Our tryst with the mighty Yasuda-san
It all began in 2017 when Harsha and I were on our global culinary tour. First stop - Japan. Tokyo, specifically. With an introduction from a colleague, we end up having an Omakase sushi dinner at Sushi Bar Yasuda, in Ginza. The dinner and the experience is more enjoyable than the one we had days earlier at Sukibayashi Jiro (2nd son of the famous Jiro of “I dream of Sushi” fame) in Roppongi Hills. After dinner, we head to Yasuda-san’s bar and taste fine Japanese whiskies that are simply not available here in the US!
Who is Yasuda-san and why am I an admirer?
Yasuda-san ran New York’s #1 sushi restaurant for over a dozen years before returning to Tokyo. His Tokyo restaurant, Sushi Bar Yasuda, quickly achieved a Michelin 1* rating. The great Anthony Bourdain was a big Yasuda fan and once said “Everything I know about Sushi, I have leaned from this man, Naomichi Yasuda”. And for good reason. Check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T-06j6yyNQ
And this, about the “proper” way to eat sushi. This video has had over 20 million views on YouTube as of writing this note: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auLmekEsaak:
Harsha and I take Yasuda-san a bottle of Belfiore 2013 pinot noir (see picture below) and I stay in touch with him. We exchange notes when Bourdain passed. Time flew. We plan our family holiday for 2022 to be in Japan and I am eager to take the whole family to Sushi Bar Yasuda. I am disappointed to learn that Yasuda-san shut the restaurant down around Covid time, but I still have his email and other contact info. I write him and he responds with details about where he is currently living - Kawaguchiko, at the base of the serene and majestic Mt Fuji.
I ask him for sushi restaurants in Tokyo that he would recommend and he suggests one. And then he invites us over to meet him in Kawaguchiko, if our schedule permitted. I am elated and accept, not knowing what to expect. Where would we meet. What would we do? But I want the family to meet him and Harsha is enthusiastic about making the trip.
So, we ride the train for about 2 hours to get to Kawaguchiko and Yasuda-san picks us up personally and takes us to his home! On the way, he says to me, “I made sushi”. I can’t quite believe that we are getting this kind of a warm and personal treatment from one of the sushi greats! And a sushi roll spread it is - with plenty of vegetarian sushi rolls. All made with the rice from his village - the “best” rice, according to him!
Clearly he misses the action of running a highly in-demand sushi restaurant. I see wistfulness in his eyes as he shadow practices his sushi fish cuts with his kitchen knives. The sushi is outstanding as before. Everyone loves the food including Sameera and Manjula, our vegetarians. Andrew and Seerat are impressed.
He shows us around his home in quiet Kawaguchiko. This is where he comes to rest and recoup from the hubbub of Tokyo life. He shows us his Harley that he has converted to a 3-wheel easy rider. He shows us around town. The serene lake with Mt Fuji in the background, the beautiful gardens bordering the lake, and then drops us off at the bus stop.
The unassuming humanity of this man is awesome. May you live long and may your biceps continue to impress, Yasuda-san!
March 2018 at Sushi Bar Yasuda.
Showing off his biceps. Yasuda-san is a master of a particular Japanese martial art where the goal is to incapacitate your opponent in a minute or under. And he is a body builder. He was telling us about an upcoming contest he was going to enter in and preparing for!
This is his quiet contemplation and meditation spot. In that chair, looking at his well maintained garden through those glass sliding doors.
May 2023 at Yasuda-san’s home in Kawaguchiko. He made sushi for us!
His souped up 3-wheeler Harley. He rides this from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko and back.
The majestic Mt Fuji in the background.
The sushi spread.
Doing the bicep thing again.