As you approach Nagai Edomae Sushi on Broadway Street in Redwood City, the front door and windows are obscured by shoji screens, offering no glimpse inside.

Although the street teems with other restaurants, you can’t just walk in like any other establishment. Indeed, a small sign by the door indicates: “Private omakase by reservation only.”

Opened last fall, this restaurant with all of 10 seats around a Japanese cypress counter provides a very intimate experience that somehow transports you away from the congestion outside its front door to a state of quietude.

Behind the counter stands Chef-Owner Tomonori Nagai, who grew up in a family of fishermen in the small coastal town of Iwaki, before finding his calling as a sushi chef, in which he worked at Morimoto in Honolulu and Michelin-starred Shinji by Kanesaka in Singapore.

In 2019, he opened Sushi Nagai on Union Square in San Francisco, which unfortunately ended up closing during the pandemic. That was where I first experienced his food. After being invited two weeks ago as a guest of Nagai Edomae Sushi, I think I prefer his new location more, just because its smaller size makes for an experience that feels more personal and special.

Chef Nagai opened his restaurant with business partner Sunny Noah, who also owns the omakase restaurants, Tancho in Castro Valley, Iki in Palo Alto, and the soon-to-open Ren in Menlo Park.

Sushi Nagai reminded me very much of the tasting menu-experiences I’d just had weeks ago when traveling in Japan. Don’t think that you need be hushed, though, while dining here. Though a quiet presence, Nagai will periodically ask each diner how they are doing and if they enjoyed their last morsel. In fact, a woman dining next to me said she enjoyed this experience much more than another Bay Area Michelin-starred omakase because she felt as if she could not only converse naturally with the chef, but that it was encouraged.

The omakase is $150 per person on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday; and $195 per person on Friday and Saturday. There is also a mandatory 17 percent operational support fee (not considered a gratuity) that goes toward restaurant upkeep, premium ingredients, and staff support.

The standard sake pairing is $75 (four glasses) is what I opted for. You can also add supplemental courses for an additional fee.

Nagai specializes in Edomai-style sushi, which developed in the Edo period (1603-1868) as a way to preserve fish by aging; marinating with salt, vinegar and/or kombu; simmering; boiling; broiling; and charring.

Dinner begins with a flourish as a large lacquered tray is set before you containing five small, distinct dishes: zingy vinegared Mozuku seaweed in the center, surrounded by buttery, pate-like monkfish liver in ponzu sauce; tender simmered octopus with real wasabi; baby sardines with crunchy cabbage seasoned with citrusy yuzu; and the tiniest, most tender squid in a lively miso-vinegar sauce.

To enjoy with everything, a dry sake with balanced minerality and a hint of floral.

That’s followed by one of my favorite dishes of the evening. But then again, I am a sucker for anything with shiso leaf, Japanese ginger, and sour plum. And this first of the season bonito, served raw, sports all of that in a roasted sake and sour plum vinaigrette that’s a refreshing whoosh of floral and fruity with gentle acidity.

Next comes a dish that’s not listed on the menu, but one that Nagai couldn’t resist making to serve that night. Bak kut teh was his favorite dish when he lived in Singapore. One taste and it’s easy to see why this homey, warming dish could win anyone over. Pork rib is simmered until the meat is fall-apart tender and creates its own deeply satisfying bone broth. A touch of vinegar adds just a pop of brightness. A pillow of fried tofu at the bottom soaks up all those delicious flavors like a sponge, too.

Just before the parade of nigiri begins, a bowl of pickled diced baby ginger arrives as a palate cleanser between morsels. The second sake, boasting tropical flavors, is poured into a cold metal cup designed to mimic an inverted Mount Fuji.

You’ll notice that the morsels of rice underneath the fish are tinged brown. That’s because Nagai uses red vinegar, not white, to season the rice, which gives it a more pronounced tang but also wine-y sweetness.

Aged sakura masu or cherry trout has an orange-pink color, along with a rich umami taste and an almost floral sweetness. Nodoguro or blackthroat seaperch is known as “white toro” because of its high fat content, offers up a buttery bite that finishes clean. Cuttlefish isn’t always my favorite, but the sumi ika or golden cuttlefish here won me over because of it’s more meltingly tender, rather than slightly slimy, texture accented with sea salt.

In preparation for the tuna to come, a dish of pickled daikon, smoked over cherry wood, is served, providing a crunchy, sweet, and smoky respite.

Akami or lean tuna is deep, dark red with a meaty taste. In comparison, Chu toro or medium fatty tuna is more pink-red with a richer, more supple quality.

At this point, you’re asked if you’d like to supplement your experience with an order of otoro or fatty tuna, which is $35 for one piece. It’s a splurge, but a great way to progress to the most luxurious part of the tuna. Cut from the belly, its heavy marbling resembles raw beef. It coats your entire mouth in fat and tastes as rich and indulgent as it gets.

Another supplement is Hokkaido sea urchin, again $35 for one serving. Deeply burnished orange, it’s cold, piled high, super creamy, and sweetly oceanic.

Now, it’s time for Nagai’s signature: kohada or gizzard shad that’s not only been marinated in salt and vinegar, but braided artfully — his own special touch. With glistening silver skin, it’s an oily fish full of umami that gets enough acidity from the marinade to balance it out. Enjoy it with the third sake, delicate yet a little fruity sweet, that’s described as reminiscent of a California Chardonnay.

Lighter tasting horse mackerel or aji, is slit to hold minced chives, ginger, and shiso, a trio that provides a wonderful aromatic bite.

The final nigiri is sea eel two ways: roasted in bamboo leaf, then served in a traditional savory-sweet unagi sauce that gives it a very rich and meaty presence; and the other finished with yuzu kosho and lime for a hit of bright lime and peppery heat. Its miniscule spine is deep-fried, rendering it edible and crunchy like a cracker for a novel little snack.

Nagai’s egg omelet is a wonder. Light, fluffy, caramelized on top, and with a hint of sweetness, it’s like a sponge cake, bordering on a light dessert. It’s made by whipping the egg whites separately and baking the omelet rather than cooking it in a pan on the stovetop.

However, the arrival of red miso soup signals that you’re not at dessert time yet. Savory and slightly salty, it’s garnished with green onions; tiny, sweet Sakura shrimp; and tingly Sansho pepper.

The final sake is sweet and unfiltered with rice pulp in it, giving it a creamy body.

With dessert arrives coffee — but in the form of a flavored jelly that’s thoughtfully made with decaf. It’s like iced coffee made into jello.

It’s served alongside a slice of Japanese musk melon that resembles a cantaloupe but with green flesh like a honeydew. The way the Japanese revere fruit is legendary. This Crown melon is no exception. A rare melon, only one fruit is harvested from each tree to ensure the best survives. The texture is crisp-tender and succulent; the taste is sweet through and through like nectar with a musky-floral perfume.

As you depart through the inconspicuous doorway, you feel as if you’ve just had the good fortune to be let in on a secret. And you leave grateful for the enlightenment.