International Sushi Day: the best omakase restaurants in Hong Kong and Macau

This unique omakase experience, helmed by head chef Zinc Leung, blends Japanese culinary techniques with Italian influences, all the while showcasing local seafood sourced in partnership with supplier Davey Wong alongside premium ingredients from Japan and beyond. Highlights include a play on textures with fish maw tempura, locally caught grouper nigiri, scallop with guanciale and honey kumquat pickles and tamago-yaki with vanilla butter and maple syrup. 

Price: HK$720 (lunch); HK$2,400 (dinner)

Capacity: 10 seats

Udatsu Sushi is the first international venture by chef-owner Hisashi Udatsu, whose award-winning Tokyo restaurant is celebrated for its innovative omakase. This intimate 12-seat space features a 150-year-old Yoshino cypress counter, where diners can enjoy a multi-course menu of meticulously sourced seafood, including daily arrivals from Toyosu market and local Hong Kong produce. Highlights include uni served on tempura-fried nori and smoked otoro tuna, paired with sake or artisanal agave spirits.

Price: HK$1,580 (lunch); HK$2,580 (dinner)

Capacity: 12 seats

Sushi Hare remains one of the most difficult sushi restaurants to book in the city, both by virtue of its eight seats and the fact that a legion of dedicated regulars vie for said seats. Chef Motoharu Inazuka helms the bar, expertly dishing out traditional Edomae-style sushi with highly seasonal fare. The shari (sushi rice) is an unspoken hero throughout, with Inazuka taking into account the firmness of the grains, temperature, and acidity of the vinegar, making subtle adjustments to best bring out the natural flavours of each piece.

Price: HK$980 (lunch); HK$1,980 (dinner)

Capacity: 8 seats

Sushi Fujimoto offers an exceptional sushi omakase experience under the expert guidance of chef and owner, Kenichi Fujimoto. With a deep passion for traditional Edomae sushi, Fujimoto, formerly of Sushi Saito, brings unparalleled craftsmanship to the heart of Central. Each sushi piece is meticulously prepared using the finest seasonal ingredients, creating a lineup of various flavours and textures throughout the meal. 

Price: HK$1,580 (lunch); HK$2,980 (dinner)

Capacity: 9 counter seats; private dining room for six

Hong Kong-born chef Chan Wing-kin helms the bar of Sushi Kumogaku, representing a wave of young local chefs who are diligently continuing the long tradition of sushi while adding their subtle touches to the craft that are unique to the city. Here, Edomae sushi is woven with delicate cooked dishes and the occasional modern creation, like a choux pastry that is filled with ankimo, or monkfish liver, which is inspired by the local pineapple bin with butter. The restaurant also offers a Dom Pérignon pairing or free-flow option for an additional charge on Sunday.

Price: HK$1,000 (lunch); HK$2,500 (dinner); HK$1,580 (Sunday lunch)

Capacity: 18 seats

A sleek, tastefully decorated interior casts a glow over the practised movements of the veteran chefs at Kushiro, who between them share decades of experience at the likes of Nobu, Sushiyoshi, and Shinji by Kanesaka. Dishes like botan ebi carpaccio, charred Miyazaki A4 wagyu, and the show-stopping Matsuba crab gelée with Hokkaido uni, pressed caviar and gold sturgeon caviar showcase the influences of European haute cuisine. Meanwhile, the sushi courses hew closely to tradition, going so far as to steam the sushi rice using water sourced from the top of Mt Fuji for the cleanest taste. 

Price: from HK$880 (lunch); from HK$1,980 (dinner)

Capacity: 34 seats

This joint venture between acclaimed Japanese chef Shinji Kanesaka and Lai Sun Dining offers an intimate space for a select few—just 20 lucky guests at a time, who dine within minimalist environs against a backdrop featuring the Legislative Council and HSBC Building. Commanding the helm is none other than head chef Seiji Taniguchi, formerly of Sushi Kanesaka's prestigious Tokyo Palace Hotel branch and who trained under Kanesaka’s protégé, Kikuchi Shunsuke. Just some of the dishes that guests can expect include Hokkaido Aka Rishiri bafun uni, Bigfin Reef squid, Hokkaido hairy crab with caviar, and of course, the finest tuna that money can buy.

