Kanazawa Sushi Yojiro

A few streets from Kanazawa's 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, the crowds thin out quickly. In the quiet lanes of Kakinokibatake sits a six-seat sushi counter that has quietly earned Michelin recognition while remaining one of the city's best values. Reservations are accepted only through Instagram direct messages in Japanese, a simple system that has unintentionally kept the restaurant off the radar of many overseas visitors.

The first surprise comes before the chef even begins making sushi.

Rather than presenting a fixed omakase, the restaurant invites guests to participate in building the course. Lunch is offered as either an eight-piece course for ¥4,400 or a ten-piece course for ¥5,500, both including soup. Three wooden boxes filled with the day's seafood are placed in front of every guest. For the larger course, you choose five items from the first box, three from the second, and two from the third. One of the final selections is dessert, so the last choice often takes longer than expected.

Once everyone has decided, the chef takes over.

Each piece is prepared individually according to the guest's selections rather than following a fixed sequence. Fresh wasabi is grated throughout the meal, sauces are brushed directly onto each piece before serving, and the chef keeps the atmosphere relaxed with stories about the ingredients and the day's catch. The experience feels more interactive than a traditional omakase while still allowing the chef complete control over the preparation.

The sushi itself has a style that quickly becomes recognizable.

Many of the neta are prepared using sanmai-zuke, where three thin slices are layered instead of one thicker cut. The technique creates a different texture, allowing fish such as aji and sayori to unfold gradually as you eat. The shari is slightly larger and firmer than many modern sushi restaurants, leaving a gentle texture in each grain that complements rather than disappears beneath the fish.

Several preparations have become signatures of the counter.

Shimakatsuo is lightly brushed with sesame oil, adding aroma without masking the fish. Suzuki is cured with kombu until the flesh develops a remarkably smooth texture. Sea bream is served as warm steamed sushi that guests gently mix before eating, almost like a small bowl of zosui. In season, rich fugu shirako is served warm as part of the course, while the tamago changes regularly as the chef continues refining the recipe, with each new version given its own number.

The restaurant is equally committed to local sourcing.

Much of the seafood comes directly from fishing ports across Ishikawa Prefecture, particularly Wajima, Suzu, and Nanao on the Noto Peninsula. That commitment gives the menu a distinctly regional identity. Ara, a prized fish from the Sea of Japan, is one of the chef's personal favorites for its firm texture and deep flavor. Gas ebi, a delicate local shrimp rarely found outside Ishikawa because it does not travel well, is served with its head fried separately, allowing guests to experience two completely different expressions of the same ingredient. Local sake, including bottles from Ishikawa breweries such as Kokutei, completes the experience naturally.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the restaurant is its value.

A Michelin-recognized sushi counter serving carefully sourced local seafood for ¥4,400 to ¥5,500 is increasingly rare in Japan. Many guests find themselves adding an extra piece or two before finishing the meal, yet the overall cost remains remarkably approachable for the level of craftsmanship involved.

With only six seats, two lunch services each day, and reservations handled exclusively through Instagram messages in Japanese, availability disappears quickly. TableEX can arrange reservations on your behalf, making it much easier to experience one of Kanazawa's most distinctive sushi counters.