I will rank the different kinds of mackerel sushi you can inexpensively get in and around Tokyo. This mackerel is usually marinated in vinegar, and tasty.
1st: Mackerel with Leaf Mustard Sushi さば高菜巻
This is a type of maki-sushi (sushi roll) called Saba-takana-maki さば高菜巻 in Japanese.
Marinated mackerel and a few kinds of ingredients are rolled with pickled leaf mustard.
This pickled leaf mustard is called Takana, and it is edible.
Many supermarkets in Japan offer this sushi. It usually costs between 300 yen and 600 yen for 4 pieces.
Supermarket: Ito-Yokado イトーヨーカドー
さば高菜巻 Saba-takana-maki
398 yen
It contains mackerel, cucumber, pickled ginger and leaf mustard.
金華さばの高菜巻 Kinkasaba-no-takana-maki
550 yen
It is used Kinka-mackerel 金華さば.
Supermarket name
Ito-Yokado イトーヨーカドー
Website
Supermarket: Inageya いなげや
高菜のさば太巻 Takana-no-saba-futomaki
298 yen
Picked radish (yellow one) is in it. I like its a little crispy touch.
Supermarket name
Inageya いなげや
Website (in Japanese)
They are suburban supermarkets in and around Tokyo 東京 (and Saimata 埼玉, Kanagawa 神奈川, Chiba 千葉).
Supermarket: Belx ベルクス
さば高菜太巻寿司 Saba-takana-futomaki-sushi
299 yen
Supermarket name
Belx ベルクス
Website (in Japanese)
2nd: Another Kind of Mackerel with Leaf Mustard Sushi
Sushi Chain: SUSHIRO スシロー
A sushi restaurant chain Sushiro スシロー offers tasty Mackerel with Leaf Mustard Sushi only for to go.
Fatty Mackerel Pressed Sushi
とろ鯖押し寿司 Torosaba-oshizushi
4 slices 400 yen
8 slices 780 yen
This is a type of pressed sushi called Oshizushi 押し寿司 in Japanese.
This restaurant's one is rolled with Takana.
The restaurant uses Japanese (domestic) fatty mackerel.
I put some soy sauce and wasabi on it.
8 slices 780 yen for to go
Very thick mackerel is in it.
Sushi restaurant name
Sushiro スシロー
(in Japanese)
- This sushi restaurant offers food both for here and to go, but this mackerel sushi is takeout only.
- No service fee / No cover charge
- No smoking
- Tax is not included in the prices.
- Most sushi items cost 100, 150 or 300 yen.
I went to eat sushi inside the restaurant.
No sooner had I had a seat than I ordered Pressed Sushi, because they sell it in a limited quantity, and it requires long time to make.
English picture menu is available at their restaurants.
However, on the official website, English menu is not available.
There are more than 500 Sushiro スシロー Restaurants all over Japan.
3rd: Pressed Type Sushi with Konbu and Sliced Mackerel
BATTERA バッテラ
バッテラ Battera
540 yen
Battera is a kind of pressed type sushi. It is made with thinly sliced mackerel and Konbu which is a kind of sea vegetables (kelp).
Konbu sheet.
SABA-BOU-SUSHI 鯖棒鮨
鯖棒寿司 Saba-bou-sushi
680 yen
Restaurant Name
GOTTSURI ごっつり
鯖棒鮨 Saba-bou-sushi
600 yen
Saba-bou-sushi is a kind of pressed type sushi. It is made with thickly sliced mackerel. This one in the picture above is made with Konbu which is a kind of sea vegetables (kelp).
Battera is regularly sold every day at this shop below.
Sushi shop name
KYOTARU 京樽
Website (in Japanese)
4th: Very Thick Roll of Mackerel Sushi
This is also mackerel sushi roll. It is tasty, but not my favorite.
Because it is rolled with nori (dried sea vegetable sheet) instead of leaf mustard Takana 高菜.
Actually, pickled leaf mustard is my favorite ingredient when I eat mackerel sushi roll.
真さばの極太巻 Masaba-no-futo-maki
490 yen
太巻 Futo-maki means thick roll.
極太巻 Goku-futo-maki is very thick roll.
5th: Rice Ball Type Mackerel Sushi (Nigiri Sushi)
Lightly Seared Mackerel Sushi
Marinated Mackerel Sushi
Marinated Raw Fatty Kinka-Mackerel Sushi
金華とろ生さば Kinka-toro-nama-saba
Marinated Kinka-Mackerel Sushi
金華さば Kinka-saba
Tax is not included in the prices on this page. The prices are as of in 2019 - 2020.
Other Types of Mackerel Dishes
Have you ever eaten Miso Mackerel Meal?
Some of the Japanese restaurants offer mackerel sashimi (raw fish).
High quality mackerel sashimi
Mackerel is on the right side. It is not marinated / vinegared.
The supermarket Ito-Yokado usually offers standard level of mackerel sushi as pictured above, but when they sometimes get higher quality mackerel named Kinka-mackerel (Kinka-saba 金華鯖), they make special quality mackerel sushi.
It is more delicious because it has plenty of fat. However, both the special and the standard sushi look the same. And it is a little more expensive.