Showing posts with label omakase. Show all posts
Showing posts with label omakase. Show all posts

Shoushin (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, August 27, 2016 by


Take it from a person who hated sushi as a teenager: quality ingredients and eating from the hands of a well-trained chef makes a HUGE difference. Having been introduced to “Japanese” cuisine in places like Memories of Japan or AYCE restaurants, I couldn’t understand why people enjoyed the spongy fleshy fish. But, it’s similar to expecting someone to like Mexican food after feeding them Taco Bell (no offense, the fries supreme is great, but the tacos? Not so much.)

Hence, when a Chef names a restaurant after the pursuit of craft, Shoushin translates to a Chinese phase signifying ‘a craftsman’s heart’, you know to expect a high caliber. Undeniably, my new found appreciation for the raw dishes have been cultivated after eating the real thing. Dining from the hands of a craftsman isn’t cheap, but just like having a fantastic steak, a good sushi meal should be reserved for special occasions.

Like other high-end sushi restaurants, Shoushin’s offers only omakase menus that changes based on ingredient availability and the chef’s whim. As a diner, you simply pick a price point ($80, $130, $160 or $250) and inform them about food allergies.

Wanting to try their sashimi, we opted for the Yuri ($130) menu. Consisting of two appetizers, sashimi, soup, sushi and dessert, it allowed us to sample a bit of everything.

The first appetizer, a tomato pod, showcased the artful plating that synonymous with Japanese cuisine. After the tomato’s juicy pulp is hollowed out, it’s used to make chilled agar-gar jelly noodles (a gelatin derived from algae). Topping the slick noodles were succulent pieces of East Coast Canadian crab; a dollop of tomalley added an extra richness. Completing the dish were cold asparagus and ponzu jelly, which made it a refreshing summer starter.

As the grating board was revealed and the wasabi root prepared, the anticipation started to build. We’re warned that the prized condiment shouldn’t be mixed into the soy sauce, instead you add a bit to the fish and then dip into the soy separately.


The sashimi was equally beautifully plated and with two slices of everything (except for the octopus), could be shared (Shoushin allows diners to choose different menus). Luckily, everything tasted as great as it looked (from left to right):

  • With bits of a chopped herb (could be shiso) topping the fluke (hirame) it was light and refreshing, slowly easing my taste buds into the meal.
  • The amberjack (kanpachi), while still delicate, had an almost creamy finish that’s really different from past experiences.
  • Although I couldn’t catch the Japanese name of the smaller fish, I could have sworn it was described as “chicken fish” in English. If it were, I could see how the name was derived as the fish’s skin had the chewy springy texture of a cold boiled chicken.
  • What a shame that there was such a small cube of the octopus. The tentacle was so flavourful and tender that I immediately wanted another taste.

Following the sashimi was a hot appetizer: a lovely sesame encrusted miso marinated black cod – just as flavorful and moist as the typical grilled version, but with a nutty crunch from the sesame coating. On the side, a pyramid of crown daisy vegetables, shredded carrots, and shiitake slivers mixed with tofu paste. I could have done without the side of vegetables as there’s a unique taste to the chrysanthemum greens that I’ve never acquired (also known as tung ho, it’s also frequently found in hot pot restaurants).


Before the sushi, a rich bowl of hot miso soup was presented. Earthier than the typical salty broth, it went nicely with Shoushin’s take on agedashi, which was was mixed with a glutinous flour so that the tofu had a chewy nutty bite.


Lastly, ten pieces of individually prepared sushi to finish off the meal – you will not leave hungry. Before getting into the heavenly ending, I must commend Shoushin on their overall client experience: their service attentive and friendly, but also incorporating small touches to ensure everyone is comfortable. For example, diners are presented with a thick wet napkin to wipe their fingers on after picking up the sushi, if they feel uneasy using their chopsticks to get the sushi from the counter (even I had to resort to picking up the red snapper).

The first bite of the intertwined slices of Japanese seabass (Suzuki) showcases Shoushin’s rice at its finest – warm, vinegary and a creamy consistency.


Although still good, the golden eye snapper (kinmedai) marinated in kelp would be even better if the skin was removed as I found it made the sushi chewy.


