This is the Gonpachi restaurant called Nori-Temaki.
It’s just so sparkling new and modern inside – and if you’ve got a mini-obsession with beautiful copper and wooden interiors, like I do – you’ll also be just looking around and grinning (even at the bathroom basins!)
‘Nori-Temaki’ means, well I’m pretty sure that most people know what Nori is …but the Temaki part refers to hand-rolled sushi.
I actually haven’t had sushi served to me in this way. Sushi served to me at a counter usually means that I’m getting ready to pay a hefty bill at the end and this place is completely reasonably priced but it also doesn’t feel even the slightest bit intimidating.
Please note that this restaurant is now cashless. Card only. For lunch time I’d budget 2000 yen for adults and double that at dinner time.
The counter wraps around the entire kitchen and I love that I can not only see my meal being prepared – but I love that I can check out what everyone else is getting too.
This Harajuku restaurant also understands what it means to be gluten free and can advise GF diners on their options (they also carry gluten free soy sauce.)
I know this sounds really weird but.. want to know my favourite part of the meal? The Nori seaweed!
Which is so funny for me to say because I don’t actually think that I’ve payed attention to seaweed before. The seaweed is crisp …and fresh and specially sourced for this very restaurant.
I can’t wait to take friends who are used to sushi rolls from the food court in Australia. You know, those ‘made that morning’ and the rice is cold and crunchy… because at this restaurant the rice is still warm because it’s prepared right in front of you.
When you walk in, there is a menu under a blackboard with pencils to check off what you would like to eat. It’s fine to order individual hand rolls or you can select a set of three at a time.
And something else that I’ve never seen before in Japan? For a teeny bit extra (an additional 50 yen), you can order sushi made with cauliflower rice!!!
This is such a new concept in Japan and I’m so happy to see that there is now a good quality sushi spot that has a low carb, no grain option!
I’m planning to go again this week – it was that yummy and it’s less than 3 minutes walk from Harajuku Station, Meiji Shrine and Takeshita Street. They have chosen the best location (if you know this area well… it’s just across the road from LUSH and NIKE) and I can just tell it is going to get CRAZY popular right away.
If you’re visiting with children, there is stroller space and a slope access down to the entrance.
There are not any high chairs in place right now but they plan to have them available in the near future.
GONPACHI NORI-TEMAKI RESTAURANT
渋谷区神宮前6-35-3, 1F CO-OP OLYMPIAビル
1F CO-OP OLYMPIA, 6-35-3 JINGUMAE, SHIBUYAA
OPEN 11:30AM -11PM
WEBSITE
If you’re looking for other options in this area, I recommend taking a look at my post here. This area is just buzzing with completely cool options on a weekend.
