The Master Chef Serving Michelin-Star Aged Sushi Out Of A Tokyo Apartment

This is chef Akira Shirayama

He has invented methods for aging nearly 1000 varieties of fish

This is his small restaurant located in a Tokyo apartment building

Here, he serves up to six people at a time

And he creates a custom menu specifically tailored for each guest

Sushi—fish served with vinegared rice—was a way to preserve precious fresh seafood in the days before refrigeration

But today chef Akira Shirayama ages fish in search of flavor, not out of necessity

He is a master of jukusei sushi: aged or fermented sushi

He uses both modern and ancient techniques

Chef Shirayama uses six different types of salt to draw out moisture

And eight thicknesses of paper to absorb moisture at different rates

The aging process deepens the umami flavors of seafood

and makes the texture more tender, dense and buttery

At Jukuseizushi Yorozu, the most important ingredient is time

For today's service, Chef Shirayama will use 10 different knives

The selection changes depending on the season, as the types of fish in the menu change

Chef prepares toppings for nigiri sushi

The meal begins with a simple unseasoned broth made of three types of clams

Meanwhile, Chef Shirayama prepares the sushi rice

He seasons the rice with a specially-blended red vinegar

It turns the rice into a deeper color

Using red vinegar in sushi rice is an ancient style of preparation that has been revived by modern sushi masters

Before the sushi, Chef Shirayama serves seasonal appetizers

Chef sprinkles fresh yuzu zest

Chef Shirayama is known for his meticulous wasabi preparation

He has three graters that grind the wasabi to different textures

Chef toasts nori for the first course

The first course is just warm sushi rice wrapped in seaweed

Even though Chef Shirayama is a fish expert, he considers rice the main component of sushi

Fish is just a topping

Finally the sushi begins

The rice for the fatty tuna is served warm, so the fat melts in your mouth

The next piece comes from an immature tuna

Its skin is edible, and has been charcoal-grilled

After this shima aji (striped jack) was aged, a broth was made from its bones

The broth was then infused back into the fish using the sous vide method

Using the sous vide in this way is unique amongst sushi restaurants

Chef Shirayama hands the sushi directly to customers when he wants them to eat it right away

As the meal comes to its final act, Chef Shirayama serves cooked dishes

This Kegani (horsehair crab) was fed on sake to make it delicious

The steamed crab is served with sushi rice and a sauce made from its tomalley

Grilled ayu is dried for two weeks making the skin shatteringly crisp

The last piece of sushi is eel hand roll

Sushi chefs sometimes adjust portion size based on the diner’s gender

In Chef Shirayama’s experience, male customers usually eat hand rolls in three bites

So Chef Shirayama designs each bite to taste different

The first bite is seaweed

In the second bite, the guest tastes eel and Japanese pepper

In the final bite, pickled ginger

After sushi, Chef serves miso soup made from aged fish bones

Topped with junsai (watershield), a rare aquatic plant

At Yorozu, even dessert features fish

The egg custard is stuffed with tilefish and baked gently over charcoal for three hours

Finally the meal is over

Time to clean up for the night

But Chef Shirayama's work isn't over

The last task of the day is to sharpen knives

It's only when the rest of the city is sleeping that Chef Shirayama can concentrate on this important task

It's a long task, but it's important

Finally it's time to go home