Sushi Otowa: Edomae Omakase at a Six-Seat House Counter

Sushi Otowa sits in what looks like an ordinary family house on a quiet street in suburban Yokohama. The chef took over his father's former sushi shop and serves Tokyo-style Edomae sushi on rice seasoned with white vinegar rather than red. There is a single omakase, served at both lunch and dinner. The restaurant has twice won a Tabelog Bronze award and has been named in Tabelog's Sushi EAST 100 list several times. Many reviewers call it the best sushi they have eaten anywhere.

The dish everyone talks about is the castella-style tamagoyaki, a sweet omelette made with shiba shrimp and yam, which more than a dozen reviews single out. Diners also praise the long sequence of small plates before the nigiri: steamed black abalone, white shrimp with shiokara, ankimo (monkfish liver), a three-way uni tasting, charcoal-grilled nodoguro, and a shabu-shabu of yellowtail or kue (longtooth grouper). Kohada (gizzard shad) comes up often among the nigiri. Reviewers describe the chef as warm and easy to talk to, and one noted that a woman dining alone would feel at ease. The sake list is well regarded.

Some experienced sushi diners found the nigiri technically correct but lacking a distinctive personality, and one called them too ordinary. Isolated complaints mention stringy otoro, uni served too cold and kawahagi liver with an off smell. Others found the procession of rich ingredients heavy. Many grumbled about the distance from the station.

The omakase cost about ¥18,000 in 2022 and about ¥22,000 in 2024–2025. Reviewers between 2024 and 2026 paid around ¥23,300 for the course with one aged sake, and around ¥29,000 with three sakes and an extra roll. Sake ran from about ¥1,000 for Takamaka to ¥3,300 for Juyondai. Two people with drinks stayed under ¥50,000. Lunch and dinner typically cost ¥20,000–29,999 per person. Reviewers repeatedly say comparable sushi in Ginza would cost about twice as much and rate the value highly.

• Getting there: about 790 m from Kodomonokuni Station on the Kodomonokuni Line, a 10–15 minute walk (change at Nagatsuta from the Den-en-toshi Line). Onda Station is about 13 minutes on foot. A taxi from Nagatsuta takes about 10 minutes; taxis are scarce at Kodomonokuni in rain.
• Finding it: there is no obvious sign. Look for a house with an external staircase.
• Booking: reservation only, by phone (045-961-1007). Walk-ins are not possible. The line is often hard to get through, so book well ahead; cancellation is reportedly not allowed.
• Seats: 6 counter seats. No private rooms; the whole restaurant can be booked for private use.
• Payment: credit cards accepted (VISA, JCB, AMEX, Diners). Electronic money and QR code payments are not accepted.
• Smoking: non-smoking.
• Parking: none.
• Language: expect a Japanese-language experience. One reviewer had allergies accommodated.