Uni Gunkan

At Sushi Saito, Tokyo · Nigiri

Sea urchin from Hokkaido's Rishiri Island, wrapped in nori. The sweetness-to-brine ratio is the test. No wasabi — Saito believes it masks the urchin's actual flavor.

More at Sushi Saito

  • Kohada Nigiri

    Nigiri

    Gizzard shad cured in salt and vinegar. The most technically revealing piece at any sushi counter — the cure time is the chef's fingerprint. Saito's version is 40 minutes, precisely.