Chef Lin was quick to clarify that the next piece, butterfish (ibodai), was the real deal and not the manufactured escolar found in budget restaurants. Intrigued to try the real thing, I forgot to take a picture, but found that it was not buttery, rather having a light mellow finish. If anything, the striped jack (shima aji) should be renamed butterfish as it simply melted and was absolutely delicious for such an unassuming looking fish.


Shoushin’s tunas are out of this world in terms of creaminess: the lean cut (akami maguro) was velvety and flavourful; the medium (chutoro maguro) was equally luscious.


By the time the fatty tuna (otoro maguro) arrived, I was expecting butter heaven. Interestingly, the otoro was scraped into a paste and topped with sesame seeds, but was served a tad too cold so the fish’s oiliness and rich taste was rather muted.


The most surprising piece had to be the mackerel (aji). Despite not having a single green onion adorning the normally fishy sushi, Shoushin’s aji was clean and mild tasting, while still incorporating the meaty texture. It’s easy to make tuna taste good, but to heighten the mackerel to that level was astounding. Like his mentor, Chef Seiichi Kashiwabara from Zen, Chef Jackie Lin keeps his sushi simple and instead relies on the quality of the ingredients to shine through.


After having the Argentina shrimp (ebi), it seemed the sushi’s natural sweetness would have been a nice transition into dessert. So, it was a bit unexpected that the following hand roll would incorporate such a strong smoked tuna. Yet, it all worked and Lin’s perfectionist side was highlighted again as he encouraged us to eat it right away before the ultra-crispy nori became tough.


The customary sweet omelette (tamago) signaled the end of the sushi. Dense and incorporating a strong eggy aroma, I loved that you could see the layers of egg white and yolk to give it interest.


Normally, the desserts at upscale sushi restaurants are forgettable … assuming anything is even served. At Shoushin they have the customary ice cream – a house made roasted green tea version that’s okay but too icy. The matcha pudding, on the other hand, is fantastic with the smooth crème caramel like base, topped with sweet red bean paste, a chewy glutinous rice ball, apricot and an extremely strong matcha sauce. The dessert was delicious and different, a very satisfying end to the meal.


Although each menu can be accompanied with sake pairings, we found it’d be too much. Instead, the sake flight ($18) was the perfect amount – just enough to sip and try with the different foods.  


Overall, the dinner at Shoushin was impressive. Having already accomplished so much for a young chef, Chef Lin continues to strive to for perfection. When my husband commented on how delicious the rice was, our waitress passed along the compliment to Lin. His immediate reaction, without a smile, “It could be better” and went on to explain how the rice in Japan is aged for a year.


Make sure to get a seat at the sushi bar, it’s a wonderful opportunity to see the chefs at work and speak to Lin who divides his attention amongst everyone. Despite his serious nature, he even cracks jokes - after I commended the clean tasting aji, he kidded that he cleans it more than himself … immediately the entire bar erupts with laughter. What a surprising delight: having started as a stern fancy meal, it leaves me with a homey feeling and a full belly.

Overall mark - 9 out of 10 
How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 3328 Yonge Street

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

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Yasu Revisited (Toronto)

Posted on Saturday, September 26, 2015 by

Yasu Toronto

Since dining at Yasu in 2014, I knew the place was special and would earn the distinction as one of my favourite Toronto restaurants. Unfortunately, the $80 per person omakase meal doesn’t permit the eatery to be a frequent haunt; yet compared to the US$300+ versions in Japan, we can also periodically treat ourselves to the sushi bar.

After many months of reminiscing about the delicious meal, my husband and I decided we waited enough and it was time to return. Securing a spot wasn’t difficult – a simple process of using their online reservation and booking a few weeks out. But, a reservation is key, as Yasu only serves 24-28 diners per night (at 6pm and 8:30pm sittings) and during both visits all spots were occupied.

Similar to the first, the meal consisted of 18-pieces and a dessert. Since Yasu uses seasonal ingredients, about a third of the offerings were new this time. Starting off with a lighter fish to warm-up the palette, the striped jack (shima aji) had a firm clean texture and was gently glazed with a sweet soy.


Next, a piece of seabass (suzuki) was elevated with a dollop of Hokkaido sea urchin (uni) on top. The uni’s creaminess covers the tongue before the meaty sea bass comes through.


