Tokyo Part 2

After a quick run through Customs and Immigration at Haneda, it was time to head into Tokyo for the second time. Unfortunately the airport limo did not run to the Sheraton Miyako in the afternoon so instead I went with the more inconvenient train approach. Thankfully the signage in Tokyo is really well designed for us non-Japanese speakers and I was able to figure out how to get to the Meguro station where I would be picked up by the Sheraton’s complimentary shuttle bus:



A short time later I was at the Sheraton Miyako where I was quickly checked in and handed an envelope that included directions and maps from the hotel to Sushi Yoshitake.

I was assigned a room on the 7th floor and much to my surprise the room was significantly bigger than the room I stayed in at the Courtyard Marriott three weeks earlier:











Overall I would highly recommend this hotel to those traveling to Japan. It was only 10k Starpoint and the room was huge by Tokyo standards. In addition the concierge was enormously helpful in getting me a reservation at Sushi Yoshitake and making sure I knew how to get there and back using public transportation. The neighborhood itself is quiet but thanks to the shuttle one can easily get to Meguro (or Shinagawa) which provides easy access to all of Tokyo for a relatively low cost.

Anyway, since I still had some time to kill before heading over to Sushi Yoshitake I decided to take a little stroll and explore the area around the Sheraton; but first I had to take an obligatory picture of the single cherry blossom in front of the Sheraton:



The neighborhood around the Sheraton was very quiet and appeared to be highly residential. Despite that I still found some interesting things including a 100 Yen shop:





A few other pictures from my walk:









With my stroll complete it was time to head over to Ginza and Sushi Yoshitake. Before I go any further I want to touch on my decision to go to Sushi Yoshitake in the first place. Those of you that have read this entire trip report know that on my first visit to Tokyo I visited Sushi Dai, which was excellent.

As a huge sushi lover I wanted to finish my trip with a bang and try one of the best sushi restaurants in Tokyo. After emailing the hotel for a few recommendations as to what would fall in that category they provided me with three recommendations: Saito, Mizutani, and Yoshitake. After looking at the websites and reading a few reviews on line I asked them to look into reservations at each with my preference being Saito, Mizutani, and Yoshitake in that order. Unfortunately the first two were fully booked for the night in question but Yoshitake had an opening and even better they took credit cards which was a huge plus since I was trying to avoid taking out more Yen the night before departing for the US.

Thanks to the clear directions provided by the concierge I was able to easily find Sushi Yoshitake despite its location on the third floor of a non-descript gray building:







After entering I was directed to the last chair on the right (against the wall) where I was seated next to an American couple. Together the three of us were the only non-Japanese in the restaurant and the only three that spoke English (the Sushi Chef and woman serving drinks both spoke enough to interact with us but not much more). I did not have a chance to write down the names of each course so I’ll simply post the pictures of each course in the order it was served. Note the brown dipping sauce that shows up is Albacore Liver and accompanied a piece of Albacore:













































Overall it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had in my life and by far the best sushi I’ve ever eaten. The fish melted on the tongue and the flavor enhancements he gave to various pieces were spot on. The albacore liver paste was shockingly good and went well with the albacore piece. The atmosphere in the place was excellent and all three of us who were American were welcomed with open arms and treated as well as anyone else in the place. The chef had a great sense of humor and personality highlighted by his joking at the end and his willingness to pose for pictures with us:



Stuffed from the meal I wandered down Ginza Street for a bit and picked up a few gifts for friends and family (namely reusable chopsticks):











After wandering back to my hotel it was time to crash for a few hours before my 630am Airport Limousine Bus to Narita for my final flight of the trip, NH 2 from NRT – IAD in F!!!