Oku

Asakusa is a second hometown for the chef, who has lived here since his apprenticeship. He inherited both spirit and skill, along with tools and serving ware, from his mentor. He reveres the old teachings of the sushi world but does add a few twists of his own. He adds sweet potato shochu to rich soy syrup; to rolled omelette, he adds soy milk. The character for the chef’s surname of ‘Oku’ developed from a combination of the characters for ‘house’, ‘rice’ and ‘palm of hand’; a sign, he contends, that he was destined to run a place where he would fashion rice meals with his hands.

Inheritance, in the literal sense

• The chef kept more than the address, tools and serving ware were passed down from his mentor, along with the habits of a strict sushi apprenticeship.

Small deviations that matter

• Sweet potato shochu is used to perfume a rich soy syrup, and soy milk is worked into the rolled omelette, tweaks that stand out precisely because the rest is so classical.

An Asakusa through-line

• Asakusa is treated as a second hometown, the restaurant reads like a continuation of the chef’s long residency in the neighbourhood.

Signature elements

• Rice seasoned for sushi, the core of the meal.
• Rich soy syrup finished with sweet potato shochu, used as a seasoning accent.
• Tamagoyaki with soy milk, a small but distinctive house touch.

Format

• Sushi counter in Asakusa, set omakase format.

What to expect

• Edo style restraint, with a few deliberate twists, rich soy syrup scented with sweet potato shochu, tamagoyaki finished with soy milk.

Notes

• One MICHELIN Star.