A Bit Gone: But hey I'm big in Japan, I'm big in Japan

Sushi time! I budgeted for one special, Michelin star level sushi dinner. (actually I budgeted 3 fancy dinners but dropping my cell phone in Budapest erased 2 of those).

You don't just call up the top sushi places in Tokyo, you need to go through a service, usually your hotel can help but as I am airbnb that wasn't an option. Contacted a service a while back and they gave me a list of available places. Selected Sushi Ichi after reading a Conde Nast piece on it. They had one reservation for one person for 8pm, perfect.

I was warned that I could not be late and that it was not an easy place to find so I left really early. Did take some time to find, down a little space between two buildings, around a corner, down an alley, to an unmarked bambo door, still an hour to kill so went to find a drink.

The highly reviewed Bar High Five is in a basement a few blocks away, in Ginza. Crowded but not too bad, they informed me that as long as I didn't have any friends I was welcome at the bar, luckily for me I do not have any friends.

Ordered a Boulevardier and the bartender asked me where I was from, told him, we chatted some, he asked if I like nice cocktail places in Vancouver, I confirmed, he laughed and replied "I'm from White Rock!" Insane, Mexico City all over again.

Would have loved to chat with him more but cannot be late. Made my way back down the alley and rang the bell, a voice spoke in Japanese over the intercom, I replied "sushi rice" as I had been instructed, Nothing... then the door slid open and I could see a narrow bamboo staircase leading steeply up, climbed up and into a tiny dining room, just a sushi counter and about ten seats, all full but one.

No menu here, sat and started rolling. I won't go through course by course, if you are interested I can tell in person but the way the chef worked things I told him into the courses was eerie and wonderful.

Look at that tuna!