Stephanie W.
Yelp
***Disclaimer: this is a review of the omakase experience and does not reflect the a la carte dining aspect of the restaurant***
Vibes: simple, modern, intimate; bring a friend to sit around the chef's table
Tasting notes:
- Snapper/yellowtail: a fresh, minimalistic start to the meal with a quartet of sashimi pieces, paired with a dab of wasabi and soy sauce for dipping
- Fluke/wagyu: another light bite, but with more substance; meat was melt-in-your-mouth; loved the accompanying fragrant and umami-rich yuzu and seaweed sauces
- Oyster/caviar: the small, sweet Kumamoto was an excellent cup for the saline mentaiko sauce, which added additional depth in texture and flavor
- Corn Mousse: a unique, savory, chilled cocktail of a variety of textures; corn mousse was dense but incredibly smooth and rich in corn flavor
- Black cod: crispy skin and buttery meat, otherwise standard execution
- Nigiri: a mix of usual fish such as akami, toro and surprising offerings like green eye and thornyhead; generally served raw, painted with soy and a pinch of condiment but occasionally torched for a bit of charred flavor; anago was served warmed and directly to the palm
- Toro handroll: excellent ratio of rice to wasabi and near pate texture of toro; a very satisfying snap with each bite from the crisp seaweed
- Miso soup: a lot of depth in the seafood flavor; the miso component is almost an afterthought but contributes the familiar earthiness
- Tamagoyaki: very fluffy, bouncy, and more on the sponge cake side
- Passionfruit cheesecake: no crust here; very concentrated in the tart, fragrant flavor of passionfruit; a very decadent end
Other thoughts:
- I shared a carafe of sake with my husband, which was served on ice and came with a complimentary selection of beautiful sake cups to drink from
- I also ordered AKA icchiko, a sippable, fairly sweet cocktail, in the middle, which took some time to arrive
- The experience takes place downstairs from the a la carte diners, though on the same floor, there was some bustle from diners in the back room
- Appreciated Chef Jeff's explanation of each course, from the ingredients to how best to enjoy
Impression: a few standout bites, an otherwise solid experience with some room for improvement on the service side!