A sprinkling of salt is added to the Hokkaido scallop (hotate) for crunch. It’s fleshy but sweet and a splash of lemon wards off any fears of fishiness. That evening we learnt Chef Yasuhisa Ouchi is from Osaka, which may explain his affinity with using Hokkaido ingredients.


The fluke (hirame) is so delicate that what shone through the most was the ponzu laced soy sauce.


In contrast, the sardine (iwashi) was saltier and had a stronger flavour but still tasted great, especially when combined with the green onion. Additionally, I could see the improvement in knife skills – more accurately sliced with precision edges compared to the first visit.


A shiso leaf was sandwiched between a slice of red snapper (tai) and warm well-vinegared sticky Japanese rice. I preferred the leaf under the fish, rather than placed on top, as the rice helped release the citrus mint taste of the herb further. 


Although the snow crab (zuwai gani) still wasn’t warm, it was better drained and not as watery, yet still retained a wonderful oceanic saltiness. 


The amberjack (kanpachi) was another light fish and acted to cleanse the taste buds for the next piece - marinated fish roe (ikura no shoyu zuke). Served with a square of freshly toasted nori, I couldn’t inhale the salty juicy roe fast enough after remembering how good they were.


It’s the piece that’s always the fishiest, but Yasu does try to help cut the horse mackerel’s (aji) gamiest with green onion. Slits are carved into the fish to help the thicker sweet soy penetrate the sushi deeper.


The shrimp (ebi) was grilled just before serving and the smell filling the dining room was absolutely glorious. What hit my mouth next was just as heavenly as the smell – a light smokiness that blends into the shrimp’s sweetness and ending with the rice’s faint vinegar.  


My excitement compounded when I realized Chef Ouchi was going to serve three tunas together next. For a person who loves comparing ingredients, it was a dish that allowed me to see and taste the tuna’s differences.


First the leanest one, akami maguro, cut from the sides of the fish revealing a brilliant red hue and a concentrated flavour. The centre chutoro maguro, is a medium fattiness derived from the sides of the belly; it’s lighter with an alternating meat and fat pattern. Lastly, the underside of the belly or the fattiest otoro maguro, that instantly reacts like butter as it enters the mouth. When the otoro started melting, all I could do was savour the essence – it was bittersweet when it finally dissipated.


A lighter mackerel (aji) followed with green onions and a glossy slice of pickled daikon to add a refreshing crispness to the soft fish.


The charred bonito (katsuo) is so picturesque: the dazzling red colour, thin evenly seared ring, contrast of the dark rub and pop of green. Its taste is equally as varied – flavourful fish, peppery taste and the wasabi’s zing. 


Chef Ouchi, if you ever read this post – please make sure the braised sea eel (anago) is served every night! It’d be a shame if anyone didn’t have the opportunity to taste this sushi. The eel is braised in a soy and sake stock giving it so much flavour and rendering the eel to another level of softness. Once it entered my mouth I didn’t want to swallow – my husband was asking me questions but I couldn’t pay attention or answer – it was seriously a sad moment when the experience was over.


When you see the egg omelette (tamago), it’s an indication that the meal is coming to the end. The tamago was much better than the first visit – fluffy, light and creamy with a consistency reminiscent of an Uncle Tetsu cheesecake.


To end, a scoop of intensely flavoured ice cream. Rich and creamy, whole black sesame is sprinkled on top for textural contrast and further pop of flavour.


Yasu has improved since my last visit: the wine-by-the-glass menu has expand beyond Chardonnay and incorporates Riesling (if they add a Sauvignon Blanc I can finally order something); the beer glasses no longer have a faint fish smell; and the quality of the presentation has increased. What an amazing second experience … there were times I fell into to a food coma. Alas, now I just have to wait another year, to enjoy the sushi bliss again.

Overall mark - 10 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 81 Harbord Street

 Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!

Is That It? I Want More!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:



Solo Sushi Ya (Newmarket)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Newmarket, Canada
Address: 291 Davis Drive
Type of Meal: Dinner
In preparation for an upcoming trip to Japan, my husband and I are expanding our palettes by ordering omakase style (left up to the chef to choose).  Having heard about this Newmarket establishment, we made the 35 minute drive up North to put our taste buds in the hands of Chef Jyo Gao.

