New sushi restaurant in Tokyo combines the cuteness of bears with Japanese tradition

Sushi Bears, a newly opened restaurant in Tokyo’s busy Asakusa district, aims to please both locals and tourists alike by combining the essence of kawaii with traditional sushi.

In what is sure to be a hit with those looking to find the next Instagram food sensation, Sushi Bears creates effortlessly cute sushi dishes that incorporate an edible bear based on the theme of “bears in the forest”.

Led by a female chef who has a varied past as both a professionally trained sushi chef in New York and as an onsen (spa) YouTuber, Sushi Bears has a range of dishes on offer for all price ranges, from small on to go style bites to more elaborate bowl meals and nigiri sushi.

With spaces inside the restaurant limited, Sushi Bears have created two take-out dishes designed to look like soft-serve ice cream, aptly called “Kumachan Soft”.

Visitors can select from either a mini negitoro bowl (minced raw tuna and green onions) or salmon bowl option at a cost of 1,000 yen (tax exc.) (approx. $6.61 USD/£5.18 GBP).

If you’re dining in, you may want to order something more substantial.

The first of the larger options on the menu and the second least expensive are the simply adorable bowl meals, which see Kumachan sat atop a lush bed of raw fish and other ingredients.

7 regular bowls, and 2 luxury bowls are available to order, all of which come served with either chawanmushi (a savory steamed egg custard) or oyster soup.

All regular bowls cost 2,500 yen (tax exc.) (approx. $16.52 USD/£12.95 GBP) and come complete with Kumachan resting atop the ingredients, or in some cases, nestled beneath them as though under a blanket.

The final regular bowl is the “Staff Meal Bowl”, which comes with a selection of fresh toppings, including salmon, amberjack or yellowtail, bigeye tuna, squid, scallop, ikura, tobiko, tamago, and kanpyo (a type of shaved gourd).

The 2 luxury bowls range vastly in price, with the cheapest simply called the “Luxury Bowl” costing 3,980 yen (tax exc.) (approx. $26.30 USD/£20.61GBP).

Essentially a bulked out version of the “Staff Meal Bowl”, the “Luxury Bowl” adds kohada, shrimp and mackerel to the mix and increases the amount of all of the toppings to overly generous proportions.

The most impressive, and most expensive single item, on the menu may be the final luxury bowl, which is the 9,800 yen (tax exc.) (approx. $64.77 USD/£50.74 GBP) “Ocean Treasure Box Bowl“.

Generously topped with salmon, ikura, and uni, the “Ocean Treasure Box Bowl” is guaranteed to get you attention when ordered as well as when you share your photos of it online.

If more traditional sushi is your thing, you can also order nigiri sushi as a set meal, which ranges from 2,700 yen (tax exc.) (approx. $17.84 USD/£13.98 GBP) to 4,000 yen (tax exc.) (approx. $26.44 USD/£20.71 GBP) for 9 pieces that comes served with a mini negitoro and ikura Kumachan bowl and chawanmushi or oyster soup.

Nigiri sushi can also be ordered a la carte, or if you’re feeling particularly hungry, you can opt for one of the two course meals on offer at Sushi Bears.

A short course is available that comes with 3 small dishes, 1 grilled or simmered dish, chawanmushi, 10 pieces of nigiri sushi, oyster soup and a dessert for 6,500 yen (tax exc.) (approx. $42.96 USD/£33.66 GBP) per person.

For those of a more hearty appetite, a full course is available that comes with 3 small dishes, sashimi, 1 grilled dish, 1 simmered dish, chawanmushi, 13 pieces of nigiri sushi, oyster soup and a dessert for 10,000 yen (tax exc.) (approx. $66.09 USD/£51.78 GBP) per person.

If you’re planning on visiting Sushi Bears, it’s recommended to make a reservation via their official website as demand for tables during peak times can be high.

Store Location: Sushi Bears, Diaheim Asakusa 202, 3-16-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo

Source, Images: Official Website