Tsukiji Sushi Sei Kyoto Daimaru 築地寿司清 – affordable sushi restaurant in Central Kyoto.

Tsukiji Sushi Sei Kyoto Daimaru is a branch of a sushi chain 築地寿司清 from Tokyo. They were founded in 1889 and has about 30 outlets in Japan, including the main store in Tsukiji. In Kyoto, they have two outlets one in Daimaru and the other at Isetan Kyoto JR Station. The restaurant is sometimes known as Tsukiji Sushi Say in English translations. Our lunch at this friendly sushi restaurant turned out to be one of the more memorable meals of our trip.

The Daimaru Department Store in Kyoto is located in the heart of the city and it is easy to find. It is however not so easy to find the sushi restaurant Tsukiji Sushi Say Kyoto. It is not located within main building but in a small building next to it. There is a small lane separating the two. The small annex houses the carpark and some service area. The restaurant is located in the basement level, accessible from stairs from the street.

We joined the queue of locals awaiting the opening of the restaurant at 11 am. Everyone at the front of the queue opted for counter seats and so did we. The reason became obvious later. Most of them seem to be regulars and enjoy the banter with the sushi chefs behind the counter. The atmosphere was laid back and friendly. Even strangers like us who spoke no English did not get left out. The chefs and diners next to us could speak some English and soon we were having conversations.

Tsukiji Sushi Sei Kyoto Daimaru Menu

Here are pictures of the Tsukiji Sushi Sei Kyoto Daimaru menu. Prices for the sushi starts from 216 yen. The premium items like sea urchin and very fatty tuna costs 648 yen. Sake costs 702 yen for a small carafe. For a sushi restaurant serving freshly made sushi to order (as compared to conveyor belt sushi places), we thought that these prices were very reasonable.

The Food

We tried various types of sushi. We began with the staple sushi items – tuna, fatty tuna, sea urchin etc. As we began talking to our fellow diners, we noticed that they were ordering off the menu items. They looked unusual and interesting. Soon we were just pointing at what our neighbours were having and asking the chef to serve the same to us.

Here is the final tally of what we ate. I can’t remember the total amount of the bill although that can be computed from the items recorded. The quality of the raw fish was good but not of the standard found in high end restaurants. This was most obvious in the sea urchin which did not have the sweetness and depth of flavours. The fish items were much better. Our simple sushi lunch at Tsukiji Sushi Sei Kyoto Daimaru was not a fancy meal but certainly one that we will remember fondly.

Ratings:
Food: 4
Service: 4
Value: 4
Atmosphere: 3
Overall Rating: 4 TOPs

Tsukiji Sushi Sei (築地寿司清)
〒604-8124
京都府京都市中京区高倉通錦小路下ル帯屋町581
大丸四条高倉駐車場ビル B1

1 604-8124 
Kyoto Prefecture Kyoto City Nakakura- ku Takakura-dori Shoji Shimo-ru Obiiya- cho 581 
Omaru Shijo Takakura parking lot building B1

From 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
(on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.)
※Last order lunch 2:40 p.m., dinner 9:40 p.m.
(on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays 9:40 p.m.)

Daimaru Kyoto Website

The Ordinary Patrons | Real Dining Experience of Ordinary People
an independent Singapore food blog