Tokisushi Main Shop

I heard there’s a sushi restaurant in Osaka Namba that serves grilled sushi, so I went to Tokisushi Main Shop in Ura-Namba to try it. I’ve had grilled mackerel sushi in Kyoto before, but grilled Edomae nigiri sushi was a first for me. Even a quick Google search didn’t turn up any sushi restaurants specifically advertising “grilled sushi.”

So, maybe grilled Edomae sushi is only available at this place… Doesn’t that thought make you excited? Anyway, how was the “grilled sushi” actually served at Tokisushi….?

All the dishes offer great value, but the lunch menu is especially cheap! Tokisushi Main Shop is a restaurant like this…

Before I begin, let me briefly introduce our target for this review: Tokisushi Main Shop. The restaurant opened in September 2007 and currently operates two locations: the Head Shop in Ura-Namba and the Higashi-Shinsaibashi Branch. Among Osaka foodies, it’s known as a “super cost-effective sushi place,” often drawing lines out the door. As I’ll show you later, the lunch menu is especially dirt cheap—so much so that even I wondered, “Can you really eat here for this price?”

Now, this Tokisushi Main Shop is a two-story shop with a total of 39 seats, including 9 counter seats. Some sushi restaurants can feel a bit intimidating to walk into, but here, the full glass facade makes the interior completely visible. There’s absolutely no sense of secrecy, creating a relaxed atmosphere where you can come and go easily. The chef behind the counter is always smiling and friendly, meaning there’s none of that typical sushi restaurant tension in a good way. This makes it seem like you could enjoy a sushi lunch here anytime, without any hesitation.

Tokisushi Main Shop Lunch Menu (Prices exclude tax)

• Kamaage Shirasu Donburi 700 yen
• Premium Lunch (8 pieces of sushi) 2500 yen
• Sushi Yaki (8 pieces of sushi) 1500 yen
• 1.5-Person Lunch (12 pieces of sushi) 1200 yen
• Toki Toki Set (8 pieces of sushi) 700 yen
• Assorted Seafood Chirashi Sushi (Limited Quantity) 700 yen
• Toro Taku Donburi 700 yen
• Seasonal Recommended Donburi 700 yen

I thought I might be able to eat it at a conveyor belt sushi place, but it’s still a little different… How was the signature and most popular lunch menu item at Tokisushi Main Shop, the sushi-yaki?

So, let me introduce the signature and most popular lunch menu item at Tokisushi Main Shop that I ordered that day: the sushi-yaki. About 2-3 minutes after ordering, a plate with 8 pieces of nigiri sushi arrived right in front of me. But get this—the sushi was on a hot plate! And then…

Then, the staff started grilling the sushi with a blowtorch. They took several minutes, carefully searing each piece. And the finished result looked like this…

Every piece of sushi topping had a nice, solid char. Actually, it wasn’t just the toppings – the vinegared rice itself had quite a bit of char too. Because of that, the level of smoky aroma was on another level compared to typical seared sushi toppings. I could practically smell the burnt mayonnaise before even taking a bite…

However, this sushi is basically unseasoned. Various condiments are placed on the table, and especially for this sushi-yaki…

The restaurant recommends eating it like this, so you season it to your own taste based on that. By the way, these 8 pieces of sushi-yaki don’t even come with wasabi. According to the chef, this style of seasoning it yourself is the Osaka way of eating sushi.

Alright, let’s actually try some sushi… Frankly, since all the toppings are thoroughly seared, it’s hard to really tell the freshness or subtle flavors of the fish. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say they’re intentionally making it hard to tell? In a way, I think that’s the advantage of this sushi-yaki. Even if the quality of the toppings is a bit lower, grilling them makes the flaws less noticeable and easier to eat. Oh, I’m not saying Tokisushi‘s toppings are low quality! Please don’t misunderstand.

The vinegared rice, on the other hand, has a fairly pronounced sourness. However, the smoky aroma from the searing overpowers it, so when eaten with the topping, the sourness isn’t noticeable. The rice is packed fairly loosely, almost to the point of falling apart when picked up with chopsticks. So, eating it with your hands is actually best, but since the burner might have heated the iron plate underneath, it’s probably better to avoid that to prevent burns.

This is Tokisushi Main Shop‘s signature dish, sushi-yaki – essentially an 8-piece set of seared sushi. Its smoky aroma is a cut above typical seared sushi. You might think, “You can get this at conveyor belt sushi places!” but actually tasting it reveals it’s not that level of quality. The restaurant’s recommended seasoning hits the spot perfectly, and you get to enjoy sushi that feels like it could be found anywhere but is actually this shop’s original creation. Well, considering the price, honestly, volume-wise, it leaves you thinking, “I wish there were about two more pieces…”

Ordering individual nigiri sushi pieces is straightforward and transparent… Access to Tokisushi Main Shop is a 7-minute walk from Nankai Electric Railway’s Namba Station, the nearest station.

At Tokisushi, you can of course order individual nigiri sushi pieces. The most expensive topping is ¥800 + tax per piece. Grilled-style nigiri tends to be priced higher, but since the prices are clearly marked, you can order with confidence knowing it’s transparent. By the way, this time I added fresh sea urchin (¥800 + tax) to my sushi order…

There was no hint of alum bitterness, and the sweetness of the sea urchin came through beautifully. The quality of the ingredients was completely different from conveyor belt sushi. It’s not high-end sushi, but I think it’s a very convenient neighborhood sushi spot.

Now, here are the shop details…