Sushi Nao is located across from Chuo Mishoku-Gai Street, a road lined with food stands, in Katamachi, the downtown area of Kanazawa, a locale blessed with the bounty of the sea. The restaurant’s owner, Naoki Arakawa, trained at Suehiro Sushi in his hometown of Shizuoka, honing his culinary skills while working at the one-star restaurant Sushi-Ichi and at two-star Shoukouwa in Singapore, before returning to Japan and opening Sushi Nao in 2019.
Sushi Nao serves fish and shellfish sourced from Kanazawa, Toyama, and Shizuoka, but chooses to specifically highlight southern bluefin tuna from Shimizu, Shizuoka Prefecture. Chef Arakawa purchases the best-quality whole bluefin tuna from one of Japan’s leading tuna brokers before they are shipped to Toyosu Market. Each tuna is delicately thawed by the skilled chef using his elaborate techniques, and is as fresh as if it was just caught from the sea.
Each tuna is cut into parts so that four to five different cuts can be featured in a multi-course meal, such as lean, fatty back, fatty belly, hagashi (tail), and lightly charcoal-grilled meat. Besides bluefin tuna, a dish of rice topped with the highest-quality sea urchin and salmon roe is also popular among the guests. The sushi rice, made with a mix of new and aged Koshihikari rice from Oku-Noto and original rice vinegar, demonstrates impressive flavor, falling apart as soon as it touches the tongue and pairing extremely well with the rich, distinct flavors of the fish and shellfish.
The drinks menu always has 10 labels of Japanese sake, mainly from Toyama, Kanazawa, and Shizuoka. Tea is exclusively prepared by a tea shop in Shizuoka which the chef has partnered with for years. Different tea leaves are blended, roasted, and crafted into tea in a way to ensure that it matches well with sushi.
Inside the restaurant, guests are warmly welcomed by the chef behind the U-shaped counter, which seats up to nine people. Diners are treated to a display of the highly skilled chef conjuring up sushi in front of them. The sushi is served on Kutani ware and Wajima lacquerware. Sushi Nao is perfect for all occasions, including date nights, business meetings, family gatherings, and solo meals, as well as entertaining guests from abroad.
Guests are invited to enjoy the delicious flavors of southern bluefin tuna in all its glory, an experience only available at Sushi Nao.
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* The availability of this webpage does not guarantee that the restaurant presented provides services in English, unless otherwise stated. Please be aware that English services may also depend on staff availability at the restaurant.
Access
Bus from Kanazawa Station, 3 minutes' walk from Katamachi Bus Stop