The omakase menu ($58) presents six courses (the first course consisting of three dishes) and offers a variety of cooking methods (raw, steamed and braised).  It’s heavily seafood focused with the only taste of beef for the night being presented in the first course.  To start we were offered a trio of small dishes.  Starting from the left:
  • The first dish was a piece of simply prepared sweet squash, its softness contrasted well with the natto (fermented soybeans) that accompanied it.  The beans had an interesting chewy texture and were somewhat sticky from the glaze on top.  Although it’s sweet, there’s an indescribable depth to the flavour (unfortunately, hard to define you just have to try it). On top were little crispy specks similar to sesame seeds without the nuttiness.
  • In the middle, were pieces of tuna marinated with shoyu & sesame oil and combined with bits of spring onion & spicy chili.  The tuna itself was soft and delicious, with this dish filled with such good flavours that it could easily be featured in a larger portion as an appetizer.
  • Lastly, was the sole meat dish of the evening - made from some sort of soft root vegetable wrapped with pieces of dried beef.  The meat is the taste and texture of fruit glazed jerky which is an interesting combination.  Packed with flavour and fairly heavy tasting it’s definitely something to be eaten in moderation.
Next came a sashimi platter, which I’m still warming up to having only recently starting to develop a taste for it thanks to JaBistro.  The salmon, the safest of the fishes, is still my favourite and was tender and fairly delicate in flavour.  A piece of white tuna that’s lightly seared so that it just began changing colour had a nice black pepper taste.  Unfortunately, my piece wasn’t fully thawed so the middle slices had ice crystals which was gross (not a problem for my husband so likely on account of my thicker piece).  Regrettably, I haven’t mastered the art of eating sashimi in the right order so when I finally got to the other white fish (behind the shrimp head) it was rather flavourless so not very memorable.  However, in my case, I’d rather things not taste too strongly so I still enjoyed it.

This meal was my first taste of raw non-fish based seafood where I tried scallop and shrimp. Having a quarter of the scallop, I expected it to be revolting but surprisingly wasn't that bad.  Having placed it beside of a slice of lemon, the scallop took on some of the citrus flavour.  At first, I was afraid it’d be rubbery but is actually very tender – however, it doesn’t lend itself to chewing as the texture quickly turned gummy in my mouth.  Overall, the scallop wasn't horrible and I could stand eating again if it were perhaps in thinner slices.

On the other hand, the raw shrimp was absolutely disgusting.  Since it was whole (thankfully the head disconnected) and there was no fork or knife in sight, I had to bit into the shrimp meat.  Instantly, my mouth was flood with an extremely seafood/fishy taste combined with a mushy/sticky texture.  Side note, I’m actually cringing while writing this as I remember how bad it was.  Unfortunately, since I was sitting right beside the chef, I couldn't exactly spit it out so I quickly swallowed it whole and washed it down with a glass of hot green tea.  This is seriously something I don’t think I can ever acquire the taste for; no amount of sweet soy sauce or strong wasabi can ever mask that horrible taste.

Luckily, the next thing to arrive was a piping hot chawan mushi, a steamed egg custard, that helped get rid of the queasy feeling in my stomach.  Served in the cooking vessel, a cute lidded tea cup, the egg was filled with chunks of salmon, scallops, seaweed and large enoki mushrooms.  The broth was a condensed seafood consume which was very well flavoured and filled my mouth with a wonderful umami essence. 

For the fourth course, a miso mackerel arrives on a large plate in a light sauce. The fish having been braised was richly flavoured taking on the beany essence of the miso paste and a slight sweetness. Topping the mackerel were anchovy fillets (brings a brininess to the dish but I could have done without), paper thin slices of daikon and a piece of lettuce.  I rather enjoyed the daikon’s simple freshness and would have liked more of that in lieu of the anchovy.
The best dish of the night was the fifth course - four unassuming looking pieces of nigiri sushi.  The fish topping them (tuna, snapper, salmon and grilled eel) were of course fresh and cut to a suitable thickness that you could easily pop into your mouth and bite through. But, what made the dish extraordinary was the rice! The hand pressed pieces were lightly warmed and had such an amazing texture – the plump soft kernels of vinegary rice had a creamy feeling to it yet was still hard enough to pick up with chopsticks. 

