Sushi Dai
寿司大
〒104-0045 Tokyo, Chuo, Tsukiji, 5−2−1, 築地市場内 6号館, Japan
+81 3-3547-6797
0500hrs – 1400hrs
Sushi Dai is arguably the most popular sushi bar in Tsukiji. We joined the queue at 6am. The queue was so long that it stretched across the next store to the main road. It was freezing due to the rain that went on the whole time we were in the queue. Hot drinks from the vending machine near-by did little to warm up our cold body.
We bought tamago (Japanese omelette) served on a stick from one of the stalls next to Sushi Dai and it was one of the best that we have eaten. The steaming-hot tamago added much warmth to our cold hungry stomach.
After 6 hours of waiting, we finally got a seat!
There are only 12 seats in the bar, all by the counter. You will be served by one of the three chefs behind the counter depending on where you are seated.
There are two courses that you can order from. The Omakase Course (10 plus 1 pieces of sushi, sushi rolls, tamago and miso-soup for ¥3,900) or the Jyou Course (7 pieces of sushi, sushi rolls, tamago and miso-soup for ¥2,500). We went for the Omakase Course.
The Omakase Course consists of 10 pieces of sushi that is decided by the chef based on the what is available for the day. Even in the same seating, we noticed that the choices and order of sushi served is different amongst the 3 chefs.
After the 10 pieces of chef’s choice, you can choose the additional “plus one” of your choice from the menu.
The flavour and how my first piece of ōtoro sushi melted in my mouth is still strong in my memory. Sushi Dai certainly serves up very good sushi at a very reasonable price. What sets the place apart from other sushi establishments is the interaction that the chefs have with the customers. From the moment we stepped in, the chefs were constantly trying to engage the customers and taking the time to explain what was being served. It was an overall experience rather than the food itself that is worth the hype. Would I queue in the rain for 6 hours again for Sushi Dai? Probably not. I later found out that a friend only waited for 1/2 hour before getting into the restaurant when she arrived at 2pm.
If you are in Japan and you have time to spare, the experience of waiting in a line together with many other tourists, the excitement of finally waiting outside the store and the joy of having chefs who really enjoy what they are doing to serve you is something that I will recommend you to try for yourself.