#tachigui

Last month, I got a tip from my food writer friend Yui that one of the best new places to indulge in affordable sushi in Tokyo was in the basement of the recently opened Tokyu Plaza in Ginza, so I went to check it out for myself late one afternoon...

I was fully expecting the new Sushi Hanamaru to be a kaiten (conveyor belt) shop, but I was pleasantly surprised to find they’re actually a tachigui (stand and eat) establishment!

At this small eight-person storefront, two sushi chefs run the counter up front, while a third chef and an assistant/cashier work the prep kitchen in the back, making sure there’s a steady supply of fresh fish on hand at all times...

Tachigui restaurants are quite popular in Japan, especially in Tokyo, where folks pop in for a quick bite at any time of day before getting back to their busy lives. The whole concept of tachigui is one that’s meant to keep prices lower for diners as no chairs make for faster turnaround times which in turn creates higher customer volume. (This is also what makes ramen cheaper in Japan than say, New York, where people sit and make the noodles a meal.)

The other aspect of tachigui that helps keep prices down is a limited menu, so ingredient costs (and waste) are controlled, and the kitchen can quickly cook a shorter list of dishes with maximum efficiency...

While Hamamaru does indeed keep their prices low, which each piece of fresh, handmade sushi starting at 100 yen, about $1.00 US, and going up to only 330 yen, their menu is anything but limited...

Hanamaru offers more seafood selections on their print menu, with an additional astonishing array of daily and seasonal specials, than I’ve seen at most other sushi restaurants anywhere in Japan...

It turns out that they’re able to accomplish this by staying true, and close, to their roots. You see, Hanamaru is unlike most other Tokyo sushi shops in that they do not get their seafood from Tsukji, Tokyo’s largest market; they’re actually a small Hokkaido-based chain, so they use their local suppliers on Japan’s northernmost island to buy all their fish, where prices are notably lower, and they get discounts buying in bulk. The product is then all shipped to Tokyo daily...

When we dropped by to check them out around 3pm, there were only three other people at the counter, so even though we’d already had a small lunch, the stomach always has room for sushi! Here’s a look at what we enjoyed...

Kanpachi and konbujime (seaweed cured) hirame...

Grilled tarako cod roe...

Shima aji and hakaku, a seasonal whitefish...

Fresh tsubugai whelk...

Aji, or horse mackerel, one of my favorite fish...

Grilled salmon belly and buri toro...

Fresh scallop...

The scallop “himo” or tendon...

And a second piece of aji...

My wife had a similar selection, and in total, this “snack” ran us 3000 yen, or about $30.00 US! See what I mean about tachigui being cost effective?

I was informed that lines here can get up to 50 people deep at the peak lunch hours, between noon-2pm, and during post work rush, between 6-8pm, so best to avoid those periods. Although, even with that many people, the wait times tend not to be too bad, they say. Also, please be advised that there are no English menus available here, so please go with a Japanese speaker if possible. Or know what you want ahead of time. Hanamaru has all the usual sushi suspects on their menu, from akami to ebi to uni, but the seasonal specials on their boards should definitely be explored!

And be sure not to dilly dally at the counter, for as polite as Japanese people are, you will get dirty looks if you keep from them from their sushi for too long!

HANAMARU SUSHI

Tokyu Plaza B2F

5-2-1 Ginza

Chuo-ku, Tokyo

104-0061

81-3-6274-6771

冷やし肉富士（そば）470円＠名代 富士そば 上野店