Sushi Dinner @ Toki Sushi, Namba Sennichimae, Osaka

A Japanese trip will not be complete without sushi no? And this time I was very fortunate to have my old friend from primary school June, and her boyfriend Tom to join me on this obligatory rite of passage. So moving away from expensive omakase places and tramline joints, lets go to somewhere more local and rustic. 

The front desk. 

Tucked in the jagged streets of Nanba, nearby the Kuromon market and Hozenji temple, lies this quaint but very lively sushi shop, Toki Sushi (ときすし). Not sure what it means, but a rough translation means, "its time for sushi". Well for me, any time is a good time for sushi. Well unless when I am asleep. Now that would be crazy. It is definitely a bit of a hard find unless you do a bit of searching online. Funnily enough, if you Google "cheap sushi in Osaka" Toki Sushi will pop up. But what you get is far beyond that. 

Fresh ingredients, at the forefront. 

The place has a very local feel to it, with very few foreigners in the premises. Fortunately, there is an English Menu for non-Japanese speakers, but the specials and the main menu is in Japanese in all its glory. Yet, do not fret as if you are uncertain as to what you would like to have, or probably cannot decide due to the language barrier, why not just get the set meal? 

Look at the colour!

My friends first ordered the standard set of 8 pieces, which was for a whopping ¥750! I expected a bargain but not to this extent! Despite being cheap, this is no sushi from some conveyor belt. The quality was top notch and everything tasted great. For the standard set, cheaper ingredients are used like egg, mackerel and cheaper cuts of salmon and tuna. But do not let that deter you. Rather, it is more of a preference thing. I do have friends who prefer their tuna to be less fatty as it would deter them from tasting the fish. Not judging, as everyone has their own favourites. I do prefer my fatty fish though. And that is in the special premium set. 

For those who enjoy finer things in life. 

 And if you would want to try the special premium set of 8 pieces, then the price will then be ¥1200, which they also ordered.  It also has a fish roe gunkan, which you would not get in the standard set. Fish roe is indeed expensive after all. And an unagi nigiri? Now that is another bargain. 

Cowabunga! 

But if you are not into raw seafood you can choose to have something like mine, the sushiyaki set. It is sushi that is briefly grilled, leading to a charred exterior but still slightly raw inside. Something like a medium rare steak of sorts. And it came in with a thunderous ¥1200! With high quality ingredients such as octopus and scallops being used, this was a gourmet ride worth reckoning. What an absolute bargain. 

Scallops were just too good.

 Not only did the charring gave the sushi an extra flavour profile, there was also chilli and yuzu paste that was used instead of wasabi for some of the sushi that was plated. That paired really well and it had a zesty and spicy hint, but not too overpowering. The chef was a real artisan. Also its worth noting, that you do not dip your sushi into soy sauce. Rather you brush it. And in order to do so, the establishment actually provides you with a brush! Innovation! 

Men at work. 

This was a real treat to have and I cannot recommend Toki Sushi enough. It may not be on the radar for most tourists, but if you dig deeper into the Japanese based food review sites like Tabelog, Toki Sushi is highly ranked and being affordable and exquisite at the same time.

Front of the house. 

Fancy a go? The address is as follows: 

4-21, Namba Sennichimae, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka

Cheese! Thanks June and Tom in joining me on my food binging adventure!