Sushi Matsumoto

So!

I checked a big box off my to-do list last night and got Michelin-starred sushi in Japan. The places in Tokyo were all pretty much impossible to get into, so I went for it in Kyoto. I checked a list of starred sushi restaurants in Japan and found two in Kyoto. I picked Sushi Matsumoto, which has two stars and is supposedly the best sushi in the city.

Getting there was a little interesting, but that's another post. Once there, I was amazed at how low key it was. It was on a back alley off a back alley and while it looked nice, there was nothing to distinguish it from the other buildings. Literally:

Sushi Matsumoto

The only distinguishing feature was the little white box between the door and window, which had the hiragana characters for 'Matsumoto' on it.

Ma-tsu-mo-to

If you've ever seen "Jiro Dreams of Sushi," you know how intense top-tier sushi is in Japan. If you haven't, go watch it. Seriously, it's on Netflix. Go. Or watch the trailer to get a taste.

Sushi Matsumoto was no exception. The chef made and served each piece one by one on a slab in front of me, saying what it was. This was a lot like at Sushi Bar Yasuda, but the difference was that here, there weren't any pauses. The other guys at the restaurant started off with sashimi, which Matsumoto's assistant was serving. So for the first half of the meal, Matsumoto was literally just making sushi for me. Really cool, but because of this there just weren't any pauses. Here's a new piece. Let me grab a photo, pop it in, chew, swallow, and the next piece is already on my slab, with him waiting for me to eat it so he can start assembling the next piece.

The sushi itself was excellent. The rice was a little al dente and just tasted...ricey. Hard to explain, but it actually had flavor rather than just being a chewy starch. It was made with a special vinegar that's more sour than normal and is reddish-brown, which made the rice look a little off-white. The rice was EXCELLENT, but I would've liked it more if he'd gone more slowly. I liked the sour taste, but the acid was tiring me out around two-thirds of the way through. While Matsumoto was assembling the first pieces for me, his assistant (on top of slicing the sashimi) was cooking the ingredients for later in the meal (the shrimp, the bonito, and the eel), so they were still warm from the grill when I got them.

Bottom line, this was the best sushi I've ever had. The only piece I didn't like was the red clam, and there's no helping that. These guys know their stuff and know it well. That said, this was also one of the most expensive meals I've ever had, and it lasted 20 minutes. Seriously. Walked in the restaurant at just after 5:30, and I got my last piece of sushi at 5:55. It was over so fast that I sat around for ten minutes after so I could finish the sake I hadn't had time to drink while eating.

Oh, interesting detail: after I paid up, Matsumoto walked me out and stood next to the restaurant as I walked away down the street. Dramatic end to the meal.

Pics and descriptions are below!

The appetizer. Baby octopus in egg sauce. I ate this as I ordered.

Snapper.

Ika (squid) with salt. He sliced cross-hatches into it so I didn't have
to chew it as long as usual, which is why I normally skip the squid.

Cohada, a type of sardine.

Toro (tuna).

O-toro (fatty tuna belly). Chewier than I expected.

Cooked surf clam. I liked it actually, which is unusual, as I can't stand shellfish
on sushi; it's normally way too chewy. That's a slightly sweet sauce on top, not soy.

Pickled baby mackerel. Quite tasty! Tasted raw, but had a cooked consistency.

Aji (horse mackerel) with ginger.

Tiger prawn. Was cut so that the fat, roe, and tastiness of the head was still in it.
Was on track to be 'best piece of sushi I'd ever had,' but was quickly usurped by
a later piece. Still the prettiest though! Shrimp here look amazing. They're bright red
and orange instead of pink.

Raw shrimp with sweet sauce.

Another slice of snapper, this time with salt instead of soy.

Smoked bonito with a dab of mustard. Very tasty. Didn't taste the mustard until the
very end.

Scallop. Another one that I liked but normally don't. It's normally too fatty and
squishy, but this had a consistency more like normal fish.

Red clam. Not my favorite, had the typical gristly consistency of raw shellfish.

Uni from Kyushu (southern Japan). Quite tasty! Uni is much better without the seaweed.

The single best piece of sushi I've ever had. Charred eel. Totally deboned, which
is unusual for eel (usually there's a few left that poke you in the throat). Smokey and
a bit of charcoal goodness, on top of the eel tastiness and consistency. The sauce was soy,
salt, sugar, and sake. 

Tamago, sweet egg omelette.The traditional omakase sushi 'dessert.'