On my first visit to Mori Sushi (in 2007), I had just come to appreciate the wonders of Sushi Zo, and came away from Mori Sushi impressed, but put off by the cost. Still, I felt that Chef Morihiro Onodera delivered some great Sushi and a great dining experience overall. But this was before my culinary journey to Japan, and my visit to Urasawa in L.A., so I was curious how Mori Sushi would fare given the new perspective.

While Mori Sushi occupies a corner retail space, trying to find it may cause some confusion for first-timers since it has no visible sign outside of a picture of a stick figure fish. :)


Even its entrance is rather humble and understated, like its Chef-Owner, with a single light, shining upon a simple wooden door.


As with my first visit, I appreciated Mori Sushi's interior design, which features some of the nicest, understated decor for a traditional Sushi restaurant in Los Angeles (outside of Urasawa): Simple white walls, clean lines, wood panel floor and nice lighting.

I was seated in front of Chef Mori, and he greeted me warmly. He remembered me from my visit last year (impressive memory :), and I placed my dinner experience in his hands, "Omakase kudasai." Perusing the Sake menu, we began to converse about various Sake and some of my favorites, etc., and he told me to wait a minute. He disappeared into his kitchen, and soon returned with a bottle of Tokusen Koshino Kanbai Ginjo Sake from Niigata, Japan! This Sake isn't on the menu, and Mori-san says that he stocks a limited quantity (when he can get his hands on it), for true Sake lovers. :) This is a pretty rare Sake (even in Japan), and regarded by many in Japan as one of the best Sake in the world. I had no idea he was going to bring this out, but I was happy to try it. :)

I gladly offered him some throughout the night, and taking my first sip: The Koshino Kanbai was lightly sweet, fragrant and with a very clean finish. This was outstanding! (But I would have to say that I prefer my beloved Takeno Tsuyu by just a touch.)


Mori-san started off with Tezukuri Tofu (Handmade Tofu) with freshly-grated Wasabi and a house-made triple blend of Shoyu (Soy Sauce).


There are few things as wonderful as freshly-made Tofu, and Mori-san's Handmade Tofu was almost zen-like perfection. It was so fresh, you could really taste the essence of ...

Years ago in the culinary world, the hot new buzz word was "fusion." I heard it at school, I read about it in magazines, with restaurants serving "fusion cuisine" with a mix between 2 or 3 different styles. While the term itself wasn't offensive at the time, over the years "fusion" + any cuisine has come to take on subtle undertones of disdain (probably a backlash from foodie purism and the off-putting attitudes that exuded from some of the higher profile fusion restaurants), especially with "Fusion Sushi." Nowadays, it seems if something is different than the traditional it's labeled as "New" or "Modern," as in "New American" or "Modern American" cuisine.

So when you run across a Japanese restaurant serving Sushi that's beyond the traditional, when does it cross the line from "Fusion Sushi" to "Modern Sushi"? Is it that extra dash of Sriracha Sauce or smear of Philadelphia Cream Cheese or a piece of Black Truffle that moves it from one moniker to another? Polling my beloved Sushi Hound group, they generally concede that places focusing on Crazy Rolls are "Fusion Sushi" to them, while a more refined execution of Sushi and Sashimi with gourmet ingredients feels more appropriate to be called "Modern Sushi". For Asanebo, they've settled on the term "Japanese Gourmet" Sushi for their creations, according to Chef Shige Fujimoto.


I have heard about Asanebo for a while now, but never got a chance to eat there. I had forgotten about it, but with the always lively discussions on which restaurants in L.A. received Michelin Stars (Asanebo has received 1 Michelin Star for 2008 and 2009), I was reminded of Asanebo and was finally able to try this popular eatery. Going into my first visit, I had purposely not read anything about it, hoping to just sit back and enjoy whatever the chefs would create. Bringing part of my longtime Sushi Hound group, we had all thought Asanebo to be some kind of traditional Japanese Sushi restaurant, but through the course of our Omakase (entrusting the chef) meal, it became apparent that Asanebo's style was something far beyond traditional.


From the exterior, Asanebo looks completely unassuming; it could easily be mistaken for a generic California-Japanese mom-and-pop shop found in many mini-malls around So Cal. Stepping into the restaurant teleports you to a cozy, charming, energetic establishment with a Sushi Bar as the centerpiece. From the choice of wood to the mood lighting, Asanebo gives off a warm, inviting feeling.



