After trying a luxury omakase in Sapporo and an unforgettable one in Osaka, I finally went for an omakase in Tokyo. There are many starred sushi restaurants offering omakase in Tokyo; I wish one day to try one, but they are very difficult to book. As a general rule, you need someone speaking Japanese calling the restaurant. Five star hotel concierges usually do that. Honestly, too complicated. Luckily I found a reference online to a mid-range sushi restaurant that could be booked online (see info at the end of the post): Sushi Manten.
The visit
With a reservation at 7.30pm on a Sunday evening, I arrived at 7pm. They had some free seats and allowed me to start my meal before the reservation time.
Sushi Manten is located in the basement level of a nice plaza called Marunouchi Brick Square. In the restaurant, two cooks serve up to 14 customers at the counter and some more customers seated at a table. The place really maximizes space… that means that you can feel a bit like in a sardine can. Take this into account. Service is very fast and the two cooks really work hard.
The cooks would hand you each piece of sushi (or sahsimi) on a plate in front of you. As usual, no need for adding soy sauce, they would take care of everything. Unfortunately, the counter is designed in a way that you cannot see exactly how they are preparing the dishes, even if they are in front of you. Most of the guests were foreigners.
To get things started, I was quickly handed a mini bowl of clam soup. Good.
First piece of sushi was a sardine. The first part of the meal seemed to be dedicated to sour and more dense flavors.
Then I was offered some seaweed in a nice vinaigrette sauce.
Then there were two pieces of Japanese halibut (hirame) sashimi. It was referred as seabass by the cooks.
Again sashimi, in the form of two bites of Spanish mackerel.
Again a piece of hirame, this time as sushi.
Then I was offered some wasabi leaves (or beans). This was something new. It looked like seaweed and it was quite hot… took me some time to finish it.
Then I was offered a piece of tofu (with some nutty backtaste). Very fresh. Almost a palate cleanser.
Then I got some shirasu (that means in general whitebait), in particular these were baby sardines. The flavor now started to revolve around salty dishes.
Then again something salty with a piece of mentaiko, that is spiced cod roe.
Back to sushi, with a piece of kin medai.
The next sushi was topped by a typical Japanese mushroom called enoki and came with a bulb of ginger.
Next, some edamame (immature soybeans in pods).
Then I was given a bowl of chawanmushi with a prevalence of crab.
Salmon roe (ikura) cannot be missed in an omakase… in this case on rice.
Next, some abalone sashimi, including some roe I believe.
Back to sushi with a raw sweet shrimp.
Then I really appreciated the salty flavor of some tarako (fresh and salted pollock roe. It is like mentaiko, but without the spicy flavor.
The next course was two pieces of tuna sushi, one piece was regular tuna and one the priced melt-in-your-mouth fatty tuna.
Then I was handed directly in my hand some uni (sea urchin) on rice in a piece of nori (a type of dried seaweed normally used with sushi rolls). Delicious.
Again, I was handed in my hand a “deconstructed” roll (temaki) with minced tuna.
The next piece signalled that we were heading toward the end: a piece of Japanese omelette (tamago)
Another classic end dish for an omakase: the miso soup, in this case a shijimi miso soup. Shijimi is a type of mini clam (sometimes called basket or blue clam) and very appreciated for miso soup. Only downside that it would take forever to eat the content of the clams! I believe this is kind of a signature dish that I saw also in another review of Manten Sushi.
In this finale, flavor went toward the sweet and this was confirmed by the next piece: anago sushi (saltwater eel that is indeed quite sweet as opposed to its freshwater cousin unagi).
Again with a sweet flavor from the sea in the form of a piece of sea cucumber.
With two seedless grapes handed again directly in my hand the meal ended.
This was an epic meal. The all experience lasted exactly 90 minutes. All the dishes were delicious and I was happy to experience a number of classics (hirame, tuna, uni, etc) along with some creative choices (tarako, abalone, wasabi leaves).
The check
The omakase cost 6,480 yen, including green tea, that’s around 58 USD. For over 20 dishes, that’s great value for money. I appreciated that they also included some expensive type of sushi like o-toro (fatty tuna) and abalone. They did not shortchange me in anyway. I enjoyed every bite and I was totally satisfied by the meal.
The only downside was that you are really squeezed seating at the counter. I was lucky enough that the seat at my left was empty for most of my meal. While I totally recommend Manten Sushi, comfort is important for me and this might be a dealbreaker.
If you know other great places for omakase in Tokyo not rated in the Michelin Guide, write in the comments.
Where in Tokyo:
2-6-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda, Tokyo: in the basement of Marunouchi Brick Square building (丸の内ブリックスクエア).
In Japanese: 丸の内２丁目６ー1 丸の内ブリックスクエアB1F.
There is an underground passage to Marunouchi South Exit of Tokyo Station.
Use this website for a reservation.
Check the restaurant’s website for up to date information. They also have another location in Nihombashi.