Gion Sushi Tadayasu got one star in the 2019 Osaka Michelin Guide. I elected it to try a quality omakase in Kyoto.
The visit
I made the booking through an online service for lunch.
The restaurant is located in a quiet backstreet of the historic Gion district.
Above the storefront before the opening and after with the classic curtains (noren).
The room only seated twelve people. Two chefs were working serving the guests. It was full. I was the only non-Japanese.
The appetizer was a bowl of cold noodles in a yuzu flavored broth. On a summer day, it was very refreshing.
The first nigiri was with karei (Japanese flat fish). I immediately noticed the tendency of the chef to put too much wasabi.
The second nigiri was shiro ebi (white shrimp) with caviar. I guess this is the way to go to win a Michelin star for an omakase.
The third nigiri was shima aji (striped jack, a seasonal fish).
The fourth nigiri came with tairagai (a type of scallop, but with firmer meat, Japanese pen shell).
The fifth nigiri had ika (squid). The chef put some grains of fine salt (so little to be invisible).
Sixth was katsuo nigiri (skipjack tuna).
Seventh was a toro (fatty tuna) nigiri.
Eight was a kohada nigiri.
Ninth was a uni nigiri. With a lot of uni, which was good.
The tenth nigiri was anago (sea-water eel) grilled. With its sweetness, it was a classic conclusion for the main part of the omakase.
The last course was a piece of tamago (Japanese omelet) and a bowl of miso soup.
The chef finally included a handroll with pickles.
The chefs were serving three different menus at the same time. Mine was the cheapest and shortest. I was finished after 90 minutes. For the more expensive menus there were additional dishes and more elaborated appetizers. I was satisfied with my menu.
The check
No check to display because I paid in advance through a booking service. Since I only had green tea (complimentary and rapidly refilled throughout the meal) there was no extra charge. The total cost was 7,128 yen (which includes the reservation system fees) or 66 USD. If you book directly it may be even a bit cheaper. I found the charge reasonable considering the quality of the seafood used. Overall, I did not feel a big step up from Chiharu in Osaka that was “only” a Bib Gourmand.
Where in Osaka:
572-9 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama Ward.