In the Tokyo episode of Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown, chef Naomichi Yasuda notes the most important ingredient in his sushi is rice.  Sure, when I heard this comment it implicitly made sense to me since every piece of sushi contains it.  But, it wasn't until we had Solo Sushi Ya’s incredible rice that it really made sense.  Honestly, if the rice is this good, it could be topped with a thinly sliced cucumber and I’d be just as happy.

Last but not least was dessert - a bowl of cold gelatin topped with a berry coulis and more of those crispy white bits that started off the meal.  Normally, I don't have high hopes for Asian desserts because, let’s be honest, they're never that good.  But, it wasn't that bad; the gelatin had a light coffee taste and an interesting texture (lighter than Jello but still firmer than custard). 

Despite the 6-course meal, dishes came out like clockwork with the new one arriving as soon as finished ones were whisked away. In the end, we were done in a little over an hour, though I’ll admit we are quicker eaters.  Solo Sushi Ya is an intimate restaurant seating about 30 people so to be safe make reservations.  We appreciated Chef Gao’s friendliness and willingness to answer any questions we had.  Overall, the experience was great and we’d love to return to have some maki rolls, more nigiri and perhaps some noodles.

 Overall mark - 8 out of 10


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 ____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


CLOSED: Yuzu No Hana (Toronto)

Posted on Sunday, November 16, 2014 by
Location: Toronto Canada
Address: 236 Adelaide Street West
Type of Meal: Dinner
Our visit to Yuzu No Hana was to further develop our taste buds in preparation for a future visit to Japan.  We ordered to omakase menu to allow the chef to determine what is freshest and his best dishes in hopes of trying something we might have never ordered. Yuzu’s nine-course menu costs $80 a person and requires at least one-day notice for the restaurant to adequately prep the ingredients.  If you’re allergic or truly detest something don’t worry, they do ask for these ahead of time and will adjust the menu accordingly.


The first course was an shooter made with a raw oyster and quail egg, flavoured with ponzu (a citrusy vinaigrette) and garnished with uni (sea urchin), tobiko (fish roe) and green onions. Downing it in one shot, the oyster was a tad briny for my taste. But when the tastes from the other ingredients, most notably the green onion, kicked in it really wasn’t too bad.  The raw quail egg also needs some getting used to when the sliminess hits your tongue and raw yolk mixes into everything.  Overall, these textures are not my favourite but the other guests at my table thoroughly enjoyed it.


 


 A platter of appetizers arrived next and had a beautiful autumn spirit to the decor.  Starting from the egg at the bottom right and going clockwise:
 
  • A steamed duck egg arrived with a portion of uni on top. Rather than eat the it separately, I mixed it into the custardy egg so that it added a thicker creamier texture to everything with just a hint of brininess. Expecting the uni to be very fishy, as I’ve heard like some Japanese ingredients it’s an acquired taste, I was pleasantly surprised that it was pretty light and resembles tomalley (the greenish substance found in lobster) but thicker and slightly calmer tasting.
  • An emptied persimmon (a fruit popular amongst Asian countries) was filled with a cold boiled shrimp and piece of whitefish covered with a puffed rice coating.  Perhaps it’s because I tried this after the egg, but found both things bland.  Nonetheless, I enjoyed the crispy whitefish, just wished it was salted a bit.  Perhaps, since it was served in a persimmon, a slice of the actual fruit could have been provided to add a hint of sweetness. 
  • The small unassuming piece of lightly battered lotus root tempura was one of my favourite parts of the platter.  Each hole in the lotus root was filled with tobiko so that the crunchiness was also mixed was some salty bursts of flavour.
  • Yuzu dressed up the typical cold and sweet seaweed salad with shredded crab meat (real), pickled baby cucumber slices and a deskinned cherry tomato. Thankfully, the delicate crab meat was left on top, rather than mixed into the salad, so that I could actually enjoy the natural sweetness of the crab. The seaweed was the darker variety and seems more natural than the spearmint green ones that other restaurants sometimes serve. 
  • Lastly, adorning the plate, threaded on a pine needle were ginnan (ginkgo seeds/nuts).  You may also know it as ginkgo biloba, a drug that supposedly helps with memory enhancement or the yellowish seeds found in congee or Chinese dessert broths.  Personally, they’re not something I enjoy as they have a slightly bitter taste.

