Azuma Sushi

Eating sushi at a local neighbourhood joint doesn’t get better than this. For unpretentious, delicious sushi that won’t break the bank, head over to Azuma Sushi in Higashiyama.

[A moderately lean cut of bluefin tuna. — image © Florentyna Leow]

Counter seat-only establishments are my favourite kind of place to visit. Luckily, whether it’s a function of real estate constraints or simply a preference for a low chef-to-patron ratio, Kyoto has no shortage of restaurants like this. There’s just something incomparably intimate about the counter seat bar or restaurant — no barriers or extra layers lying between you and the action happening for your food and drink.

[A chalkboard menu behind the counter. — image © Florentyna Leow]

Even having lived several years in Japan, the quiet thrill of sitting at the counter of a restaurant dies hard. It doesn’t have to be an expensive kappo or kaiseki place. All I ask is that it is a good, honest meal. Extra points if it’s a neighbourhood favourite, or has no social media presence. Any cuisine will do, really. But it still feels extra-special when it happens to be sushi.

[Salmon nigiri. — image © Florentyna Leow]

Azuma Sushi near Shichijo ticks all these boxes. It is also surprisingly laid-back for a sushi joint in Kyoto, and chatty head chef aside, I suspect that the television installed at the back of the restaurant playing endless variety shows has everything to do with this atmosphere. There is something about a TV in a restaurant that instantly grants one permission to relax and tune out, or joke with the chef. Azuma Sushi is not a high-end counter restaurant where the chef performs their cooking for you — you order what you want, and some minutes later it appears in front of you without fuss or preamble. It’s all very straightforward, and I dine here with no small relief at not having to perform my eating for an expectant chef.

[Taihiragi, wrapped with a band of nori seaweed — a meaty texture, much like a firm, chunky scallop. — image © Florentyna Leow]

What can you have here? Pretty much most nigiri you’ll find at a decent sushi restaurant. While there is a blackboard menu of side dishes, this changes daily, so you’ll have better luck pointing at what other patrons are eating if it looks good. Otherwise, there is no English-language menu, so a little familiarity with the sushi lexicon might be required. Order the familiar favourites. We’ve taken the liberty of translating most of the sushi menu for you:

とろ toro — fatty tuna
とろ炙り toro aburi — flame-grilled fatty tuna
本まぐろ hon-maguro — bluefin tuna
漬けまぐろ zuke-maguro — marinated bluefin tuna
白身 shiromi — whitefish
えび ebi — prawn
いか ika — squid
たこ tako — octopus
はまち hamachi — yellowtail
こはだ kohada — shad gizzard
穴子 anago — ocean eel
うなぎ unagi — freshwater eel
貝類 kairui — shellfish
うに uni — sea urchin
いくら ikura — cod roe
〆サバ shimesaba — vinegared mackerel
牛炙り gyu-aburi — flame-grilled beef
玉子 tamago — omelette

細巻・手巻 hosomaki/temaki — hand-rolls
胡瓜 kyuuri — cucumber
しんこ shinko — pickles
梅しそ umeshiso — pickled plum and perilla leaf
納豆 natto — fermented soybeans
穴胡 anakyu — ocean eel and cucumber
うな胡 unakyu — freshwater eel and cucumber
ねぎとろ negitoro — chopped tuna with negi leeks
イカしそ ikashiso — squid with perilla leaf

[A large, thick, sweet scallop. — image © Florentyna Leow]

If ordering piece by piece sounds too arduous, arrive as early as you can to order either the 10-piece or 15-piece daily lunch special. Limited to the first 15 orders each every day, these sushi nigiri sets clock in at JP¥2500 and JP¥3500 respectively. For a neighbourhood shop in landlocked Kyoto, it’s quite a steal, especially given the quality and generous neta-to-shari (topping to rice) ratio of the sushi you’ll be eating. 15 pieces might seem a lot, but don’t worry — sushi is pretty light on the digestive system.

The 15-piece set gives you a good assortment of seafood, alternating between darker, flavourful pieces and lighter-tasting ones, along with a whole panoply of textures. Think bouncy squid followed by tender tuna, then boiled prawn and a huge, thick, sweet scallop. It’s pretty straightforward nigirizushi here, with fresh neta (toppings), and lightly vinegared rice — don’t expect funky aged tuna or anything too rarefied like that.

[Ikura gunkan. — image © Florentyna Leow]

There were a few pieces I wanted to repeat quite badly. Ikura, or cod roe, is one of my favourite pieces in a sushi meal, and I would have happily ordered a second here, appetite willing. Little pops of briny ocean liquid — what’s not to like?

[Zuwaigani gunkan. — image © Florentyna Leow]

Zuwaigani, or snow crab, was particularly memorable — a tender little burst of sweetness, especially after the Japanese cockle.

[Mantis shrimp nigiri. — image © Florentyna Leow]

Shako, or mantis shrimp, was one of the seasonal surprises here. An early summer piece, this came with a dab of tsume sauce (sweet-salty), a veritable explosion of umami. Equally interesting was the kisu (sweetfish) with a fragrant sprig of kinome, a late spring piece that proved unusually sweet and light and herbal all at once.

[Anago nigiri. — image © Florentyna Leow]

The anago, or ocean eel, was a great way to end the 15-piece set. Done in a more Kansai fashion, they went light on the sweet sauce you see more often around Tokyo, and it was a little crispy and toasty sweet. I’d suggest adding another piece a la carte in case you’re hungry.

[Toro aburi — fatty tuna, briefly torched. — image © Florentyna Leow]

Let’s not overstate anything. Azuma Sushi isn’t the best sushi restaurant in town — for that, you’ll be shelling out a lot more money — but it is good at what it does, which is fresh, well-prepared sushi at very decent prices. A set like this, one extra piece, and some tea will clock in at around JP¥4,300.

[Outside Azuma Sushi. — image © Florentyna Leow]

Azuma Sushi is not really the sort of place that is too easy to walk into, but you do have a decent chance of getting a seat at opening lunch hours or during off-peak hours, especially if you arrive alone rather than in a group. Ask your concierge to make a reservation if you can. It’s worth the visit, especially if you’re passing by the station on your way somewhere.

[You’ll see this road on your right when you exit Shichijo Station. — image © Florentyna Leow]

Directions: Take Exit 6 of Shichijo Station on the Keihan Line. Once above ground, turn right. Walk to the end of the road. Turn left. Take the second right. You’ll be on a larger road; this is Shomen-dori Street. Walk until you see a set of red noren curtains on the left. This is Azuma Sushi.

For more Kyoto affordable sushi restaurant choices, see our Best Affordable Sushi in Kyoto page.

Name:
Azuma Sushi

Name in Japanese:
東寿し

English address:
Nishi-iru Honmachi Shomen-dori Higashiyama-ku Kyoto-shi

Japanese address:
京都府京都市東山区正面通本町西入ル

Opening hours:
12:00pm — 9:30pm (L.O.)
Closed Thursdays and every third Wednesday

Smoking environment:
No
Nearest station:
4-minute walk from Exit 6 of Shichijo Station on the Keihan Line

Reservations:
Yes

Outdoor seating:
No

Telephone:
+81-75-561-5471

Website:
N/A

Customer Reviews:
Read customer reviews of Azuma Sushi on TripAdvisor

Near To Here:
Azuma Sushi is located in Kyoto’s Southern Higashiyama district. See our complete list of things to do in Southern Higashiyama, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

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