After getting breakfast and lunch for our children in Omicho Market in the last post, it is onto a sushi lunch date with my wife. Kanazawa has many top-level sushi restaurants, but there is only one Kazuo Morita. At the time when we visited his restaurant, Komastsu Yasuke (小松弥助), he was 85 years old. Our concierge at the Nikko Hotel helped us make reservations 3 months in advance. I have heard this is the typical time needed as it is very difficult to get reservations. It is open only for lunch.
The restaurant is located within Kanazawa Chaya hotel. This was one block away from the Nikko Hotel, where we were staying. Looking back, we laughed at ourselves as when looking for Komatsu Yasuke, google maps directed us to the Kanazawa Chaya hotel. When we went inside, it did not look like the right place so we kept searching. We ended up going back to the Nikko hotel and asked the concierge desk, who typical of Japanese hospitality escorted us from the hotel to the restaurant. While walking to the restaurant our concierge shared that Kazuo Morita only reopened this year (2017). Apparently he closed down his old restaurant in 2015. Many regulars thought he retired, and she was surprised that they were able to secure us reservations as it was very popular.
As it turns out, we were in the right place earlier. Part of the reason Komatsu Yasuke is hard to find is that you have to navigate through several areas as the restaurant as it is located deep inside the building. We navigated through the hotel lobby, an outside garden, and finally some fenced walkway until to reach the front of the restaurant. Thank goodness for our concierge as we would have missed our reservation.
Once inside the restaurant, you see a 10 counter seat and tables along the wall. Kazuo Morita is at the center of all the activity with his apprentices diligently prepping every ingredient for him.
What is impressive about Kazuo Morita is that he makes every nigiri pieces that are served to the customers. As you watch him, he makes his sushi with youthful energy, using precise and orchestrated motions that showcase his experience. He also has a presence that made us feel comfortable. I say this because it is so easy to compare to another famous older sushi grandmaster named Jiro due to the closeness in age. Overthere, you feel a tense atmosphere due to Jiro’s focus and taciturn silence as he strives for the perfect sushi. Morita, in contrast, is much more relaxed and engaging atmosphere as you feel like he wants you to come back over and over again. You rever eating at Jiro, while you simply like being at Morita.
There are a couple of course options. We choose the sushi omakase as we knew we could not resist having some tasty bites in Omicho market. The first nigiri was thinly sliced ika (squid) put on top his rice. It’s seasoned with salt and yuzu, creating a refreshing way to start the meal.
Amaebi is sweet shrimp. Morita’s version is two small shrimp on top of his rice. This was good since it was so fresh. You can see a bit of the roe scattered across the meat, giving a nice crunchy texture to the soft, delicate bite.
Suzuki is sea bass and is a nice neta for the summer. The fish had a nice soft mouthfeel and a sweet finish.
A generous portion of otoro was next. It was lightly seared just enough to open up the oils.
Hamaguri is a hard-shelled clam. While good, I prefer versions where the clam is marinated longer. This version seemed lightly boiled and then topped with a thick tare sauce.
Soft pieces of maguro that are topped with nagaimo, uni, seaweed, and wasabi changed up the nigiri courses.
A large piece of akami zuke nigiri garnished with sansho leaves was next. Akami is the red meat of tuna and here it is briefly marinated in soy and served with a splash of yuzu to brighten the flavor of the robust fish.
Our next course was an owan dish made with dashi. Inside is a piece of anko fish and topped with thinly sliced negi and myoga and a bit of yuzu.
Sliced unagi with cucumber and sesame seed is his signature maki. The unagi is still hot to the bite.
Two large pieces of mizu nasu followed to help cleanse the palate. Mizu nasu is water eggplant and they are thick and juicy after being lightly pickled. The sudachi creates a refreshing balance.
If you read my past sushi writeups, you know that kohada is my favorite neta. Kazuo does a very good job of preparing this classic topping.
The anago was folded in half to provide a thick, yet buttery bite. It was simply salted with a bit of sudachi citrus added.
Our last piece was a thick cut of steamed awabi (abalone). It was sauced with a similar thick tare like the hamaguri.
As you can see from the pictures, Kazuo Morita’s sushi is not like the precise and elevated style of sushi found in Ginza. Some of the pieces of sushi were messy and even had rice that easily fell apart. Nor did I see extensive aging in his technique. Also, his ingredients were more ordinary and not supreme grade and rare ingredients. Instead, you get the freshest of seasonal neta at a very reasonable price for lunch. Yet there is a rustic yet sophisticated charm (oxymoron, I know) that you can only get from a humble grandmaster in sushi who loves his art. Approaching almost 90 years old, you have to wonder how many chances you get to experience his sushi. But, with his energy, I can see him continuing for quite a while.
Restaurant Information:
Address
Kanazawa Chaya Hotel
Honmachi 2-17-21, Kanazawa, Ishikawa
Hours:
11:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
closed Wednesdays & Thursdays
Three Lunch services offered at 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m
Phone:
+81-76-231-1001