Oyama Takeo Closed Shop Years Ago—His Disciples Now Run Half of Shanghai's Omakase Scene
Starting from Sushi Oyama, which opened in 2010 and closed in 2018, chefs at several of Shanghai's most popular omakase spots all trace back to the same lineage. Here's a rundown of eight go-to restaurants, their chefs' backgrounds, signature dishes, and price points.
Shanghai's most legendary omakase restaurant shut its doors back in 2018. But walk into some of the city's most sought-after sushi counters today, and you'll notice the chefs almost all share one name in common: Oyama Takeo (Oyama-san).
Oyama Takeo and the Chefs He Trained
Sushi Oyama opened on Donghu Road in 2010, marking Oyama Takeo's foothold in Shanghai and becoming the restaurant everyone still references today. His style sits between traditional technique and something a bit more playful, and paired with his boisterous personality, the place stayed hugely popular right up until it closed in 2018. Today the omakase menu is priced at ¥980 or ¥1,280 per person, still helmed by Oyama-san himself—you can still clink glasses with him.
Chef Sun-San at Ochiyo is one of Oyama's disciples, having done kaiseki early in his career at the now-closed Ochobo. Ochiyo originally sat in a lane house in Sinan Mansion and has since moved to Changning. Most of his seafood is imported directly from Japan, and he even runs a small import company himself, which is why the menu often features items beyond seasonal oysters—like white eel available only for a few weeks, or an entire premium-grade tuna flown straight in from Japan. The meal follows a kaiseki structure, with appetizers, soup, grilled dishes, and simmered dishes all appearing across one sitting; tempura crab legs are a regular feature. Omakase runs ¥1,280 per person.
Chef Liu-San at Hulu Sushi spent seven years as sous chef at Sushi Oyama before striking out on his own in August 2018. The restaurant shares a space with Pirata, both run by a husband-and-wife team, and just relocated back to Xingfu Road from Xinye Fang this past August, with only 12 seats at the counter. His pacing is steady, with bold, intense combinations showing up mid-meal—seared toro topped with uni, or shrimp and scallop layered with uni. Chawanmushi with matsutake and crab is also on the menu. Omakase is ¥1,080 per person—and if you're in the mood for a joke, try asking Liu-San for the "crazy sushi."
Uni Sushi at PAC (Jing'an Kerry Centre) seats just 12, with chef Wang Yang trained under Sun-San—another link in the Oyama lineage. This spot is all about value: lunch omakase is ¥498, dinner ¥698. You won't find otoro or shirako here often, but the white fish, seared cuts, and akami tuna are all solidly executed, and there's always at least one piece of uni. Six seats at the counter, six more in the private room, with two dinner seatings.
Kappo Yu opened in 2010, rising to prominence around the same time as Sushi Oyama. Since 2018 it's been helmed by Niu-San, another Oyama disciple, and the restaurant follows a kaiseki format. The space features a circular red counter along with several private rooms. The projection installation on the walls was created by founder Hirano Naoya, which later inspired the immersive theatrical restaurant Anthologia. Omakase is ¥1,100 per person.
Three Options Outside the Oyama Lineage
Love Sushi is located at Jing'an Kerry Centre, on the 66th floor of Hengshan Plaza, with 10 seats. Chef Ma brings 20 years of experience and follows a kaiseki structure—appetizers, sashimi, seasonal hot and cold dishes, and grilled items served in sequence. Thanks to a connection with Sun-San's supply network, he gets priority access to ingredients like geoduck, uni, abalone, and king crab, and it's one of the few places where you can privately request off-menu items. Having just opened in late 2025, lunch runs ¥690 or ¥980, dinner ¥980 or ¥1,280.
The Dome sits front-row on the Bund with river views, making it one of the few omakase spots along the Bund—and one of the more affordable ones at that. The eight-seat counter is run by chef Terada-san, who also runs a more intimate spot, Chez Bulizo, in Changning. The meal follows a kaiseki structure, moving through soup, creative appetizers, sushi, sashimi, fried dishes, and hot dishes, finishing with a hand roll using ingredients of your choice. Afterward, head upstairs to Skyline Dome for a drink with a view of the Bund at night. Dinner is ¥988 per person.
Sushi Naoki has two locations—one at the intersection of Hongmei Road and Yan'an West Road, and another on Yancheng Road near South Xizang Road—both run by Taiwanese chef Kevin Lin, who's been in the trade for over 20 years. Expect to see rarer ingredients on the menu like conch, abalone, pufferfish shirako, and salted fish roe. It's also the priciest of the bunch at ¥2,500 per person, largely reflecting the cost of the rare ingredients he occasionally sources.
Ingredients at each restaurant vary by season and availability—please check with the restaurants directly for current reservations and menu details.
