Ushigoro S

It rained the whole afternoon I spent at Ushigoro S, and I cannot now imagine eating there in any other weather.

The room is exactly what you want it to be: Nishiazabu speakeasy with binchotan smoke. We were seated near the back, given menus we hardly needed, and brought a small bowl of olives without being asked.

We started with burrata with peaches and basil, which set the tone — generous, unfussy, and confident enough not to crowd what was coming. With it we ordered a Chianti Classico Riserva I wrote down in my notebook, and were glad of both.

Then the main event: sirloin sushi, the dish that puts Ushigoro S on every short list. The seasoning was simple — salt, pepper, restraint — and it was the right call. The signature touch — the eight-course wagyu omakase — is not a gimmick; it is the reason to come.

For sides we asked for broiled tomato with a breadcrumb cap and skin-on fries, twice-fried. Both arrived hot, both arrived early, both were exactly large enough to overdo it. We overdid it.

Dessert was key lime pie, mostly because the waiter raised an eyebrow when we hesitated. He was right to.

It is not cheap. It is, in this case, worth it.