To celebrate my birthday last week, my wife made reservations at a local restaurant we had never been to before, Sakuma (さく間). I was familiar with the restaurant, and one time talked to the owners about what sort of cuisine they served, but then the pandemic hit and our dining out became less frequent and I kind of forgot about the place. That may be in part because it is located on a side street in Kakigarachō that I rarely take. And there aren’t really many other restaurants nearby, just a French place, Le Pignon (very good!) and a few small cafes/coffee shops. But after our meal there I now realize it was a mistake having never been.
When we went in we were seated at the six-seat counter, with one regular customer to my left and a group of three in the semi-private room to the right as one enters. It being my birthday, we started with two glasses of champagne, with nihonshu coming later.
Everything was very good, the ingredients all of very high quality, as one would expect. What impressed me the most was the creative presentation, such as the katsuo which was served nigiri sushi style (on sushi rice) on top of a piece of nori. That was followed by uni shawan mushi, which was a treat. Then came grilled wild ayu with a very dark green ??? sauce. Then came a special treat, simmered ingredients (tako, satoimo, takenoko—bamboo shoot) as well as baby corn and fresh snap pea, served in a real green and brown Oribe dish. Not something you see every day, let alone eat off of. The final course was sakura-ebi gohan, sakura ebi now being in season.
The first round of sake we ordered, suggested by the chef, was some Jozan, from Fukui prefecture. While it was good, and well paired with the food, it was the sake ochoko that really stood out, one made by the famous artist and chef and calligrapher (and more) Rosanjin (1883-1959), with his distinctive signature carved on the bottom (ロ). Sushi Kyubei has a set of his porcelain in its main restaurant in Ginza, but mostly for display, not for everyday use.
Sakuma san, the chef, mentioned that he at one time had wanted to open a sushi restaurant, but did this instead. However, he does do sushi on Friday and Saturday nights. We have already booked one session.
With all of the restaurants in the area with awards from Michelin, both stars and Bib Gourmand, it seems kind of amazing Sakuma is not included in the guide. Maybe soon.
Sakuma さく間
〒103-0014 日本橋蛎殻町2-14-11
Nihonbashi Kakigarachō 2-14-11