Asanebo (roughly "sleeping in (through the morning)") is the result of Chef-Owner Tetsuya Nakao, ...

While Summer usually marks a chance for me to visit my friends in San Diego, for some reason, I've never thought about getting recommendations for truly great, Chow-worthy destinations while visiting. Maybe it's because I'm so happy just to see my friends after an extended period of time that I'm focused more on getting down there and hanging out, rather than where and what to eat. (^_^; But this year, I thankfully remembered to gather some recommendations and am glad I was able to finally combine the meeting of friends with good food at the same time in San Diego. :) One of the most interesting recommendations has been for Kaito Sushi.


Thanks to the strong recommendations by cgfan and many other SD Hounds, we eagerly headed over to Encinitas in search of good Sushi. :) One important thing to note is that Kaito Sushi has no sign (except the lettering on its window). So while driving through the massive, stretching mini-mall that it sits in, be on the lookout for the lettering on the window, not for any traditional, lit signage.

Stepping into Kaito Sushi, we're greeted by a slightly disheveled, easygoing person behind the Sushi bar who turns out to be Head Chef Kazuo Morita. A native of Chiba, Japan, Kazuo-san grew up training as a Sushi Chef for years in Tokyo before coming over to the U.S. As I exchange greetings with him in Japanese, he introduces himself as simply "Kazu." When I call him "Kazu-san" he immediately stops me and insists (in Japanese) that I call him "Kazu" only, and drop the "-san"; this is the equivalent of someone named, say, Chef James Smith, insisting that you just call him "Jimmy." It's an act of extreme humility and that one moment summarizes the type of Itamae (Sushi Chef) Kazuo-san is.

(Note: English and Japanese names listed as presented by the Itamae.)

We order the "Omakase" (leaving it up to the Chef), and Kazuo-san starts us with Hirame Sashimi (Thin Slices of Halibut) from the East Coast.


I see Kazuo-san taking the Halibut from the case and notice the Konbu (Kelp). I confirm with Kazuo-san that he prepares the Halibut via Kobujime, having the Halibut rest atop the Konbu helps to infuse the fish with the Kelp's flavors; a nice touch. He serves it topped with fresh Shiso Leaf, a touch of Yuzu Kosho (Spicy Yuzu Citrus Paste), and freshly-grated (hand-grated) Himalayan Pink Salt.

(Here Kazuo-san is pictured hand-grating the Himalayan Pink Salt for another table's order.)

There is unfortunately one piece with gristle/connective tissue, but otherwise, the Hirame is very fresh, mild and nicely paired with ...

Sushi is probably one of my all-time, favorite types of food. And after having "graduated" from Nobu / Matsuhisa to Sasabune, Nozawa and Shibucho, and then to Sushi Zo, Mori Sushi, Urasawa and Sushi Mizutani, I was surprised when I realized that I hadn't been back to Sushi Zo since my last Japan Trip in 2008. Before I left for Japan, Sushi Zo was easily one of my favorite Sushi restaurants in L.A., so it was with great anticipation that I returned to Sushi Zo to see how it compared to my last visit and my experiences in Japan.


Located on a low-key, mini-mall stretch of National Boulevard, Sushi Zo is the result of Chef-Owner Keizo Seki (formerly of Hide Sushi). The interior is a rather intimate space, with only a few sparse tables with the Sushi Bar being front-and-center when you enter.

On this visit (Wednesday), I enlisted one of my long-time Sushi Hounds to join me in this excursion. :) We were seated in front of Keizo-san, and when we tried to greet Keizo-san or make eye-contact, we noticed a palpable tension and uneasiness in the air. I knew of his gruffness and aloof attitude, but it was never as apparent as it was this evening (on my previous visit we ended up having a brief, fun conversation and his attitude had subsided (towards the end of the meal)). But it was about ~70% capacity at dinner time, and I decided it might be that he was too busy.

After the waitress took our drink order - we asked the waitress to have Keizo-san recommend a Sake for our fish tonight, which turned out to be Yukishibare Sake from Hokkaido, Japan - Chef Keizo briefly looked up after a few minutes and gruffly asked us if we had any fish that we didn't want (no greeting other than an angry facial expression). I spoke in Japanese to Keizo-san and greeted him, and at that point, he seemed to calm down a bit and returned a greeting to us. (The Yukishibare Sake was an excellent choice: Lightly sweet, with a sharp initial bite, ending with a very clean finish. Excellent.)


