Sushi Dai is a highly acclaimed sushi bar located within the bustling Toyosu Fish Market in Koto-City, Tokyo. It is renowned for its exceptional omakase (chef's choice) sushi experience, offering incredibly fresh seafood sourced directly from the market. The restaurant is famous for its early morning operations, attracting long queues of eager diners who often line up hours before opening to secure a spot. It's considered a top-ranked sushi bar in Toyosu Market and offers an intimate counter-seating experience. Sushi Dai moved from its original location in the Tsukiji Market to the current Toyosu Market location.
Customer feedback for Sushi Dai is overwhelmingly positive, with many describing the experience as 'worth it' despite the extremely long wait times (often requiring queuing from 3:30 AM to 6 AM). Diners consistently praise the exceptional quality and flavor of the seafood, noting that the sushi 'melts on the tongue' and offers great value for money (around $36-$40 for omakase). The chefs and staff are frequently highlighted for their friendly demeanor, engaging interactions, and excellent hospitality, contributing to a memorable and joyful dining experience. While most reviews are glowing, a few customers have found the fish quality to be 'only okay' or 'chewy' compared to other high-end sushi in Japan or NYC, suggesting potential inconsistencies or high expectations.
Additional Details
The staff, including chefs, are noted to speak English, making the experience accessible for international visitors. One person can reserve for three or more with a cash deposit. Sushi Dai moved from its original location in the Tsukiji Market to the current Toyosu Market location.
No specific vegan options mentionedNo specific gluten-free options mentionedDoes not serve vegetarian food
Best Times to Visit
The best time to visit Sushi Dai is very early in the morning, typically between 3:30 AM and 6:00 AM, to join the queue and secure a reservation for a breakfast or early lunch slot. The market opens to the public at 5:00 AM, and spots fill up quickly.
Was really great food. My first omakase ever and it did not disappoint. I was already jet lagged and used that to my advantage and got a cab there and got in the pseudo line on the 3rd floor causeway where they ask you to wait until they let people in at 5.
At 5, a gentleman comes and grabs people who are there for sushi Dai. At that point, he walks you in and asks when you want to dine and takes your party and asks for dietary restrictions (mostly if you can eat shellfish). Then you can wander around until it opens at 6am.
You get 8 courses +1 you can select from a special menu. You can also just add more a la cart as well. Best bites to me were the fatty tuna, Spanish Mackerel, and black mouth cod. They also serve you a mini omelette and seafood miso soup (careful, there's bones in it). I added on the uni for additional cost which was really buttery and amazing without much of the irony taste.
I may try to do it again before I go home this trip
Delicious and delicious Omakase sushi. Friendly staff. It is a memorable experience to wake up at 3am, start queuing at 3.45 and get a ticket at 5am. We will finally seated at 6am.
This place is so WORTH IT. i had such a good experience at sushi dai!! The chefs and staff were so fun to talk to and really made us feel like we were friends. the sushi was also tasty and good quality. And not to mention the price!! We paid around $36 per person for this meal. very affordable for omakase. and we were full by the end of it
the sushi that day was tamago, miso soup, fatty tuna, snapper, spanish mackerel, deep sea fish, saury, live shrimp, yellowtail, barracuda, abalone, sword fish, roll, and your choice of fish to finish (i got Japanese gizzard shad, which was braided and so so pretty!!)
i came back here a few months later and the chef remembered us! i felt very happy in that moment :) hospitality is so great over here
Five star sushi bar with the freshest fish in the world! We visited Toyosu early in the morning to watch the fish market and then found ourselves having an omakase sushi meal at 7AM! Simply delicious!
How to say? I like this shop so much that this is my third time here on three different trips over the last 6 years or so. The quality of the fish is good - if you had this elsewhere, it would be a lot more expensive than this price for this quality! The staff and chefs are kind and tries to make everyone feel welcomed and happy.
You have to take the first train possible to get here before the 6am opening. You get to the shop, put down your name for a reserved time-I got there around 6:15am for a 9am reservation time (the first two slots were already fully booked, even on a super rainy day). The omakase was ¥5,900 and non-raw fish course at ¥6,500 at the time of writing (cash only, no credit cards or electronic payments).
I’m thankful that they keep this shop so down to earth. They keep the quality high, the price affordable, and first come first serve (no reservations) - everyone can enjoy and have high quality sushi. Pls order a drink or extra pieces at the end to support this business! =]