Tsuke Edomae

“Very warm and welcoming vibes. Chef Mike and Nhi are lovely humans. Chef Mike’s skill is obvious—his precision and craftsmanship clearly reflect his passion. We’ve been to Craft, Uroko, and Sushi by Scratch, and this was the best omakase we’ve had in Austin so far. It’s also the toughest reservation to land, which isn’t surprising once you experience it. Definitely worth the experience. Nigiri are very fresh and taste very balanced (sauce, rice, temperature, etc). Price is typically for an omakase.”

“This was easily the best omakase experience I’ve had in Austin so far. The fish quality was exceptional: honestly the highest I’ve experienced outside of Japan. Each piece was perfectly balanced: rice sized for a single bite that was soft and delicate, never overseasoned, and paired with freshly grated wasabi. One optional course for the evening featured uni, which was a surprising highlight as I'm not an uni lover typically. The chef was personable, engaging, and efficient, which made the experience feel both fun and intimate. Service was excellent, and the small, minimalist space (five seats on one side of the bar, three on the other) created a perfect atmosphere along with the respectful other guests who were quiet and courteous, enhancing the sushi experience. Our 20 course meal featured the following: 1. Tilefish 2. Skipjack tuna 3. Crispy eel unagi 4. Chutoro 5. Tachiuo belt fish 6. Sweet shrimp 7. Panko Hokkaido scallops 8. Sanma knife fish (pike) 9. Cucumbers 10. Grilled surf clam 11. Amberjack 12. Arugula salad 13. Japanese sea perch 14. Hairy crab soup 15. Otoro hand roll 16. Uni murasaki tachibana Hokkaido 17. Miso soup 18. Anago 19. Tamago crème bruleed top 20. Kirschwasser vanilla ice cream A few potential drawbacks: service stretched to about 2.5 hours, a simple green tea cost $10, and reservations were difficult to secure. I would make this my yearly birthday dinner or special occasion restaurant every time. Forget the BBQ in Austin, I'd rather have this sushi.”

“TL;DR: If you can get a booking, this is the best sushi in Austin hands down. I haven't been to Jiro's place from Jiro Dreams of Sushi in Japan, nor have I been to Omakase in NYC. I have had my fair share of sushi, not only in Austin but the likes of Toronto, London, and Paris. So far Tsuke Edomae is my favorite and at the top of the list. We originally booked this for my birthday in April, however they had to move us as the chef was going back and forth to Japan on a frequent basis to gain additional experience from his mentor. Originally I was very upset that we had to move the original reservation and we were able to find a date suitable for myself and a few of my friends. There were a lot of things to overcome that were situational and environmental in order to make this possible. Let me explain; the day that I went we had a severe thunderstorm watch in this particular area. We then had a few servings of sushi and the storm came and it was very strong with hail and gale force winds. All of my friends, including myself, were concerned about our cars that were parked outside. Then soon after the storm passed the fire alarm started to ring in the building. We thought that would be a short duration, however it was almost 25 to 30 minutes before we were able to even get to the next serving of sushi. We even had to go to the market next door to buy some cotton balls to put in our ears in order to endure the loudness of the alarm. The hostess was so gracious to ask if we wanted to continue or cancel/reschedule the reservation. My friends and I are troopers so we assured the hostess that we were going to commit to waiting out the alarm and not let any of these freak of nature events, literally, dampen our night. Okay enough about the setup. Let's talk about sushi. The sushi is amazing! The service is spectacular. The environment is inviting, cozy, and fun. We had the sake flowing... The first piece was a white fish with creme fraiche and tobiko. The crispiness of the skin was on point, the fish wasn't overly marinated yet the saltiness of the tobiko with the creme fraiche gave it a richness and saltiness that really balanced well. Well it was a true piece of art. The chu toro and the akamai tuna were marinated in soy sauce and presented in a way that was so appetizing. It was perfectly marinated and not overly salty. We had skipjack tuna and Japanese jack mackerel both were so fresh, well balanced and not fishy at all. Mackerel does have a tendency to be a little bit more fishy than other fishes. However, you can definitely taste the freshness here and it DID NOT have any fishy taste to it. You have an option to add on otoro and/or uni. The otoro literally just melts in your mouth and was so good, whereas the uni had the right level of creaminess and brininess that you would expect for very fresh uni. I highly recommend adding on these pieces to your experience. It is a testament to chef Mike, his attention to detail, and culinary talent as my wife who does not eat raw fish in fact ate every piece. She said that she enjoyed it. This is after almost 12 years of trying to get my wife to eat proper nigiri sushi. Thank you Chef Mike for a wonderful evening. It was a memorable one and thank you for introducing my wife to a whole new level of sushi. We will definitely try to be back if we can get a reservation. Highly Recommend...”

“The overall quality of the sashimi and sushi is fresh and high-quality, with well-balanced and delicate seasoning. I also think their uni and sake selection are excellent. The only downside is that reservations are extremely difficult to get. That said, the chef was kind and personable, making the dining experience truly enjoyable!”

“Absolutely fab omakase experience. Love Chef Mike and his stories. Had an amazing birthday dinner here and felt taken care of from the second we walked in the door. Make reservations as soon as they become available — you won’t regret it!”