I often travel to Japan,
but strangely I don’t eat sushi much during trips.
I’m not sure why — it just happens that way.
Maybe because many good sushi restaurants require reservations,
while I usually decide where to eat on a whim.
So I end up in izakayas for dinner and drinks, rather than sushi counters.
I also tend to prefer local specialties over sushi.
In Kyoto, I’d want kaiseki,
and in Kagoshima, I’d rather have Kurobuta shabu-shabu.
This time, though, I felt differently.
I wanted to taste Kagoshima’s seasonal ingredients at their best.
Especially the fish, overshadowed by Kurobuta on my past trips.
So before arriving, I researched a few places and asked the hotel concierge to make a reservation after I checked in.
The place I’m introducing now was one of those.
They post seat availability updates on Instagram,
but take reservations only by phone — so for foreigners, booking isn’t easy.
Sushi Kaoru (すし馨) sits quietly at the far end of Tenmonkan.
On Tabelog, it ranks among Kagoshima’s top sushi restaurants —
Currently number three as of November 2025.
Since the top two are very high-end,
this might be the highest-rated casual place in town.
Because I’d preselected my course when booking,
the meal began right after ordering a drink.
There’s a longer course with sashimi and cooked dishes,
but I chose just the sushi course — my appetite isn’t big.
As soon as I sat down, the appetizers appeared:
boiled squid legs, yam paste (yamakake) over kampachi and akitaro, and burdock root dressed with sesame.
All were delicious — it immediately felt like this place was special.
Next came a salad of Hokkaido snow crab topped with crab meat and tomalley.
At first, it didn’t look particularly exciting,
but the taste — wow.
Rich, deep, and so flavorful.
I couldn’t stop thinking, “How can this be so good?”
Then the sushi began.
Since it’s a relaxed, casual restaurant,
the sushi didn’t come one by one at a slow pace.
The chef filled the counter quite quickly,
replacing empty spots as I ate.
It made photographing difficult but enjoyable in the moment.
The sushi came so fast I just kept eating,
forgetting to take some photos.
But that’s fine — enjoying the food matters more.
(Still, I do wish I had more photos for the blog!)
The chef said all the fish were from Kagoshima,
though I suspect the hon-maguro might have been from elsewhere —
just like the snow crab from Hokkaido.
I was happy to try fish I rarely eat,
like isaki (grunt?) and ara (grouper),
and Kagoshima-only ingredients such as taka-ebi and akitaro.
The final piece was a hand roll (temaki), which I forgot to photograph.
Checking my notes,
I counted a total of twenty pieces.
Good thing I chose the short course — this was more than enough.
If I’d added cooked dishes and sashimi, I couldn’t have finished.
To close, a warm bowl of miso soup made with simmered sea bream.
It was rich and soothing — the perfect way to end the meal.
I’m no sushi expert,
so I can’t talk about the balance between neta and shari,
but I can say this: it was delicious.
The restaurant is excellent, friendly, and has great value for money.
Now I understand why the Tabelog score is so high.
It was fully booked that night,
and I’d definitely visit again next time I’m in Kagoshima.
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