Sushi Matsumoto (Shinjuku)

Restaurant Details

Shinjuku Ward’s entertainment district, Kabukicho, is always full of people exploring the Golden Gai or posing for pictures with Godzilla. So walking into Sushi Matsumoto is like entering an entirely different world from the din outside. The crowded streets melt away into a clean, warmly-lit space constructed with plain Japanese cypress, giving the restaurant a simultaneously professional and unpretentious feel.

Of course, it’s not all just about the atmosphere. Sushi Matsumoto’s Edomae-style sushi has earned it a Michelin Star two years consecutively in 2019 and 2020. Though their sushi counters are adorned with a vast variety of fresh domestic ingredients from all over Japan, the highlight by far is their sea urchin, of which they specialize in two types: the Japanese purple sea urchin and the “bafun” short-spined sea urchin, both coming from the frigid waters off the Aomori and southern Hokkaido coasts respectively.

But such quality ingredients are meaningless without the culinary skill to prepare it — and diners can rest assured that they will have the sushi experience of a lifetime. Matsumoto’s signature dish is the aforementioned sea urchin types carefully teased into a long roll, then placed delicately atop a slice of bigfin reef squid, sliced precisely once down the middle to maximize both surface area and mouthfeel. It’s so delicate that it supposedly melts in the mouth with a single bite, but the rich, creamy flavor of the sea urchin is said to linger long after.

In true Edomae tradition, Sushi Matsumoto also specially ages not just the maguro (tuna), but also the white-fleshed fish in their nigiri, like flatfish, sea bream and longtooth grouper. By reducing the water in the fish, the aging process brings out a deeper flavor and higher oil content, making for an even more satisfying bite.

2019 - 1 Michelin Star

2020 - 1 Michelin Star