Ysumi — Review by TabiEats
Tokyo, Japan — Japanese Seafood Buffet
Ysumi is a newly opened luxurious all-you-can-eat seafood buffet in Ginza's Loft building featuring over 150 dishes. The restaurant offers exceptional quality ingredients including live king crab, snow crab, lobster, premium sashimi, wagyu beef, and interactive table cooking options. While the 120-minute time limit feels rushed for such an extensive menu, the reasonable pricing for top-quality seafood makes it an incredible value.
What was great: Massive selection of over 150 dishes including fresh king crab, snow crab, lobster, premium sashimi, wagyu beef, dim sum, sushi, hot pot options, and exceptional desserts. High-quality ingredients with live seafood. Reasonable price for the quality and quantity. Modern, beautiful atmosphere in convenient Ginza location.
What could improve: Time constraint of 120 minutes is too short to try everything. Overwhelming amount of options makes it difficult to decide what to eat.
The Dishes
Ysumi overwhelms with choice, offering approximately 150 different dishes across multiple stations. The star of the show is undoubtedly the seafood selection. Reviewers enjoyed succulent king crab claws with naturally sweet, juicy meat, perfectly fresh snow crab legs that were tender and sweet, and premium lobster claws packed with flavorful meat. The sashimi section showcased impeccably fresh maguro tuna alongside octopus, squid, and salmon. A standout moment occurred when staff brought out a whole fresh tuna tableside, carving it into sashimi for diners to enjoy.
The hot pot experience allowed interactive cooking with ultra-fresh ingredients. Slices of A5 wagyu beef were incredibly tender and juicy, while specialty items like fugu blowfish and live abalone provided adventurous options. Dim sum offerings included memorable pork spare ribs that were tender with flavorful bones, shrimp dumplings with beautiful shrimp, and exceptional crab-filled dim sum bursting with crab flavor. Roast beef was noted as super tender with rich gravy.
The prepared dishes section featured a Singapore-style lobster claw preparation, garlic-infused abalone with excellent flavor balance, garlic oysters grilled to perfection with just-right garlickiness, and peking duck that was always reliable. Fresh vegetables like lotus roots were included in the hot pot preparations. The dessert selection was particularly strong, with a rich Ecuador chocolate cake, vibrant mango mousse, pistachio cake that was surprisingly good, fresh melons, and Shaoxing grapes. Gelato and ice cream options including black sesame and matcha flavors provided the perfect finale.
The Experience
The buffet is housed on the ninth floor of the Loft building in Ginza, making it conveniently centrally located. The space is described as very modern and beautiful, with a brand new aesthetic. The layout features multiple distinct stations for seafood, meats, sushi, dim sum, salads, drinks, and desserts. The dining experience is highly interactive with customers steaming their own seafood in table-mounted steamers and cooking items in personal hot pots. Service appears efficient with staff replenishing items and bringing special preparations like the whole tuna to tables. The atmosphere is busy and lively, though the sheer volume of choices can create a somewhat hectic dining experience.
Value and Pricing
The buffet is described as having a quite reasonable price for the exceptional quality of ingredients and the sheer quantity available. Premium items like king crab, snow crab, lobster, A5 wagyu, and ultra-fresh sashimi would cost significantly more if ordered a la carte at typical restaurants. The all-you-can-drink option adds additional value, with beer, cocktails, herbal teas, and soft drinks included. One limitation is the 120-minute time limit, which both reviewers felt was too short to experience even half the available options.
Notable Moments
This buffet is huge. It's insane. Insane is the proper word.
Around 150 kinds of food dishes. Can you believe it?
This crab is actually quite nice. I was expecting like frozen flavor for some reason because it is huge and the price is not expensive. But this crab is actually quite nice.
It's like a race against time. We have so much food on the table right now and we haven't even tried maybe like a quarter of what's available here.
I have not had so much seafood like this in one sitting in a very long time.
It's beyond all you can eat buffet. The selection was amazing.
The Verdict
Ysumi represents an exceptional all-you-can-eat experience that lives up to its billing as one of Tokyo's most luxurious seafood buffets. The combination of extraordinarily fresh ingredients, interactive cooking experiences, and reasonable pricing makes it outstanding value for seafood lovers. The main caveat is the 120-minute time constraint, which reviewers felt was insufficient to explore even half the menu. This restaurant is best suited for diners with serious appetites who want to sample premium seafood preparations and enjoy an interactive dining experience. Reservations are essential as the restaurant is already quite popular despite being newly opened. While the overwhelming number of choices can be daunting, those who embrace the experience and come prepared to eat efficiently will find it absolutely fantastic.