Sei Sushi

Just past the Yuza Oyama shopping arcade, Sei Sushi welcomes guests to an intimate counter run by a genial chef. Taking a seat and checking the day's whiteboard before discussing options with the chef is the most natural way to set the pace of the meal.

Many regulars start with warm grilled dishes or small plates over a draught or bottled beer. The menu includes fragrant unseasoned grilled conger eel (shirayaki), sea urchin sautéed in butter, and homemade salted squid offal (shiokara). Depending on the time of year, seasonal treasures such as fresh shishamo smelt or pen shell clam grilled in nori (isobeyaki) also grace the blackboard.

When it comes to sushi, diners can opt for an affordable set or order their preferred toppings à la carte piece by piece. Neatly crafted nigiri showcases sharp knife work, ranging from kuruma prawn retrieved from the live tank and shelled to order, to tuna, cockle (torigai), and delicate shoots of me-negi onion.

With warm sake or a green tea shochu highball in hand, this is a welcoming local spot to savour fresh seafood alongside casual conversation over the counter.