After that point, we sat back and watched Chef Keizo work. Keizo-san now has *2* assistants working with him at the Sushi Bar (versus the 1 assistant from my last visit), and even at only 70% capacity, we noticed he was furiously cutting and working away. He looked pensive and made eye contact with no one at the Sushi Bar and never looked around the restaurant, either.

Our first course arrived after about five minutes of waiting: Kumamoto Oyster. After having mixed results with Oysters in the month of May, I was pleasantly surprised by the stunningly ...

Continuing with my Japan Trip, on Night 2 I was lucky enough to get reservations for Sushi Mizutani. Going to Japan and being a major Sushi Hound, I had to try out "great Sushi" in Tokyo as a comparison for everything I've had before outside of Japan.

I found Sushi Mizutani thanks to Silverjay's mention of the Japanese Customer-driven Food Review Site Tabelog (similar to a Chowhound + CitySearch/Yelp). As of today (and when I was researching), Sushi Mizutani was the #3 highest-rated Sushi restaurant listed. I later found out it was also a Michelin 3-Star rated restaurant! (As a side note, Sukibayashi Jiro (the other Michelin 3-Star Sushi restaurant in Tokyo) ranked much lower on Tabelog (from customers' feedback).) So off we went to Ginza to try it out.

Sushi Mizutani is in the basement level of a tiny building off the main streets, a simple, humble restaurant (with no pretentiousness).


We walked in, and were immediately and warmly greeted by Mizutani-sensei himself, and his wife, who runs the front of the house. It's a small establishment, with 1 simple and clean Sushi Bar, seating up to ~10-12 people. That night there were 8 of us dining. We of course went for the Omakase-style dinner, allowing Mizutani-sensei to choose. Here's a rundown of the Sashimi and Sushi pieces we had:

* Hirame (Flounder): Served Sashimi-style, it had wonderful texture, simple and clean. The best Hirame I've had.

* Engawa (Dorsal Fin of Flounder (Hirame)): This is the first time I've ever had Engawa, a nice hint at the variety and uniqueness of what was to come (it's rare to find this in So Cal). There's a nice firm texture and bright flavor.

* Awabi Liver (Abalone Liver): Very unique and again, the first time I've ever had this. I normally don't like liver of any sort, but this had a rich, earthy taste that actually didn't exude the normal "liver-like" taste normally associated with it.

* Saba (Mackerel): I'm normally not a fan of Saba and the oily fishes, but Mizutani shows off his impressive knifework (and eye for picking fresh fish). The Saba was hands-down the best Saba I've ever had! Wonderfully *fresh* and not overpowering at all. It also tasted like it had *2* different types of textures (his knifework in cutting the Saba lent itself to a wonderful cut of the fish).

* Awabi (Abalone): Abalone usually can be a little tough and/or chewy or rubbery, depending on the quality, and even the best Abalone I've had before this was "crisp" but on the firm side. Mizutani-sensei shows off his expertise and focus on Shellfish: The Awabi was amazing! It was soft and had a wonderful texture... it was nothing like any Awabi I've had before, ever.

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In Los Angeles, no other (truly) high-quality Sushi restaurant has received as much vitriol and praise as Sushi Sasabune. I'm not sure what has caused this division: Perhaps its the loss of intimacy and charm when Sasabune moved and expanded to its current cavernous location; perhaps its the counter-reaction by purists (who decry the loss of intimacy between the itamae and customer) to Sasabune's lavish praise by people who don't know or care about that relationship; or perhaps it's the complaints that Sasabune "oversauces" all their Sushi and uses warm rice. Having visited Chef-Owner Nobi Kusuhara and Sushi Sasabune over the last four years, and now having just returned from my two week gourmet tour of Japan (sampling some of the greatest Sushi in Tokyo,) I returned to Sushi Sasabune last night to see how it stood up against the world's best.

Sasabune currently offers two types of Omakase (Chef's Choice) options: "American" and "Japanese." The Japanese Omakase is the full course, including various fish roe (e.g., Uni, Ikura, etc.) and more exotic options that the American Omakase doesn't include. We opted for the Japanese Omakase (as usual) and waited for our first dish.


