Sushi Iwa is arguably one of the most talked about sushi restaurants in Tokyo. The One Michelin Star restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo, has an elusive shop front and an even more “exclusive” reservation list.

It took us numerous attempts over a period of two years before we finally succeeded in scoring two seats on one of those weekday afternoons for lunch.

So, are they really worth all the hype? You will find out in a while.

One Michelin Star Sushi Iwa in Ginza is a small sushi restaurant that is famed for its fine omakase. Our first walk-in attempt two years ago was a complete failure. We were rejected right away and the staff was unapologetic about the restaurant being completely booked.

A few months later when we found ourselves in Tokyo again, we went down personally on the first day of our trip to make a reservation for about six days later; alas, we were rejected. This time round, the host told us to get our hotel concierge to make a reservation.

We thought the third time would be a charm. A fortnight before our trip to Tokyo, we got the concierge of the hotel we were going to put up at to make a reservation for us. Guess who was rejected again?

We will skip the subsequent failed attempts. Eventually, we managed to get a table for two this year but that was probably only because they made lives easier—all you have to do now is to simply call them up, then they’d send you an SMS containing a booking link where you can make a reservation via TableCheck.com, and voila!

Came the day when we were finally headed to Sushi Iwa for our sushi omakase lunch; we were ecstatic, to say the least. We were welcomed by the very hospitable chef and his team of servers. And we told ourselves it was going to be a good meal (well, this was to be argued), except that we weren’t too pleased to be sitting in the basement—which we later learned that it was meant for foreigners.

The main dining area is on the second level and is solely for Japanese. Discrimination, much? Is it fair to say this alters the entire ambience and experience? We’d like to think so.

After our appetiser of vinegared seaweed, our 13-course lunch began. Course by course, nigiri sushi were prepared fresh before our eyes. The chef sliced the fish with finesse and upon serving, he took the effort to introduce the sushi in English so that everyone could understand what was about to go into our mouths.

While the fish was fresh, what disappointed us was the lack of build up. You would think that a sushi omakase experience meant the flavours and intensity would build up. But at Sushi Iwa, little thoughts were put into the order of the courses and it was very apparent.

That said, some of the courses we had stood out.

Our favourite was the Shima-aji (striped horse mackerel). It was so very fresh, lightly flavoured with quality shoyu and a little bit of grated ginger; neither of the elements overpowered each other.

The Chutoro (medium fatty tuna) was definitely memorable for its fats really melted into a lovely, creamy taste on the tongue.

The Tai (sea bream) was aged for 2 days, hence retaining the flavours and boasted a slight saltiness of the ocean.

The Anago (conger eel) had a subtle smoky flavour to it but we wished there was a little more sweet sauce for it.

Our 13-course sushi omakase lunch at Sushi Iwa cost us ¥8,640 per pax. Would we go back again? Well, if our dining experience wasn’t confined to the “foreigners/ tourists” basement, we might overlook the part on the lack of flavours build up and give it another shot.

Sushi Iwa Ginza
8-4-4 Ginza, Miura Bldg. 1F, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061
Tel: 03 3572 0955
Tue to Sun: 12pm – 2pm, 6pm -10pm
Nearest Station: Shimbashi

UberEATS has finally launched in Tokyo, Japan! We were invited to the launch of the app in Tokyo and had a full experience of UberEATS, from tap to table.

While UberEATS has been around in Singapore for awhile, this launch in Japan is the 8th country and 34th city added to their fast-growing and extensive list.

Their mission is simple – to make eating well effortless at anytime for anyone. The efficiency of tapping on your smart device and having a meal or snack delivered right to your doorstep is our idea of convenience. In Tokyo, 150 restaurant partners have partnered up with UberEATS for this launch and there will definitely be gradual expansion in time to come.

Launched on 29 September 2016, UberEATS has already been a hit with the local crowd. Tokyo is a unique city as it has a strong dining culture. UberEATS in Tokyo is so diverse because you can get anything from a simple Acai Bowl to a full on restaurant-quality meal from Michelin-starred restaurants such as SOUGO.

It was definitely a challenge to bring UberEATS to such a bustling city but the team managed to pull it off. Tokyo itself has an impressive 226 Michelin stars, way more than Paris’ 94.

And yes, you can have food from Michelin-starred restaurants delivered to your home too!

The city of Tokyo is very fast-paced and people sometimes do not have the luxury of time to leave their workplace to grab food. With UberEATS, all they need is a smart device and the app and they could tap their meal of choice and have it delivered right to wherever they are.

The app is extremely easy to use. The wait is generally short, at an average of about 20 to 30 minutes, and our quickest delivery arrived 8 minutes.

We also liked that every meal is so intricately prepared and planned—from the initial preparation, right down to the quality, temperature control and even the packaging to ensure that the food gets to you in tip top condition.

From now until 29 October 2016, UberEATS will be offering One Coin Meals at ¥500 to kickstart the app for anyone and everyone to try.

Think gourmet burgers, ramen and even healthy grain and salad bowls delivered right to you with no extra costs. Yes, the delivery fee is waived.

Even SOUGO, helmed by two michelin-starred chef Daisuke Nomura, has come onboard to offer an extremely value-for-money meal set for just ¥500 as part of this campaign. We need not tell you how awesome this deal is, right?

L to R: Masami Takahashi – President of Uber Japan; and Simon Rossi – Regional General Manager of UberEATS APAC

How to order via UberEATS:
1. Download the app via the App Store or Google Play.
2. Select your location on the app.
3. Pick your desired meal or food item.
4. Check out with a simple tap.
5. Track your food as it gets to you.

