01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
A savoury salmon-roe roll, a piece of fish cured with kombu, then a sip of chilled sake: Sushina Kentaro in Shin-Kōenji is a relaxed place to settle in with sushi and drinks. The calm interior centres on counter seating, and diners can put together a meal to suit themselves from early in the evening.
Start with drinks and small plates
A good way to begin is with the Four kinds of today’s appetisers or the Assorted sashimi of the day, followed by grilled dishes such as mirin-dried herring or dried white squid. Kombu-cured fish—including sea bream, marbled flounder and gurnard—is appreciated for bringing out the fish’s natural umami and making a fine accompaniment to drinks. Small plates such as blanched vegetables and cucumber pickled in rice bran round out the selection, making it easy to enjoy a few drinks before moving on to nigiri.
Choose your nigiri and thin rolls
The day’s assorted nigiri (6 pieces) is a useful starting point. From there, diners can add bluefin tuna—lean, medium-fatty or fatty—or choose items such as seared blackthroat seaperch and Mosa shrimp. The balance between rice and topping has also drawn praise, allowing the ingredients’ flavours to come through clearly. There is a particularly broad choice of rolls: alongside familiar combinations such as fatty tuna with pickled daikon and conger eel with cucumber, the menu includes inventive options such as pickled-ginger-and-wasabi, salmon roe and cucumber, and yellowtail with natto.
With sake from various regions and beer on offer, the restaurant suits a quiet meal at the counter as much as a relaxed evening of conversation with someone after making a reservation. Finish with a warm miso soup of the day, or follow your own course through the menu and enjoy sushi at your own pace.