The first thing that struck me as we sat down this time, was truly how gigantic and spacious Sushi Sasabune was. And to keep up with the demand of such a large location and with so many customers, Chef Nobi was 100% occupied, furiously preparing and cutting with the help of six(!) assistants, and a small army of waitresses and busboys. I had been to the current Wilshire Blvd. location many times before, but after having spent some time with Mori-san, Urasawa-san and Mizutani-sensei, today was the first time I sensed just how distant things had become at Sushi Sasabune, and how I missed the more intimate itamae-customer relationship. I still had the company of my guests, though, so conversation and good times were still abundant, but it was something that I felt was truly missing now.

Of course one of the consistently great things about Sasabune is the fresh-grated Wasabi from the root:


We also ordered a bottle of Fukukomachi Daiginjo Sake from Akita, Japan. It was slightly floral, with hints of vanilla and flowers, but still very dry. Excellent.


(All English Fish Names listed are what was provided by the staff.)

We started off with Nobi-san's Aji (Spanish Mackerel) Sashimi, presented topped with Green Onions and Ginger on the side. There was also a special Ponzu-based sauce for dipping if one wanted.


]]> http://www.kiss4love.net/types-of-kisses/sushi-sasabune-l-a-the-greatest-high-volume-sushi-restaurant-in/feed/ 0 http://www.kiss4love.net/types-of-kisses/urasawa-world-class-excellence-in-l-a/ http://www.kiss4love.net/types-of-kisses/urasawa-world-class-excellence-in-l-a/#comments Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:27:29 +0000 admin http://www.kiss4love.net/types-of-kisses/urasawa-world-class-excellence-in-l-a/

I had first heard about Urasawa thanks to Chowhound and the *stunningly beautiful* Review and Pictorial by Dan Paik / rvd72 (if you haven't seen / read it, you need to :). I was blown away by what I read and saw and from that point on (with additional prodding from russkar, J.L., SauceSupreme and many others), it was my mission to try Urasawa at least once. Since then it is also only one of three L.A. restaurants to receive a Michelin 2 Star rating.

Having just come back from a two week gourmet vacation in Japan (Tokyo & Kyoto), I just had to try out Urasawa immediately (partly to see how it compared to the Modern Kaiseki, Traditional Kaiseki and amazing Sushi I had in Japan, and partly because I already dearly missed the great Japanese food I experienced and was hoping Urasawa could match that). Last night, I took one of my longtime friends (and Sushi Hound) to try out Urasawa. And even after the experiences I had in Tokyo and Kyoto, the mastery and amazing dishes that Chef Hiroyuki Urasawa prepared for us was truly mind-blowing, and simply *amazing*!


As a quick FYI, Urasawa has no menu: He serves whatever he can source that is fresh and seasonal (and he asks if there are any particulars the customer cannot eat). I was worried Hiro-san might be one of those quiet masters that would be unapproachable, or just too busy, but from the moment we stepped in, it was obvious that we were in for a truly remarkable and engaging experience. Hiro-san welcomed us with a humble smile and after finishing up a dish he was in the middle of preparing for the other guests, he turned his attention to us and started chatting away. Hiro-san is so approachable, down-to-earth, warm, and funny, and it's clear that he's truly concerned about his guests and makes sure we're enjoying whatever we're eating or drinking. We began with:

Mozuki - Okinawan Seaweed topped with Pure Gold Flakes.


The Okinawan Seaweed and the sauce was simply divine! Simple and refreshing.

Next up was the Kinuta Maki: Shrimp, Red Snapper and Shiso Leaf, served with fresh Radish.

The Shrimp and Red Snapper were extremely fresh and tender, and the ponzu-based sauce worked nicely, along with the crisp crunch of the fresh Radish.

The 3rd course was Uni Nikogori: Fresh Uni, Amaebi Shrimp, served atop Yama no Imo (Japanese Mountain Yam), topped with Pure Gold Flakes.


This was just ...

I still remember reading Das Ubergeek's ebullient review of a new Sushi Restaurant in Orange County back in February 2008. And when Das Ubergeek speaks it must be something noteworthy. :) Then I glanced at their website which looked like some crazy Fusion Sushi restaurant and I hesitated. Flash-forward to mid-June, and I finally remembered Maki Zushi and happened to have been in the area for lunch. I stepped inside and grabbed a seat at the counter with a few friends.

At first glance at the Lunch Menu and the paper Sushi Menu, I was flabbergasted: I saw the typical gaijin menu items like "Chicken Teriyaki" and the Sushi Menu in front of me had 50 (FIFTY) different types of crazy Rolls. Then again, this restaurant's name was "Maki Zushi" (which means "Rolled Sushi"), which would explain this. Did Das Ubergeek write down the wrong restaurant name? This place serves all these Crazy Rolls... how in the world could it serve real, authentic sushi?!