One Coin (¥500) Campaign
For the month of October, UberEATS Japan will be offering ¥500 meals from several different restaurants to provide anyone the opportunity to try the app out and get a seriously good meal at an affordable price.

Visit www.ubereats.com for more details.

This trip to Tokyo is made possible by UberEATS.

Japanese food in Tokyo is one-of-a-kind experience and is a leisure on a whole different level. Sushi and sashimi are so fresh that you will never see Japanese food in the same light ever again. And the authenticity is one that you do not get as with eating local food at any other country. For one, it is beyond atmospheric that, once again, eating Japanese food in Japan will change your life altogether – in every good way, of course.

People always speak of how expensive Japanese food is and how the price tags deter them from feasting when in Japan. It is not true. We have sussed out 4 Affordable Sushi Restaurants in Tokyo that you can try without breaking the bank.

Midori Sushi

Having heard raved reviews about Midori Sushi, I was looking forward to dine there to find out why it is so popular. One of the reason why there is a long queue at Midori Sushi every day is because of the reasonable prices. The cheapest sushi set is only ¥840. However, we were not blown away by it – the sushi was decent, but nothing special – especially since we had to queue more than half an hour for it. Nonetheless, this is a place to dine at if you are looking for an affordable sushi restaurant in Tokyo, and if you do not mind queuing.

Dogenzaka 1-12-3
Mark City East 4F
Open 11am-10pm daily
Tel: +81 03 5458 0002
Nearest Station: Shibuya

Nemuro Hanamaru

Don’t be deceived by the conveyer belt sushi restaurant at Kitte Shopping Mall, which is a few minutes walk from Tokyo Station. Nemuro hHnamaru serves fresh sushi at great value. Most of the sushi plates are priced between ¥136 to ¥336. One of our favourites was the Seared Salmon (¥262). From the side menu, the Crab Soup (¥336) – with huge chunks of crab meat – and the Chawanmushi (¥262) are also excellent choices.

Tokyo KITTE 5F
2-7-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku
Tel: +81 03 6269 9026
Mon to Sat: 11am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Tokyo

Ryu Sushi

A trip to Tokyo will not be complete without having sushi breakfast at the world famous Tsukiji Market. Sushi Dai and Sushi Daiwa are the most popular sushi restaurants at the fish market. However, people wait in line from as early as 6am, and the queue is easily three hours long. Honestly, I feel that the other sushi bars in Tsukiji Market are just as good.

One place that you can try is Ryu Sushi. It has a extremely good and fresh sashimi and sushi at very decent prices. The Kiku Sushi Set (¥2,100) comes with 7 pieces of sushi, and 6 pieces of sushi rolls, and a beautiful Chirashi (¥3,100). We were blown away by the quality and freshness of the food.

Read: Five reasons to visit Tsukiji Market

5-2-1, Building 1. Chuo-ku
Tsukiji Market, Tokyo
Tel: +81 03 3541 9517
Nearest Station: Tsukiji/Tsukijishijo

Uoriki Kaisen Sushi

Uoriki Kaisen Sushi is a place where I will return to again and again whenever I am in Tokyo. It does not have any Michelin stars, nor is it extremely popular. But it serves super good quality sushi and sashimi at ridiculously cheap prices.

The basic Sushi Set (¥990), with ten pieces of sushi, is very value-for-money. Our favourite dish is the Chirashi-don (¥1,390) which comes with huge slices of sashimi. Uoriki Kaisen Sushi is a hidden gem and one of the most affordable sushi restaurants in Tokyo. I wholeheartedly recommend this place.

B1 Tokyu Department Store
2-24-1 Shibuya
Tel: +81 03 5428 3813
Daily: 10am – 9pm
Nearest Station: Shibuya

Tokyo has one of the highest number of Michelin Starred restaurants, and while we ate at several of the well-known establishments in the city, our favourite meal was, however, at Uoriki Kaisen Sushi, a humble and small sushi bar within the supermarket at the basement of Tokyu’s department store in Shibuya.

Uoriki Kaisen Sushi does not have any Michelin stars, nor is it extremely popular. But it serves exceptionally fresh sushi and sashimi at ridiculously cheap prices. It is a hidden gem in Tokyo, and I wholeheartedly recommend this place when you are looking for a place to eat in Shibuya.

The main reason why Uoriki Kaisen Sushi is able to offer good quality sushi and sashimi at affordable prices is because its core business is seafood retailing – they supply supermarkets and department stores with fresh seafood directly from Tsukiji Fish Market.

The basic Sushi Set (¥990), with ten pieces of sushi, is very value-for-money. And if you are a fan of tuna, you should try their Tuna Sushi Set (¥1,290) which comes with maguro nigiri, maguro gunkan and otoro nigiri.

Our favourite dish – something that we will order every time when we are dining at Uoriki Kaisen Sushi – is the Chirashi-don (¥1,390). We were in disbelief when the waiter served the dish. It came with huge slices of cuttle fish, salmon, tuna, mackerel, sea bream, sweet shrimp, uni, sea urchin and salmon fish roe – for the price, it is a steal.

Uoriki Kaisen Sushi is a place where I will return to again and again whenever I am in Tokyo. The funny thing is, Uoriki is still a relatively well-kept secret. We ate there twice for dinner and it was rather quiet. I believe that they deserve more recognition – the prices are unbeatable, and the sushi extremely fresh. If you are going to Tokyo for holiday, you must dine here. Get the chirashi-don. Trust me, you will love it.

Uoriki Kaisen Sushi
B1 Tokyu Department Store
2-24-1 Shibuya
Tel: +81 03 5428 3813
Daily: 10am – 9pm
Nearest Station: Shibuya