Price: from HK$1,980 (lunch); from HK$2,380 (dinner)

Capacity: 20 seats

This three-sided sushi bar tucked away in Tai Hang by restaurateur Lawrence Mok (also the executive chef of the beloved I M Teppanyaki a few doors down) attracts a loyal following of Edomae aficionados. The statement wall of wooden fish scales and stacks of colourful ceramicware by the counter serve up a more casual, relaxed vibe than the usual high-end Japanese austerity.

Price: from HK$420 (lunch); from HK$1,680 (dinner)

Capacity: 18 seats

At only 12 seats—eight at the bar and four in a private room—Sushi Mamoru is an exclusive dining experience from the get-go. Chef Hirofumi Chiba, a third-generation sushi master with 22 years of experience under his belt, takes the helm here; the self-proclaimed ‘fish geek’ specialises in traditional Edomae-style sushi, and at Sushi Mamoru this translates into the 20-dish Takumi evening omakase menu, or the shorter Kiwame omakase lunch menu during the day. Reflecting the rarefied food on offer is the minimalist, sanctuary-like space designed by Hong Kong firm MR Studio, with a predominance of Japanese hinoki and ginkgo wood throughout.

Price: HK$1,580 (lunch); HK$3,280 (dinner)

Capacity: 12 seats

This branch of the iconic Tokyo sushiya is discreetly tucked away on the club floor of the Four Seasons Hong Kong, but that doesn’t mean it’s been able to hide from the hoards of sushi fans wanting to get a taste of Edomae greatness. Across two sushi counters, chefs serve both lunch and dinner omakase menus, with produce handpicked by Takashi Saito in Japan and flown in directly. To whet your whistle, apart from sake, there is also a selection of white wines and champagne.

Price: HK$1,980 (lunch); HK$3,480 (dinner)

Capacity: 16 seats

Specialising in the Edomae style of sushi, the restaurant is headed by veteran chef Hisayoshi Iwa, who also founded the one-Michelin-starred Ginza Iwa in Tokyo. Sushi Hisayoshi is helmed by his apprentice, chef Tsukasa Kaneko, who serves signature dishes such as an aged tuna sushi, abalone and ankimo (monkfish liver) as part of a 23-course tasting dinner menu in a 30-seat counter space designed by Junzo Irikado.

Price: from HK$680 (lunch); from HK$1,780 (dinner)

Capacity: 14 seats

Founded by chef Masahiro Yoshitake, the first overseas branch of his three-Michelin-starred sushi bar is now housed in The Landmark Mandarin Oriental. Helmed by third-generation sushi chef Yoshiharu Kakinuma (or “Kaki” as he is fondly known), Sushi Shikon is regarded as one of the best places for omakase in the city. With design kept simple and minimalistic, it is a veritable shrine to the art of appreciating excellent sushi.

Price: HK$2,250 (lunch); HK$4,000 (dinner)

Capacity: 14 seats

The Hong Kong outpost of Osaka’s two-starred sushi restaurant isn’t afraid to go a bit off-piste when it comes to omakase. Under the direction of iconic pink-haired chef Hiroki Nakanoue (who isn’t always in Hong Kong, especially due to travel restrictions), the team continue to push a unique progression of small dishes and sushi that sway from renegade to traditional. Seasonal specialties such as hairy crab often become main features, showing how the kitchen is confident enough to incorporate unexpected ingredients into more classic preparations.

Price: from HK$880 (lunch); from HK$2,080 (dinner)

Capacity: 20 seats

Sushi Zo is the fifth omakase restaurant by chef-owner Keizo Seki, after locations in Tokyo, Los Angeles, New York and Bangkok, and it has the benefit of a setting as impressive as Tai Kwun. Specialising in omakase, the restaurant serves only two seatings in the evening for a maximum of 14 guests, who can enjoy an 18-course feast of the freshest Japanese produce flown in daily.

Price: HK$1,500 (lunch); HK$2,500 (dinner)

Capacity: 14 seats