But then I saw the board behind the sushi bar listing some rare fish and lots of fresh seafood, even stating the country it was flown in from. This could be good. And then all my fears were laid to rest: I was greeted by a jovial, friendly Itamae - Chef Yoshio Sakamoto - who runs Maki Zushi. I introduced myself to Sakamoto-san in Japanese and let him know that we’d be putting our dining experience in his hands: “Omakase kudasai.”

I then noticed as I turned over the paper Sushi Menu that the *other* side of the menu was the front side of the paper menu, listing in big, bold letters "HARDCORE SUSHI" and then listing a beautiful, long list of authentic, rare fish and seafood. Whew! At the same time, I noticed the logo on the chopsticks in front of me:


Intrigued, I asked Sakamoto-san about the name and why he serves both types. He stated that all the serious Sushi Restaurants in Southern California only serve traditional, authentic Sushi, and that he wanted to open a restaurant that could cater to both crowds (the truly authentic diehard Sushi fans, and more mainstream customers who loved rolls), and he wanted to *excel* at both facets. Through the course of my visits I noticed that his assistant, Robert, spends 100% of his time on the Fusion Rolls, while Sakamoto-san prepares the authentic Sushi.

We started with some complementary Wasabi Kyuuri (Wasabi-marinated Cucumbers), which looked innocuous enough, but had nice, spicy kick to them. Each bite was filled with the refreshing flavors of very fresh Cucumber and sinus-clearing Wasabi. :)


I saw the Wasabi paste and felt a little saddened that there wasn’t fresh-grated Wasabi. That disappointment didn’t last very long as within ...

Before I knew Shibutani-san and Shibucho, my only source for fresh Sushi in the Newport Beach / Costa Mesa area was in a tiny, stylish little restaurant near the waters along Pacific Coast Highway, known as Abe, named after Chef-Owner Takashi Abe (pronounced "Ah-Beh"). Whenever I was in the area, we would try to stop by and have an Omakase course with Abe-san. The fish was always fresh and Abe-san provided some traditional and fusion flair (in a good way) to his dishes. It was with great sadness that I heard that he sold Abe, and sure enough, when we went one other time after he sold it, the quality had gone downhill considerably.

Flash-forward a few years later and I heard that Abe-san had opened a new restaurant further down PCH known as Bluefin. I finally had the opportunity to visit Bluefin, and was looking forward to seeing Abe-san again. :)

Bluefin is located along a beautiful stretch of Pacific Coast Highway, within the Crystal Cove Promenade. From the moment you see the exterior sign, it reflects the simple, refined elegance that Chef Abe was aiming for with his restaurant: The ivy-covered exterior, and the subtitle "Fine Japanese Cuisine", all reflect the core philosophy behind Bluefin.


One thing to clarify is that Bluefin isn't "Abe 2.0": Chef Takashi Abe sought to bring more than just Sushi to the table with Bluefin, and as his website explains, he's combining traditional Japanese cuisine with modern European influences. It's "Japanese Fusion," but thankfully not in the "Philadelphia Cream Cheese Crazy Dragon Rolls" sort of way, but in the Nobu Matsuhisa sort of way, which makes sense, considering Abe-san worked under Matsuhisa for four years prior to his Abe restaurant. (On a side note, it's interesting that Abe-san even lists Bluefin under the "Kappo" sub-category in one Japanese Directory here in Southern California, reflecting his focused goals on the type of restaurant he was developing.)

The decor at Bluefin is classy, stylish, and a fusion of a high-end Japanese restaurant in Tokyo with affluent Newport Beach, complete with an illuminated Sushi Bar and simple tables filling out the rest of the restaurant.


I was disappointed to hear that Abe-san wasn't in, but decided to see how the Sushi (and his Sushi chefs) would fare. For my first visit, I was seated in front of Hiroshi-san, and asked in Japanese for a traditional Omakase course with Sushi and Sashimi only (note that Bluefin's "Omakase" that's on their Lunch and Dinner Menu reflects their core style, featuring some Sushi, Cooked Dishes (something from their Fusion Menu) and Dessert).

(Note: I'm using the English Names as translated on the Menu.)

The first course began with a Sashimi Plate of 4 selections. We began with ...