 


 When the teapot first arrived and was placed in front of us, we were intrigued.  Inside was a Japanese soup called dobin mushi (translates to teapot steamed) commonly served in the colder months.  We were advised that unlike most soups, this is not boiled but rather infused and steeped to allow the ingredients let off their flavours.  On the side is a small cup and you enjoy the soup by pouring out small portions of it into the cup and drinking it (much like tea). 
The broth is a clear golden colour with a rich earthy seafood taste from the ingredients (matsutake mushroom, shrimp, whitefish and gingko nut).  The server suggested drinking all the broth first and then opening up the lid and eating the ingredients.  We of course obliged but really the star is the soup as the shrimp becomes powdery and matsutake mushrooms lack flavour.  Only the piece of whitefish was delectable and still had a tender flakey texture.


 


Next, a beautifully presented plate of sashimi arrived.  During our visit it was made up of fluke, yellow tail, horse mackerel and salmon with caviar.  The fluke was a delicate tasting white fish with each slice adorned with a small piece of gold leaf (in the picture just barely visible from behind the large leaf); I quite like the lightness of the fish and the relatively non-fleshy texture.  On the leaf were two thicker slices of yellowtail which has a unique harder consistency akin to a cross between fish and conch.  The horse mackerel, beside the salmon rose, was decent and I’m glad this was thinner as it’s a stronger tasting fish that may be overpowering if the slices were larger. 


 


Following is one of my favourite Japanese dishes – roasted miso glazed gindara (a.k.a. black cod or sablefish). The plump fish was marinated for two days in miso and merin then slow roasted until the meat flakes apart yet retains its juicy tenderness.  Due to the marinating process, the fish was so well flavoured that the flavours permeated the meat rather than being slathered on through a sauce.  Yuzu’s gindara is one of the best I’ve eaten and may have just overtook my top spot (previously held by Blowfish).   A bright fuchsia green onion, coloured from pickling, sits on top adding décor and also acting as a palette cleanser.


 


A slice of panko crusted rack of lamb arrived next which is atypical of Japanese cuisine.  I thoroughly enjoyed the way the lamb’s thin layer of fat mixed into the panko crumbs to form a robust crust. It’s just a shame that the lamb was so overdone that the meat was starting to get tough and slightly dry from a lack of juices.  A chanterelle mushroom and braised mini daikon accompanied the meat (daikon needed some salt) with several edible flowers tossed on top to finish.


 


The last savoury course was five pieces of nigri sushi. My favourite piece was the tempura salt-water eel (first piece on the left) which was plump and tender with slivers of creamy avocado, the most modern of five.  Salmon was presented two ways – one a leaner cut of king salmon while the other a fattier belly lightly blow torched and topped with pickled onion.  Being a big fan of the heated fattier fishes, I loved the salmon belly and the smoky pickled taste. 

Kampachi, a dense white fleshed fish like white tuna, was served chopped up and mixed with tobiko (?) on top of rice wrapped in egg.  This is certainly inventive and a nice combination of the tamagoyaki (egg sushi) with fish.  Lastly, more of the delicious delicate fluke was served.  The rice itself wasn’t very memorable, unlike the amazing experience at Solo Sushi Ya, but what makes Yuzu’s nigri shine is the variety of flavours and textures used in the ingredients topping the sushi. If the restaurants could combine Solo’s rice with Yuzu’s toppings my ideal sushi would be created!


 


For dessert a square of sake cheesecake was presented.  The cheese was smooth and light but the flavours still quite strong with hints of sake flooding through. 




Our visit to Yuzu definitely fulfilled the purpose of trying new things; this was my first experience with the dobin mushi, uni, horse mackerel, kampachi and fluke.  If any of the above sound delicious to you, I urge you to make reservations and go soon as menus change seasonally and these dishes may soon disappear.  But, if you’re an adventurous person and are opened to trying new things then there’s no rush. Half the fun is sometimes not knowing what you’ll eat; after all, it’s through tasting menus that we may learn we like something we’ve never heard of. 



Overall mark - 9 out of 10

Like the blog? You can now follow me on twitter for notifications - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog

 ____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!



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