Shiro is a legend in Seattle, and Shiro’s is a testament to his talent with its following hardcore nigiri fanatics. I’d say that the thing that stands out the most about Shiro’s is the perfectly made roll of sushi rice. It stays together, has the perfect amount of hardness, and has just enough mirin to make it interesting. So with Shiro’s new restaurant, Sushi Kashiba, it was no surprise to see that the rice was still perfect. And now he gets to choose the cuts of fish and design the omakase menu.

For $95, there’s 11 pieces of nigiri plus two rolls, miso, and tamago. The fish will be whatever is freshest that day, but these are all extremely fresh pieces of fish, with an oh toro and a salmon belly to boot. The fattiness of the tuna and the flavor of the salmon make you realize how flavorful fresh fish can be! The eel was a highlight for our family, the most tender and flavorful they had ever had. I also heard raves about the sweet shrimp, but I do not like sweet shrimp, so I convey their compliments. I do question why there was a spicy tuna roll in the omakase, but maybe it’s a popular request?

Omakasi 1 – one of these is a oh toro and all that’s matters

omakasi 2 – salmon, mackerel, sweet shrimp, scallop, tuna

omakasi 3 – squid, uni, roe, eel, spicy tuna roll

tomago – this is dessert, a delicate fluffy sweet egg holding together a small bite of rice; it’s like an egg custard on sushi

Kashiba was a fancy sushi restaurant, perfect for special occasions. It’s spendy, but you’re paying for the freshest fish that is guaranteed to melt in your mouth. The service was a little rushed though – they kept informing us that our next dish would be up soon when we were still working on our current plates. I’m guessing it’s because the restaurant was so busy they wanted to turn over the tables for the formidable mob that had formed at the front door on a late Sunday night. Well, Seattle is quite particular about its sushi, so it’s no surprise that the crowds all flock to the legend.

SUMMARY
Overall: happily ever after
Highlights: eel, oh toro, uni
Footnotes: Omakase is $95, a smaller pris fix menu is available for $75, the miso cod chin is $85; make a reservation!