An interesting thing happened back in mid-December; thanks to the corona virus, my wife and I were able to eat at Sugita Sushi twice in a week (actually, the full name is Nihonbashi Kakigarachō Sushi Sugita, which is really way too much to write over and over). I had talked to Sugita san’s wife (Okamisan) sometime in November about making reservations, and she said there were plenty of openings and to give her a call. So my wife called, and didn’t hear back. Then one day Okamisan called my wife back and said there were openings for four on December 18 and for two on the 25th, Christmas. So of course, we took them.
What had happened was the restaurant had limited the number of reservations it was accepting as they could not predict what operating hours would be as the corona situation changed and evolved. We’d lost several bookings early in the pandemic as the restaurant was closed to all but takeout, which we ordered several times. Once dine in eating was doable again they limited bookings to just one seating a night, not two as in normal times. That way they wouldn’t have to make up cancelled reservations again, something that must have been a real pain to do. Since most dining restrictions had been eased by the end of 2021, it was possible to add an additional seating, which is what we got.
During the two weeks or so before our first dinner at Sugita my wife and I avoided all sushi as we knew we would be getting our fill and then some in just a couple of weeks. My wife was concerned, though, about the two meals we would be eating would be pretty much the same. I answered her concern by saying “who cares?” as that would still mean two fantastic meals, even if they were identical. I also reminded her that Sugita san always has quite a few back up items that can be made upon request. So no need to worry.
The first meal, lunch on December 18, was our first time there since June. And as always, it was fantastic. I had invited my friend G and his lady friend T, so the four of us occupied half of the counter, with one seat in the center unoccupied. It was nice to be able to drink sake again with our meal, rather than just tea as the with the previous visit. As I recall, I ate twenty-six or seven different things, everything from chawanmushi to ankimo to kaki misotsuke (oyster steamed and then soaked for two weeks in a saikyo-miso mix and lightly grilled before serving) as otsumami (eleven things in all) followed by fourteen nigiri plus asari soup and tamago yaki. The most unusual item was shako, the first time I had eaten it at Sugita.
I should add here that ajust a few days earlier Sugita had been informed that he had earned a second Michelin star, although I think two is not enough, not if there are some three-star sushi shops. There were several bouquets of congratulatory flowers near the door, but otherwise no evidence of the new honor. When someone mentioned the new star Sugita san basically shrugged it off, saying something humble like “whatever.” Although he may not show it, I am pretty sure that deep inside he is proud of his accomplishments and the recognition he has gotten.
One week later we were back, this time for dinner. The first few courses of otsumami were pretty much the same as the week before, but this time there were thirteen items. The nigiri were similarly a mix of the same and new, although the maguro came from different fish, which I guess makes them different. And this time there were onl twelve nigiri, plus the soup and tamago. If I had a bigger stomach I could have eaten a few more pieces, but alas, I was stuffed.
Sitting next to me on my left this time was Arimoto Kūgen (有本空玄), aceramic artist from Hiroshima who has made much of Sugita’s ceramics, including the plain black dishes the nigiri are placed on and several other things, both decorative and for serving. He had made my first sake ochoko of the evening, a largeish piece with an indentation that my thumb fit perfectly in, making it very easy to hold. In all honestly, this ochoko was one of my all-time favorites; large, and easy to fit into my rather large (for Japan) hands, with a small indentation for my thumb. I am always leery of the small sake cups as they are not always easy for me to pick up. Plus, the amount is just a sip, barely enough to wet my lips. Another interesting piece was a small pink and white musubi plate, a plate resembling a knot tied as men’s obi are often done, the shape implying close ties between people.
After finishing our meal, we walked home to eat the remainder of our Christmas cake from the night before. I think that our sushi cravings were over for at least a month, maybe more. Our next reservation is in March, for my wife’s birthday.