I had to throw in the towel and let the chef know that he had beat me. I’m still salty over my loss.
To give you perspective, we were the first to arrive and began eating promptly around 7:05 pm. A party of 2 came in at 7:15 and another at 7:30 and by 9pm we were still the only ones eating. I was full at about 8:30, and figured the set menu was close to ending so decided to wait it out. Imagine the horror I felt as he continued to make more. I was hoping my gesture of unbuckling my belt would show I was hitting my limit but it kept coming! I couldn’t tell if the parties next to us were staring out out of awe or disgust but it didn’t matter. The food was amazing.
Would I want but again? For sure. But next time I will be sure to let the chef know when I’m full. My body cannot continue to take such punishment, regardless of how enjoyable the food

Ate here by myself and had the best sushi of the whole 3 week trip. I think I ate over 25 things before I had to ask the chef to stop. He was a real fish DJ, reading my reaction and choosing what to serve me next based on how much I liked something. Their selection must be enormous to be able to do that with each diner. I plan on coming here every time I come back to Tokyo!

Sushisho Masa
4−1−15 Nishiazabu, Minato-​ku, Tokyo
Basement Floor
I dined here in October 2013, so depending on what season it is, the dishes may vary. For example, during my visit, fresh and not frozen ikura was available.
This was the meal we splurged on during a visit to Tokyo, Japan. And at the start of the trip, no less. Random gem of a find, based only on a YouTube video and foodie blogs full of amazing stories and photographs of the 2+ hour sushi dinner served by Chef Masakatsu Oka. Over the course of the evening, we enjoyed approximately 40 different pieces of fish or accompaniments. No, that is not too much at all. It was well paced and thoroughly enjoyable. Nothing like what we had expected, but beyond it. Depending on the season, the fish may vary. We found ourselves dining on fish rarely found outside of Japan, lightly marinated fish, aged fish, the same fish prepared multiple ways, the rare baby salmon, fresh (not frozen) salmon roe, delicately grilled fish, etc. The presentations of the fish were often like artwork, just like the beautiful ceramic dishes they were served on. The chef even spent the time to explain what was and how to eat each item, if we wished.
We left the restaurant somewhat dazed and in awe, so elated over this new culinary discovery for us. We had several other sushi meals throughout this trip, but this was the highlight amongst them. Sushi, at least outside of Japan, will never be the same for me. Basically, I probably won’t be content having sushi elsewhere in the world. Personally, I would be happy if only absolutely «authentic» and sustainable sushi restaurants existed outside of Japan, but that’s another story for another time. If you want to do more research on Sushisho Masa, the chef also apprenticed with Chef Keiji Nakazawa at Sushi Sho.
The restaurant is in the basement, just down the stairs that are right next to the entrance of a nondescript building near a street corner. We gave ourselves plenty of time to find our way there from the Roppongi Station, which is up the hill a few blocks from the restaurant. There are only 7 seats. Several seatings per evening. You will need reservations, but they are not impossible to get, even on short notice. Or maybe we just lucked out. The food, service, chef and his apprentices, setting, all combined to make it a truly memorable meal. Even months after our trip and dinner, we reminisce fondly about this restaurant. Hoping to revisit again…