Sushi Asaba｜RJ｜Japan’s First Luxury Beer

RESTAURANT INTERVIEWS

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Sushi Asaba

Our exclusive interviews with ROCOCO partner restaurants, chefs and sommeliers offer insights into their cuisine and passions in their own words.

16｜Sushi AsabaSushi (Nishiazabu)

Perfecting Aged Sushi with 200 Year Old Edomae Techniques

Sushi Asaba opened in Nishiazabu in 2014, welcoming guests with a striking "Asanoha" motif (a pattern of intertwined hexagons), which illuminates the dining room from behind the counter. Crafted by Tanihata Kumiko, this display features a detail-oriented woodworking technique dating back to the 8th century.
Sushi Asaba’s owner, Chef Naoya Hanawa, is meticulous about every detail in his restaurant. His customers particularly benefit from his passion for aging sushi. Chef Hanawa’s aging process involves marinating the fish in homemade red vinegar prepared in the traditional Edomae style from 200 years ago. He sources his fish from Daiki Hasegawa, who has perfected his own "Shinkei-jime" fish preservation technique, which helps ensure the fish is aged to its peak flavor. Lastly, Chef Hanawa has developed a unique rice blend that combines low-gluten Sasanishiki rice from Miyagi and slightly sticky Koshihikari rice from Niigata. The rice is then carefully polished in stages to avoid damaging the grains. The resulting rice is then seasoned with a special blend of three red vinegars and salt. This ensures that the rice remains delicious even when cold, further complementing the fish's delicious flavor. Notably, sugar is not added to this seasoning.
In addition to his mastery of flavors, Chef Hanawa is known for engaging his guests with his charismatic style, affectionately known as the "Hanawa Show". To the delight of his customers, Chef Hanawa’s warm, cheerful personality and knowledge of sushi are always on full display at Sushi Asaba. The menu is only broadly structured to make it easier to suit each customer's preferences, eating pace, and drink choices. A memorable conversation with Chef Hanawa while enjoying his aged sushi makes the Sushi Asaba experience even more remarkable.

Transforming from a Shy Apprentice to a Charismatic Chef

Chef Hanawa described himself as shy during his years in training but quickly gained confidence after opening his own restaurant. As he continued to refine his skills and knowledge, he also developed a joy for conversation with his customers. Drawing from his own past experiences as an apprentice, he now makes a point of taking his young apprentices to visit suppliers so they can learn about the ingredients they serve directly from the source. Together, they have even harvested pesticide-free plums at Chef Hanawa’s parents' farm, from which they made umeboshi and umeshu, gathered rice in Miyagi, and picked and dried kanpyo in Tochigi. These hands-on experiences deepen the apprentices' knowledge and empower them to have more meaningful customer interactions. This thoughtful approach to encouraging the growth of his apprentices further elevates Sushi Asaba's renowned service.

ROCOCO Elevates the Experience of Sushi Asaba’s Customers

Before ROCOCO, Sushi Asaba only offered one type of beer - a bitter one. At the time, Chef Hanawa was seeking a more fragrant and accessible option for international and female guests, which led him to discover ROCOCO and reach out to the brand. ROCOCO’s delicate, fruity notes pair nicely with Sushi Asaba’s appetizers and fried dishes. ROCOCO now plays a a key role in elevating the first half of Sushi Asaba’s course. Chef Hanawa also shared that the luxurious experience of drinking ROCOCO from its signature ROCOCO Tokyo GLASS has also won over many customers. Introducing ROCOCO has contributed to expanding Sushi Asaba’s menu by inspiring new culinary creations. We hope you start Sushi Asaba’s delicious course with ROCOCO.