Shimogamo Japanese Restaurant

"Wine sommelier Mika Otomo and her husband, chef Daisuke Itagaki, took her parent’s comfortable and consistently excellent Japanese restaurant and transformed it into a sophisticated destination offering classic and non-traditional Japanese dishes (think udon carbonara) and premium sushi. Itagaki sources much of the fish from Japan. The sushi menu distinguishes between “American Classic Rolls” and “Japanese Classic Rolls,” the latter containing a few that also qualify as vegan. Shimogamo’s new Gilbert location also features teppanyaki, okonomiyaki, classic rolls, and tiny, taco-shaped hand rolls stuffed with everything from snow crab and octopus to baked scallops and A5 wagyu." - Nikki Buchanan, Eater Staff

"Yoshio and Sanae Otomo opened this neighborhood Japanese restaurant and sushi bar in 2003, and while it’s always been better-than-good, it’s now — 20 years later — categorically great. Credit goes to the Otomo’s daughter Mika, a certified sommelier who met and married chef Daisuke Itagaki when they were both working at an international steakhouse in Tokyo. The two moved back to Chandler to help run her parents’ restaurant, bringing a level of playfulness and sophistication that puts Shimogamo near the top of the local heap. Itagaki sources an ever-changing selection of top-quality Japanese fish and three types of Wagyu beef (two of them hard to come by in the States). Cocktails and an excellent sake selection enrich the experience." - Nikki Buchanan

"At first blush, the recently expanded, remodeled, and retooled Shimogamo may seem too casual to be considered a splurge restaurant, and it’s true that diners don’t have to take out a second mortgage to eat well here. Still, spending a lot of money is tempting, given the recently installed omakase menu at $120 per person. The menu also offers some exciting new selections such as truffle amberjack, udon carbonara, and salmon-caviar canapes embellished with gold leaf. Executive chef Daisuke Itagaki, who spent years working in high-end steakhouses in Tokyo, brings his understanding of quality beef to the table as well, offering customers three different types of wagyu carpaccio, lightly seared with yuzu soy: American wagyu for $54, Miyzaki wagyu for $78, or Ozaki wagyu for $125. As the restaurant’s sommelier, Itagaki’s wife Mika Otomo (daughter of Shimogamo founders Sanae and Yoshio Otomo) has curated a wine and sake list to match the menu. And for dessert, there’s not-too-sweet cheesecake, spiked with Arizona-made sake." - Nikki Buchanan