Tabelog ratingSushi Taka (すし崇) is Chef Kubo's counter near Zenkoji. It has been open since 2008 and was selected for the Tabelog Sushi EAST "Tabelog 100" in 2022 and 2025. He calls his style Shinshu-mae: Edo-style sushi built on Nagano produce. That means Azumino caviar, carp from Saku and cuts glazed with soy made from miso dregs. It also means Azumino wasabi of the grade supplied to the imperial household, served on its own as a palate cleanser. The rice is seasoned with red vinegar aged ten years, and each fish is aged individually, some for weeks or longer.
Reviewers return again and again to the mellow red-vinegar rice and the depth of the aged fish. The dishes named most often are these:
- Tako sakura-ni: octopus simmered until meltingly soft.
- Kue shabu-shabu: grouper, briefly poached, with an apricot dressing.
- Smoked shishamo with finger lime.
- Uni wrapped in cucumber instead of nori.
- A sharp wasabi namida-maki to close.
- A tamago cooked low for five hours until it eats like custard.
The chef looks stern, but many say he warms into a generous talker.
Not every account is warm. A recent reviewer found his tone toward his wife harsh. Two 2021 reviews accused him of rudeness and of favouring well-connected guests. A few reviewers found the seasoning light, or the nigiri short of Tokyo's best.
Dinner is an omakase from ¥28,000. In 2025–2026, reviewers paid around ¥28,500 with soft drinks, ¥30,300 with two small sakes, and just over ¥30,000 with drinks. A cheaper nigiri-focused course exists, but no reviewer gave its price, and per-dish prices are not documented. The listing puts typical spend at ¥20,000–29,999 for dinner and ¥15,000–19,999 for lunch. One reviewer noted that extras were billed exactly as listed.
Value is good. Reviewers describe 20–26 courses over 2.5–3 unhurried hours and call the price fair, even cheap, next to comparable Tokyo counters.
- Getting there: 15 minutes' walk, uphill, from JR Nagano Station, or about 10 minutes by taxi. You can also take the Gururin-go loop bus or an Alpico bus from the Zenkoji Exit bus terminal to Zenkoji Daimon, then walk 5 minutes. It is opposite the city library.
- Booking: required, so you cannot simply walk in. Reviewers found seats relatively easy to get, including through Tabelog. Phone 026-235-5565.
- Hours: dinner seatings must start by 20:00. Lunch is for private bookings of 5 or more only.
- Payment: Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex and Diners. Electronic money and QR payments are not accepted.
- Seats: 27, including counter seating. Private rooms seat 4, 6 or 8, and small groups pay a 10% room charge (confirm the group size when booking). The whole venue can be booked for up to 20.
- Children: reviewers report children have been accommodated.
- Language: no English menu is mentioned, but staff use a translation app.
- Non-smoking. No parking.
