First the Noble Path: Taste Sado Kanburi at Sushi Shops
The best way to enjoy the delicious taste of Kanburi, head to the sushi shop. We now take you to two sushi shops where you'll find the ultimate in local fish sushi, and two very popular "boat" sushi shops.
Kanburi and other local fish sushi at a reasonable price.
At Sushi-no Uohide, located in front of Sado Kisen's Ryotsu Harbor terminal, the sushi is made using local fish by Hideo Kita and his son Hiroshi. This is where you can enjoy the "Ultimate," a combination of ten sushi that includes local fish, uni (sea urchin,) ikura (salmon roe,) and toro (fatty tuna.) They buy their seasonal local fish directly from Ryotsu Fish Market every morning. From mid November to December, Kanburi can be seen often at the sushi shop. As most of the local fish in Sado is white fleshed, sushi is served with local moshio or seaweed sea salt instead of shoyu to respect their delicate taste. The refined sweetness of buri with moshio is something worthy of a long trip to the shop. Ikawata nigiri made with soy sauce-pickled innards of squid is another noted delicacy. Shari or rice is from Takachi in Sotokaifu. Koshihikari rice grown with pure waters and cold winds is in itself a masterpiece, too.
Favorite item on the menu, Jizakana Nigiri or Local Fish Nigiri is 1,600 yen. Chirashi is 1,700 yen.
DATA : Sushi-no Uohide
- 136 Ryotsu Minato, Sado-shi (TEL: 0259-27-5610)
- Store hours: 11:00 to 14:00; 16:00 to 19:00
- Closed on Wednesdays
The "Ultimate" at Uohide is 3,000 yen and comes with soup. The fish varies daily, but we enjoyed halibut, Japanese butterfish, red sea bream, abalone, Namban prawn, amberjack, and Aori squid.
After apprenticing at Minato Sushi in Niigata-shi, Hideo opened the sushi shop in 1973. His son Hiroshi has joined him since ten years ago.
"Mustard" of Namban prawns has been added to this shoyu, a result of their pursuit of ultimate taste.
One order of Ika-wata (squid innards) nigiri is 200 yen. It's made with Aori squid today. The pickled innards are always made with surume squid.
Fifteen minutes by car from Ryotsu Harbor, Sushi Chozaburo located in Niibo known as Toki (Japanese craned ibis) Country. The sushi shop is well known inside and outside the island of Sado. We spoke to the owner Mitsuo Tsuruma about local fish as he shopped at the local fish market. His stories were so interesting that it made me very hungry for his sushi. "Kanburi must be fat. The ones that are well rounded and voluptuous are the ones that taste good," he told me. In addition to the "Ultimate," Chef's Special or Omakase is also recommended. If you're interested in going all out for yellowtail, get the Buridon 1,700 yen (Jo or Superior 2,000 yen) or Okesa rolls made with yellowtail pieces and pickled plums for 1,200 yen. Because they started off as an eatery, their ramen is also superb. A set menu with sushi is highly recommended.
The daily special is written on the blackboard. Only on Sado would you find these delicious local fish at these unheard of prices!
DATA : Sushi Chozaburo
- 81-4 Niibo, Sado-shi (TEL: 0259-22-2125)
- Store hours: 11:00 to 22:30
- Closed: 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays and second and fourth Mondays of the month.
"Ultimate" of Sushi Chozaburo is 3,000 yen with soup. In addition to deliciously fatty Kaburi (upper left,) it featured other fresh local fish such as local tuna, and soda bonito with ginger.
Mr. Tsuruma as he talks about soda bonito. He can tell you all about local fish, so ask away.
Mouth-watering buri toro (fatty yellowtail) is 400 yen. A culinary delicacy, "fugu (blowfish) roe in sake lees" can be had as an a la carte.
Buridon (rice with yellowtail) at Sushi Chozaburo is served throughout the year. Kanburi is used from mid November to about January.
Enjoy buri at a "boat" sushi shop where there's always people waiting to get in.
Only in Sado, would you be able to get sushi of this quality at Kaiten Sushi or boat sushi shops. There are several boat sushi shops in Sado where people line up as soon as the restaurants open. Kaiten Sushi Benkei in Sawada and Sushiya Maruishi in Kanai fit the description. Both are located along National Route 350 and are operated directly by fishmongers. Both establishments are well known for quality and freshness of the ingredients as well as their prices.
On the day of reporting, we spotted a 12kg "Sado No.1 Kanburi" in the kitchen of Benkei sushi shop. It was caught in the beginning of November. We had the owner Kazuhiko Ozaki hold the fish for us. The Kanburi is well fattened and shiny. At Benkei, you can enjoy Kanburi in various grades of sashimi, sushi and arajiru (soup made of buri parts) until January. Maruishi also serves buritoro and Kanburi. "If we catch a lot of fish in mid December, there will be enough fish for the tourists and people returning home," said Kazuko Ishihara, the okami (lady boss) of the restaurant. Aside from Kanburi, you can also enjoy blackthroat sea perch and yari ika squid that are in season in the winter. They also manage to always have freshest maguro direct from Tsukiji.
Maruishi's Kanburi (front left) is 240 yen. Their specialty o-toro (extra fatty tuna, front right) is Y480. In the back are local blackthroat sea perch 360 yen and yari ika squid 240 yen.
"Three maguro set with o-toro, chu-toro, toro at 480 yen is highly recommended, too," says head chef Naoto Henmi as he holds up his prized maguro.
DATA
Kaiten Sushi Benkei
- 833 Higashi Odori, Sado-shi (TEL: 0259-52-3453)
- Store hours: 10:30 to 21:00
- Closed on Tuesdays
Sushiya Maruishi
- 1031-1 Izumi Sado-shi (TEL: 0259-63-3066)
- Store hours: 11:00 to 21:00 (Last order: 20:30)
- Closed on Thursdays
Kaiten Sushi Benkei's buritoro (in front) is 504 yen per plate, buri 252 yen per plate, and buri soup is 150 yen.
"In the winter in Sado, you have to have Kanburi," says Kazuhiko Ozaki as he holds "Sado No.1 Kanburi."
A notice about a delivery of local Kanburi at Benkei.