[Sushi Suzuki] Takahisa Suzuki on building sushi and trust in Ginza

— What inspired you to become a chef?

At that time, I really didn’t have any major option other than going into cooking. Not just for chefs, but for all kinds of craftsmen, it was an era when it was taken for granted that you would jump into the workplace and learn with your body on the job.

It’s not that I originally had a strong interest in cooking, nor was I particularly good at it. However, my father liked cooking and eating, so I may have been influenced by that. He himself never became a chef, but he seemed to have a real admiration for food, and from a young age he let me try all sorts of things to eat.

My father’s senior colleague ran a sushi restaurant, and I occasionally had the chance to be taken there. Back then, instead of today’s “omakase” style, it was more common to sit at the counter and order whatever you liked. Watching the adults interact there and thinking, “They look so cool,” may have been what first inspired me to aim to become a sushi chef.

However, if I had followed the typical path of going on to a regular high school or university, I might not have become a chef. I think I would have been on the other side of the counter, enjoying a meal, rather than being the one making sushi.

— Please tell us about your training years.

When I was about to graduate from a culinary school where I could earn both a high school diploma and a chef’s license, I had a strong desire to move to Tokyo and an image that “sushi means Tokyo,” so I joined a restaurant in Tsukiji that happened to be hiring at just that time.

That place was a restaurant with four locations in Tsukiji and additional branches in Kasumigaseki and Toranomon. But because it was such a large operation, there were many people who had started their training before me, and I couldn’t really expand the scope of my work. I felt that if things stayed that way, it would take a long time to become fully qualified, so after working there for four years, I moved to an independently owned restaurant in Ginza.

I worked there for six years and was able to learn all aspects of the job. At the time, I was thinking that I’d eventually go back to my hometown and open my own shop, but since I’d come all the way to Tokyo, I also wanted to try working at a high-end establishment.

When I looked through a job magazine, I saw listings for many renowned sushi restaurants. I couldn’t really decide which one would be best to go to, so I contacted Ginza Sushi Aoki, which was the first place that caught my eye in alphabetical order and whose name I had heard before. I went for an interview, was fortunate enough to be accepted, and it became the third restaurant where I trained. Learning the fundamentals of Edomae sushi during my apprenticeship there has had a strong influence on the work I do now.

Among all my years of training, one of the most memorable experiences was when I had nigiri at “Sushi Kiyota.” It was tuna prepared with rice seasoned with red vinegar, and I was stunned by how delicious it was. At the time, “Ginza Sushi Aoki” used rice vinegar for its sushi rice, so that was my first time eating sushi made with red vinegar. It became the moment that made me decide, “When I one day have my own restaurant, I’ll use red-vinegar sushi rice.”

— Could you tell us what led you to start your own practice?

I had originally planned to go independent around the age of 40. I chose Ginza because I felt that if I went back to my hometown to open a restaurant, I would just end up as one of many ordinary sushi places, and that wasn’t the path of sushi I wanted to pursue.

Since Ginza is a place where you can quickly sense changes in the times and where the standards people expect are very high, I felt that our customers would help us grow, so I decided to open my business here.

— Please tell us about your particular approach to selecting ingredients.

As for procurement, I basically leave it to a fishmonger I trust.

I used to go to the market myself and choose the fish, but I’ve come to think that the most reliable way is to have a trusted fishmonger set aside ones that are in good condition for me.

A truly good fishmonger doesn’t just sell you fish; they listen to what you’re looking for and make suggestions. For example, if it’s horse mackerel, you might say, “I’d like it a bit firm and about this size,” or for gizzard shad, “I want something with just the right amount of fat and about this big,” and they’ll go and find fish that match those requests.

Some customers come to dine at the restaurant, actually try our sushi, and then suggest things like, “With this shari (sushi rice), wouldn’t this kind of fish also go well?” That kind of relationship of trust is extremely important to us.

And after I’ve explained what I’m looking for, if they say, “There’s nothing good today,” I don’t push it any further. If the ingredients aren’t in the condition I want, I don’t force myself to use substitutes; I’m absolutely uncompromising about quality.

When it comes to sourcing tuna, we also tell them our preferences for size and quality of the flesh, so if they don’t have anything that meets our conditions, they honestly let us know.

