Sea urchin and bluefin tuna are the two delectable icons of the Sushi Takamitsu menu. In peak summer season, sea urchins appear as many as six times throughout the elaborate omakase meal, made up of 25 small dishes and nigiri.

As your eyes browse the row of sea urchins, you can see how each variety is unique in color, size and texture. To start, the purple sea urchin from Oma, the tip of Aomori Prefecture, is sweet, plump and large enough that it fits over the shari of a nigiri. Another brand of purple sea urchin, sent from Hakodate, has a more balanced flavor. Slightly smaller in size, four slices of them are layered on top of one another. Mounted ever so generously over the small shari, bafun sea urchin from Akkeshi in Hokkaido brings the sweetest aroma of the ocean.

Sourced from the top vendor Yamayuki, the day’s tuna came from a 205 kg fish caught in Hachijo Island. The perfectly marbled piece of chutoro is served fresh, rather than matured, to bring out its natural flavor. The otoro is so potent in flavor, it’s the best way to enjoy the true umami of the fish.

For Yasuda, there’s no compromise on the quality of the fish. His daily offering besides sea urchin and tuna are equally remarkable. Said to be one of the most expensive catches, the horse mackerel from Izumi in Kagoshima is nothing like you’ve ever tasted before. Caught by 'ippon-zuri', or single-hook hand-line fishing, the fish is packed with sweet fat and flavor.

“Good fish sits well in your stomach,” he says. “The oil in high quality fish can help cleanse your body and mind.” To prepare the freshest shari, he spends a great amount of time to cook six separate batches of rice every day. “You have to do extraordinary things for extraordinary flavors,” he says. The shiny grains are cooked perfectly al dente. The nikiri brush-on sauce is made to be subtle, not to overpower the natural flavor of the fish.

INGREDIENTS
Over the past five years, Yasuda has been dealing with Yamayuki, one of the country’s top tuna vendor in Toyosu. Thanks to the trusted relationship, he receives shipments of the finest catches from key ports like Oma on the northern tip of Honshu Island. The sea urchin is also shipped directly from Toyosu. During peak June-September season, he gets his hands on as many as 20 variations from across the country, including the most famous brands and some rare finds.

“If there’s something I really want, I will outbid everyone,” the chef says as he shows the collection of rare varieties of sea urchins. Many are as pricey as 50,000 yen a tray. For the shari, he blends Ryu No Hitomi, Akita Komachi and Koshihikari from Saga Prefecture. He likes to mix large and small grains to create a unique texture. The vinegar is a blend of two types of red vinegars and a brand of rice vinegar. The seaweed is called Ichiban Nori, the first batch picked in the season, from Shiga Prefecture.

Unsurprisingly, the drink menu at Sushi Takamitsu is also first class, and incredibly diverse. For Champagne alone, he stocks a curated selection of more than 20 vintages, including Delamotte, which he likes to serve by the glass. Almost all the white wines are Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc from France, while about a tenth comes from Napa. In addition, there is about 30~40 vintages of sake to choose from, as well as whiskey, tequila and even vodka. “I want to make sure I can serve something that the guest desires,” he explains.