The Place
We’re lucky enough to live in close proximity to the global epicenter of sushi (Tokyo), but alas, our curse is that said sushi is astronomically expensive since apparently, we’ve eaten much of the ocean’s fish already. Nevertheless, if you’re willing to part with an average month’s salary, exquisite sushi will be yours at places like Onodera Ginza, Bund 18’s new Japanese fine dining concept with locations in Tokyo, London, Paris, New York and Paris to name a few.
The Food
Not that this place serves sushi alone. Divided up into three sections, Onodera serves teppanyaki in one room, tempura in another, and omakase (chef’s choice) sushi from a main bar. Onodera has two menus available, one at RMB880 and another at RMB1480. Opting for a premium menu, sushi chefs bring course after course (there are a lot of them!) of high-quality seafood, sliced and plated right in front of you.
One highlight for us was an enormous Hokkaido hairy crab that was steamed to serve several parties, with our chef placing the still-live crustacean on the bar for our inspection (and watching it make a break for freedom). Said crab returned later, steamed and beautifully dressed on our plates.
Another specialty here is the delicate ika nigiri-zushi, intricately scored squid topped with uni (sea urchin). The sight of the highly skilled itamae (sushi chef) dexterously slice away will delight all but the most jaded sushi fans.
Many high-end sushi-ya will not serve salmon on their menus, but Onodera is the exception to this rule, surprising us with an aged salmon nigiri. The flavor of this was interesting, but by no means better than the real reason we’re spending over a grand on raw fish: toro (fatty tuna belly). Served with a lick of soy sauce, this most expensive cut of tuna is aptly so, and the best part of our Onodera experience.
Food verdict: 2.5/3
The Vibe
While Onodera is not necessarily serving better food than some of Shanghai’s other premium sushi-ya (think Sushi Aoki, Naoki, Tatsumi and Maison Asano), the difference here is the service. Most places have very limited English, making it difficult to communicate requests and understand what you’re getting. Not so at Onodera, English is available at every turn, provided by the linguistically gifted floor manager, who flits from fluent English, Japanese and Chinese as easily as we pop sushi into our mouths. We each have our own talents, ok?
Vibe verdict: 1/1
Value for Money
Given the location, service and quality, Onodera Ginza does offer diners a good amount of bang for buck. You’ll definitely leave sated, even partaking from the less expensive menu. On the other hand, Shanghai’s other omakase places offer a comparable experience for the same price or less, minus the Bund location and English service.
Value for money: 0.5/1
Total Verdict: 4/5
Price: RMB880-1480 per person
Who’s going: Japanese expats, well-heeled locals
Good for: sushi, impressing guests, Bund dining
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