Not only for fish, but also for vegetables and other appetizer ingredients, it is very important to work with suppliers you can trust. When it comes to the ingredients themselves, the suppliers who deal with them every day are the real experts. I believe it’s also important to trust their professional judgment.

— Is there anything you place particular importance on when designing a course?

I place great importance on “simplicity,” and on top of that, I try to make things that I myself would genuinely want to eat. In the beginning I used trendy ingredients and the like, but I eventually came to the conclusion that nothing beats simplicity. The response from customers has been extremely positive, and I feel that this is the proof of that answer.

Of course, everyone has their own tastes, so it may be difficult for every single person to find it delicious, but I will never serve anything that I don’t personally think is tasty.

Also, when I go out to eat and find something delicious, I try to be creative and refine it into my own style of expression.

— As you continue running your business, is there any particular philosophy or belief that you value most?

Ginza has always been a district with an exceptionally large number of sushi restaurants, so naturally there’s a lot of competition. I’m constantly thinking about what it takes for people to choose us and say, “I want to go to Sushi Suzuki,” amid all those options.

However, I think that just thinking about it on my own can sometimes lead to a mismatch in understanding, so I also ask customers directly. In our conversations, I ask them things like, “What brought you here?” and “Why do you keep coming back to us?” Some people come through referrals, while others find us through information on the internet.

Recently, the number of customers from overseas has increased quite a lot. We’ve always had customers from abroad, but I get the impression that the number has especially grown since the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s probably partly a rebound from the years when people couldn’t visit Japan, and I think the weak yen is also having a big impact.

Many of our guests come because of word-of-mouth recommendations from other overseas customers, and it seems we are also often introduced by hotel concierges. We’re truly grateful for that.

Also, while there are many high-end, formal establishments in Ginza, that’s not really my style. I tend to interact with customers in a relatively casual way. There are many people who really like that sense of distance.

I don’t think a meal is something that’s complete with just the food itself. No matter how delicious the dishes are, if the atmosphere of the restaurant is bad, you won’t feel like coming back, right?

If people are shouting right in front of you or the atmosphere is tense, I don’t think you can relax and enjoy your meal. We also place great importance on creating an easygoing, comfortable atmosphere where you don’t feel the need to put on airs.

— Could you tell us about your future prospects?

To be honest, there isn’t really anything in particular that I want to do in a big way.

Rather than wanting to start something new, I just want to cherish each day and keep building on them one by one.

I have no intention of training young staff to expand the number of stores, nor do I have any plans to return to my hometown.

From here on as well, while maintaining the quality of Sushi Suzuki, I want to keep living up to the expectations of every customer who comes to visit us. I believe that is my responsibility.

— Lastly, what does “delicious” mean to you, Mr. Suzuki?

I don’t think there’s any absolute, universally correct answer to what counts as “delicious.” With that in mind, what I consider important is the overall balance.

Of course, having delicious food is a basic requirement, but I believe it’s not just that—the atmosphere of the restaurant, how comfortable it feels, and the service all come together so that the entire experience contributes to how good it tastes.

No matter how delicious the food is, if the atmosphere of the restaurant is bad, you won’t be able to appreciate that deliciousness.

Even when we have guests from overseas, we can’t always have a full conversation because of the language barrier. Still, I make a point of actively communicating as much as I can—asking things like where they’re from or where they plan to go sightseeing afterward.

There are times when we’re so busy that we can hardly talk, but I feel that the entire experience, including those moments, is what ultimately contributes to the feeling that it’s “delicious.”

The starting point of his career as a sushi chef, the skills he honed during his apprenticeship, and the unwavering sincerity that has remained unchanged even after going independent. From Mr. Suzuki’s words, you can feel the conviction of an artisan who values above all the steady accumulation of each and every effort. Trust in the people who procure his ingredients, the resolve to serve only what he himself finds truly delicious, and the attentiveness to ensure guests can spend their time in comfort—each of these is embodied in every piece of sushi at Sushi Suzuki. Visit and experience Edo-style sushi that is refined day by day through careful, dedicated work.

Reporting & Text / AutoReserve Magazine Editorial Department

Photo: Shoichi Baba