Tabelog ratingKanazawa Sushi Yojiro (金澤 鮨 洋次郎) is a seven-seat counter known for what reviewers call "mille-feuille" sushi. For most nigiri, the chef slices the fish into three thin layers and stacks them on the rice, so each piece breaks apart softly in the mouth. Ordering is semi-omakase. You choose how many pieces you want, and the chef works through three wooden boxes of Ishikawa fish, from the premium first box down to the third.
Nearly every review praises the warm, talkative chef and the relaxed counter, where strangers often end up chatting. These pieces come up again and again:
- Gasu ebi, a local prawn served with its head deep-fried
- Akaika (red squid) cut into fine threads
- Nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch)
- Simmered anago, plus aji and kanpachi
The meal ends with gari monaka, a pickled-ginger ice-cream wafer. Several foreign diners called it the best meal of their trip.
Criticism is minor:
- One Japanese diner found the banter overfamiliar.
- Another noted the rice is served slightly warm.
- A third found it good but unsurprising.
- In summer, the selection leans toward lighter white fish.
The restaurant lists 8 pieces at ¥5,500 and 10 pieces at ¥6,600, the same at lunch and dinner. In the evening there is also a course of small side dishes and sushi for ¥14,300, by reservation only.
Reviewers in 2025–2026 paid ¥4,400 for 8 pieces and ¥5,500 for 10, though some 2026 visitors paid ¥6,600 for 10. A 2024 dinner course with small dishes and 10 pieces cost around ¥12,000. A couple who added crab in December 2025 paid about ¥33,000. Extra pieces such as nodoguro can be added.
Typical spend is ¥4,000–4,999 at lunch and ¥10,000–14,999 at dinner. Reviewers repeatedly call this exceptional value for sushi of this quality near central Kanazawa, even with drinks and extra pieces.
- Getting there: 5 minutes' walk from the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art; about 1.3 km from Nomachi.
- Booking: essential. Seats book out roughly 2–4 weeks ahead, so do not count on walking in. Phone 076-208-3307 between 15:00 and 18:00, though reviewers say calls often go unanswered. You can also send an Instagram DM to @kanazawasushiyojiro446; the restaurant says replies can take about a week.
- Seatings: lunch at 11:00 and 13:00. Dinner is a single seating: the course starts at 18:00, and sushi-only guests should arrive by 19:00.
- Payment: cash only from 2026. Credit cards, electronic money and QR payments are not accepted.
- Seats: 7 at the counter, with a maximum party of 7. There are no private rooms; private hire is available for up to 20.
- Children: welcome, including babies.
- Smoking: non-smoking.
- Parking: none at the restaurant. Paid parking is in front and nearby, with over 50 spaces.
- Language: an English menu is listed. The chef explains each piece and will recommend if asked.
