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

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The Black Night goes to Billy Beach sushi almost every week with his favorite sushi chef, Hutch who was at Otodo and the Japonessa.  This was my first time at Billy Beach, although I have hazy memories of sashimi and a gigantic chocolate calazone from Otodo back in the day.  Hutch knows exactly what he’s doing and all of the sashimi is extremely fresh.

Basics: salmon (fatty), yellowtail (has that firmness on the ititial bite before melting), mackeral (perfect amount of brininess with pickled kelp and ginger on top to balance things out), kampachi (he got out a whole new fish for us!), crab salad.  Just the way they were meant to be. Continue reading »

Once upon a time, there was a master sushi chef, named Shiro, widely regarded as the best sushi master in Seattle.  Impressed by the praise and the honors bestowed upon Shiro, she set out to determine the merits of the claims.

Always a favorite, the agadashi tofu did not disappoint with it slightly sweetened broth and crispy texture.

agadashi tofu – crunch on the outside, bathing in a lightly sweetened broth

As she wanted the chef to shine, she ordered the omakase (chef’s choice).  Ordering the omakase proved a little confusing as the table had three diners, and thus attempted to order three orders.  However, the server informed them that omakase starts at $50 and is portioned for two people.  $75 offered three pieces of each, but did not affect the items served.   Continue reading »