Based on Nanba’s philosophy, the cuisine at Sushi Shunsuke is 80% about the shari, the sushi rice ovals on which the seafood rests. Examining every possible factor from firmness, sweetness, aroma, and most importantly, temperature, the restaurant presents you with delectable morsels of fish and rice whose formulation has been calculated down to the degree.

To bring out the natural flavors of each seafood, he prepares two tubs of rice, each with different amounts of red vinegar and white vinegar. Oilier fish like gizzard shad and other blue fish are paired with red vinegar, while white fish and shellfish are pressed together with white-vinegar grains. Contrary to common thinking, he thinks rice vinegar is the best match for tuna.

While honoring his master’s techniques, Takaoka is unafraid to add his own twist. Tairagai or pen clam, for example, is typically dipped in soy and wrapped in seaweed but he prefers to marinate it with white miso and mirin for a sweeter flavor. A unique and rather strenuous technique he devised to prepare octopus is to beat the meat over three hundred times with a large sake bottle before slow cooking it in broth for over two hours. He blames this for why his right arm has more muscles than his left.

Every morsel of sushi is prepared with art of sushi craftsmanship. Botanebi prawns from Hokkaido are rested in between kombu for almost 6 hours, and served with shrimp miso that adds a sweet accent. The slice of barracuda from Chiba is broiled just on the surface for smokiness and texture, and sprinkled with salt and young green onions. White squid is sliced so thin you can almost see through it. The chef skillfully layers three pieces on top of the shari and drizzle a few drops of sudachi lime.

A signature tsumami dish combines two delicious delicacies: black abalone and monkfish liver. The thick and juicy piece of abalone is softened with many slits and steamed. The rich liver is drizzled in dashi broth sauce, creating a harmony of flavors. Seasonal anago eel is to be enjoyed in two folds. For tsumami, the fish is grilled and dressed with flavorful soy-sauce based broth and shichimi chilli powder, and served with refreshing cucumber. Gently pressed with red-vinegar rice, Takaoka likes to serve anago as the last sushi course.

To conclude the meal, he cuts slices of the signature egg cake. Sweetened with shiba shrimp, brown sugar and honey, the light and soft bites taste like dessert. Cooked 20 minutes on one side and 8 minutes on the other, they have this perfectly smooth texture.

INGREDIENTS
Leveraging the restaurant’s cultivated network, every fish at Sushi Shunsuke comes through Tsukiji. Rather than maturing the fish, Takaoka believes in the idea of resting it, whether it be a day for most sashimi, and a few more days for the slices he wants to use for sushi.

The rice, the heart of Sushi Shunsuke’s cuisine, comes from Fukushima. The Koshihikari grains are matured in low temperature for a year for greater depth. Equally important, the vinegar comes from high quality brands like Shiragiku vinegar from Mitsukan and Yohee from Yokoi Vinegar Brewing. The salt is sea salt from De Guerande of Burgundy. His favorite batch of octopus come from Sajima coast in Kanagawa, and has a wonderfully soft texture but the meat stays together even after beating and cooking it for a long time.