Hakkoku's Hiroyuki Sato returns to Toronto for a $1,400-a-seat sushi pop-up

A well-known Ginza sushi chef is coming back to Toronto for three days. Hiroyuki Sato of Hakkoku will cook at Sushi Yūgen in the Financial District from November 17 to 19. The event is part of the restaurant's third-anniversary celebrations, Streets of Toronto reports.

The price is getting as much attention as the chef: $1,400 a seat for dinner and $695 for lunch. Below is what has been announced, who Sato is, and what we could not confirm.

The pop-up at a glance

Streets of Toronto lists two dinner seatings and one lunch seating. Sato will prepare and serve the sushi himself, for 12 guests at each seating, using ingredients flown in from Japan. In total, there are 36 seats across the three days.

The article calls it one of the city's priciest dining events. It also asks, half-seriously, whether readers might be better off flying to Japan instead.

Who is Hiroyuki Sato?

Before Hakkoku, Sato made his name at Sushi Tokami in Tokyo. According to Omakase, he became head chef there in 2013 and quickly earned a Michelin star. The same site says he first trained at Akizuki, run by a chef who trained at Ginza Kyubey, and opened Hakkoku in 2018.

Hakkoku has an unusual layout. TABLEALL describes three small rooms, each with its own counter and six chairs. Sato believes six is the most guests he can serve properly at one time. Omakase adds that Sato leads one room while his trained disciples run the others, serving the same sushi.

Sato also travels to cook. A Michelin Guide profile mentions pop-ups in San Francisco, Macau, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Denmark, Paris and Spain. It also says his tuna comes from the Yamayuki Group. Perhaps surprisingly, the profile notes that he did not like sushi as a child, even though his father owned a sushi restaurant.

A return visit, not a first

This is not Sato's first time cooking at Sushi Yūgen. Streets of Toronto says he joined the restaurant for its soft opening. A 2023 Narcity article says he prepared dinner at the grand opening. Fête Chinoise also lists him among the restaurant's collaborators in its first year.

Fête Chinoise says Sushi Yūgen opened in late 2023 on York Street. Its head chef is Kyohei Igarashi. His career spans more than 25 years in sushi and kaiseki, according to the restaurant's OpenTable listing. Both OpenTable and Streets of Toronto say the restaurant has been recognized by Canada's 100 Best.

OpenTable gives the address as 150 York St., inside Adelaide Place. It also says the restaurant is steps from Osgoode and St Andrew subway stations.

Putting the price in context

The restaurant's regular menus show how unusual these prices are. On OpenTable, the kaiseki-and-sushi "Reserve" course is listed at $275 per guest. The regular Sushi Omakase costs $80 to $98 at lunch and $98 to $130 at dinner.

For the regular omakase menus, OpenTable says the price does not include taxes and gratuity. The sources we checked do not say whether the pop-up's $1,400 and $695 prices include tax, tip or service charges. If you are thinking about booking, ask about this first.

Our view: The price makes more sense once you see what it includes and how few seats there are. Dinner comes with a six-wine Burgundy pairing, the ingredients are flown in from Japan, and the chef serves only 12 guests at a time. Still, this is a rare special-occasion splurge, not a typical night out.

This event may appeal most to people who already know Hakkoku's reputation. Omakase notes that reservations at Hakkoku in Tokyo open two months in advance. If you are simply curious about Edomae-style sushi, the restaurant's regular menus cost far less.

How to book, and what is unclear

We could not confirm the booking method, cancellation terms, or how many of the 36 seats are still available.

The details above come from published reports as of late October 2026. DOJI has not attended or reviewed this event.

Are you going, or do you know of other Japanese chefs visiting Canada? Share it with Japanese speakers across the country on the DOJI community board.

New to DOJI? Sign up here to connect with Japanese speakers in Canada.