At ¥8800 (about $56 USD) for anywhere between 16-20 courses, the tasting menu at Sushi Tokyo Ten is one of the best-value omakase experiences I have ever had. On the night I visited, dinner came to a total of 19 courses, which was almost too many — we were so full by course 13 it was hard to keep going towards the end, even though the last courses were some of the best bites. I can’t even imagine what it’s like on the nights when dinner is 20+ courses.

1. Starter: clam soup

This clam soup was an extremely fishy start to a fin-tastic menu! The soup tasted and smelled like the ocean. It was very fish forward, not at all like the creamy, chowder-like clam soup typical of the Northeastern U.S. It was unexpected, but a nice savory amuse bouche to start things off.

2. Snapper with cherry blossom and wasabi

Visiting Japan in the spring means cherry blossoms everywhere, including in the food. I had cherry blossom-flavored ice cream and cherry blossom-infused tea on this trip. Sushi was no exception.

The flavor of the cherry blossom was too delicate to detect in this bite, but the wallop of wasabi enrobed in the snapper flesh absolutely was not.

3. Seaweed salad

I usually love seaweed salad, but this was not my favorite version. The marinade it was swimming in was too bitter and the texture a bit too slimy for my taste.

4. Bonito and scallop

The bonito, dressed in a light sauce, was delicious. It was the first bite of the meal that felt truly juicy and decadent, with a pleasant chew. The scallop paled in comparison. It was okay, but the flavor was underwhelming next to the savory bonito.

5. Abalone

This was my least favorite course of the entire night. The flavor of the abalone was a bit bland and it had a chewy, rubbery texture. I chewed and chewed and chewed. It felt like an odd outlier in an otherwise flavorful menu.

6. Amberjack and Spanish mackerel

This duo was an early hit in a menu that had many more great pairings. The amberjack was accompanied by a punch-you-in-the-nose hit of wasabi that emerged at the end of the bite. In comparison, the mackerel was more fishy and had a less delicate flavor overall, but a more enjoyable aftertaste.

7. Cod roe, tofu, greens

This small plate of tiny bites meant two hits and a miss for me. The fishy bite was (I think) Japanese cod roe. The tofu had the soft, melty texture of a cheesecake. I would have happily eaten more tofu cheesecake courses. The bitter greens were, for me, not a winner.

8. Cod

This preparation of cod was my favorite course thus far and ended up being one of my favorites of the entire night. The fish had been torched, with a caramelized exterior while the flaky flesh fell apart at the first bite. It was buttery and savory, exactly the contrast needed for a little pick-me-up at this point in the cold, raw menu.

9. Yellowtail & white shrimp

I had never had shrimp prepared this way before. Both bites were a huge mouthful each!

10. Steamed egg

The next course was a steamed egg dish, which I’m guessing was some type of chawanmushi, with perhaps crab on top. It was a little big egg-drop-soup-meets-savory-pudding. The eggy custard had a jiggly texture that flaked easily with the spoon.

Although we were only midway through the menu, this was the point where I had already started to feel full. Half of the marathon dining experience left to go!

11. Tiny white fish

Next to the abalone, this was my other least favorite course of the night. I didn’t enjoy the bitter flavor of the fish and didn’t especially enjoy their tiny googly eyes and eerily translucent little bodies. Later, I learned that this type of juvenile fish (shirasu or whitebait) is a Japanese delicacy, and admittedly a bit of an acquired taste.

12. Tuna & fatty tuna

As you could probably predict, very little can go wrong in a course that involves fatty tuna! Both of these bites were scrumptious and satisfying, the fatty tuna obviously being the richer of the two. I don’t think I had ever appreciated tuna properly until this course. As a course, this pairing was easily one of my top three of the night.

13. Salmon roe

Like little bites of fishy popping candy, the salmon roe was another favorite and rich course. Upon breaking open, each egg poured out its own sauce to coat the rice in a savory, fishy bath. I would’ve finished the whole bowl, were it not for the 12 previous courses and the fact that I knew I had so many left to go.

14. Uni

By this point, I had really started to slow down. I couldn’t imagine eating another bite, but also couldn’t let the single uni course pass me by. I compromised by trying a composed bite of the hand roll with uni, rice, and nori, and then proceeded to eat the pieces of uni on top while skipping the rest of the rice. Can there ever be too much uni? I don’t think I can in good conscience say that such a thing exists… though I wish I had gotten the chance to try the uni course earlier in the evening, when I had more stomach room to appreciate it. 

15. Miso soup with clams

The miso soup was a light, refreshing palate cleanser after the rich uni course before it. The clams inside were tiny, smaller than a fingernail. I tried in vain to pry the clams from their miniscule shells before giving up and drinking the broth, leaving the clams and shells in the cup, intact.

16. Toro and radish

At this point, I admitted defeat. This course was a blur, and I don’t remember specifics. I was in a fishy delirium.

17. Eel and tamago

Despite my full-to-bursting stomach, I had to at least try the eel, one of my favorite types of sushi. It was delicious, with a slightly sweet flavor and a glaze on top. I only wish I had been slightly less woozy to appreciate it more (and finish the course). The tamago was a refreshing change of pace and brought much-needed lightness to the palate. These tiny omelette cubes were about the size of two dice stacked next to each other, with an airy, spongy texture. It might have been this brief respite that made me think “I could eat more fish.” And, at last, I did.

18. Toro and onion hand roll

At the last moment, I rallied for this toro hand roll (not least because the staff assured me that this was the “last one! Last one!”), and I’m so thankful I did. We were spoiled during this tasting menu, with multiple tuna courses, and the grand finale was a stunner. The toro hand roll was a deeply satisfying bite, with a variety of textures melded together by the richness of the fish. There were just too many chunks of raw onion for my taste. After picking some of them out, the rest of the tuna and nori experience was a real moment of indulgence to cap off the night.

19. Watermelon

Dessert was a single slice of watermelon. Thank goodness. I don’t think I could have eaten anything heavier.

Special-occasion omakase at a great value

While not every course was a resounding success, this omakase was by far the best value for money I’ve ever experienced for a tasting menu, and still worth the price even if you don’t finish a few of the courses. For three people, 19 courses, plus at least four alcoholic drinks, the total bill was under $200. Simply unbeatable value for really good food and an elevated experience that, while not exactly Michelin quality, is worthy of a special night out.