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Rare finds
Quick—what was the most expensive sushi you’ve ever had? $25? $50? That’s nothing. The Ferrari Jewel Bako Roll at Taro’s by Mikuni in Sacramento includes Kobe beef, smoked salmon, Beluga caviar and gold flakes. It sells for $200, or roughly $100 a bite.
Ponying up big bucks for scrumptious sushi isn’t just a quirky Japanese tradition anymore. Sushi fever has spread from the islands of Japan to the United States, Europe and beyond, and lovers of fish in the raw are opening their wallets for a sampling of melt-in-your-mouth heaven—a slice of what sushi is really all about.
“There’s a fine line between really good sushi made with fresh fish and average sushi made from older fish,” said Carolyn Wang, business manager for Masa, in New York City. This sushi sanctuary created a buzz when it opened in 2005, partly because meals here can easily top $400 per person—before booze. But the creations of Chef Masa Takayama have also garnered top reviews, so there has been no dearth of diners willing to dish out their dough. “We fly in our fish from Japan every day so that it maintains that freshness. People can really taste the freshness and the uniqueness of the sushi,” said Wang.
See our slideshow of The World’s Most Expensive Sushi.
Elaborate raw fish made with unusual sea creatures may now be a delicacy for the affluent, but sushi wasn’t always so high-brow. The original term “nigiri-zushi”—which dates to the 3rd century—refers to salted fish packed in rice and left to ferment. After several months, the encasing of rice was tossed out and the fish consumed by itself. As centuries passed, the Japanese perfected the cuisine so that today’s sushi barely resembles the original dish.
Cultural explorations by sea, the advent of refrigeration, and now the ability to fly same-day catches halfway around the world have assisted in the spread of the cuisine and rise in its popularity—as well as the cost. “The menu Chef Masa prepares varies upon what he thinks is freshest from the Japanese market,” said Wang, explaining why there’s no menu at Masa. Instead, you put the dining experience in the chef’s experienced hands with understanding that there’s a good chance you may not recognize what’s on your plate since the restaurant serves exotic fish you wouldn’t normally find in this hemisphere.
While Masa may be a rare concept in the U.S., it’s not a new idea. In fact, omakase—or Japanese-style tasting menus—are found in nearly every high-end sushi restaurant across the globe. And because many aspiring sushi chefs spend years climbing up the kitchen ladder from dishwashers to assistants to chefs, they ought to know best.
See our slideshow of the World’s Most Expensive Sushi.
But while Masa has stolen the seafood spotlight, it’s hardly the only option for lovers of the rare and the raw. From Vancouver to Milan, excellent and expensive sushi is catching on in a big way. In caliente Lima, Toshiro is the place to satisfy your sushi needs. And if your travels bring you to Mumbai, be sure to check out Wasabi.
In these temples, you can expect to sample several different kinds of sushi, including contemporary variations on nigiri-zushi, a mound of sushi rice with a speck of wasabi and a slice of raw fish draped over the top. You’ll also find maki-zushi, sushi rice and fillings like succulent salmon, crab or spicy tuna wrapped in nori (dried seaweed) as well as chirashi, a bowl of sushi rice with a varying mixture of seafaring ingredients.
While these are more traditional forms of sushi, a whole new realm of modern regional variations has proliferated around the globe as well. No matter what the form it takes, though, the salty flavor and buttery texture of raw fish has seduced many a diner, expanding the taste horizons of an ever-shrinking globe.
But as Chef Masa has demonstrated, not all sushi is equal, either in quality or in price. To find the world’s most expensive sushi, we spoke to sushi aficionados, accredited sushi chefs and concierges of luxury hotels to find the sushi restaurants they recommend to their distinguished guests.
Read on to see who’s serving up bank-breaking fish that’s worth the money (prices based on two dinners before tax and drinks).
See our slideshow of the World’s Most Expensive Sushi.
