2007.12.05.
My favorite sushi spot, ruined by yelp. Alameda, CA.
The best thing about eating sushi alone is that I can waltz into my favorite twelve-seat sushi restaurant at 7pm, bypass the seven people waiting impatiently in the hallway, and immediately nab the last seat at the bar.
I slipped into the corner seat and ordered my usual omakase, complemented by a copious amount of steaming green tea.
The goods:
[round one] steelhead, hamachi, shiromaguro, aji
[round two] taira-gai (pen shell scallop), kampachi (amberjack), hirame
(“You’ve had seven,” he said, hesitating. “Yes, MORE,” I demanded. Hey, I didn’t have lunch.)
[round three] mutsu (seared butterfish), amaebi, toro
While it’s probably the best sushi place in the east bay, and perhaps the bay area (though so far I’ve left the south bay unscathed by my voracious appetite for fish), the quality of fish has been consistently uneven commensurate with the number of people crammed into their hallway. (I should post my original review — perhaps I will, in a moment.)
Of the three “rounds,” the first was by far the best. Steelhead is probably my favorite type of fish, and I can safely say that this piece of gleaming, flaming red trout is the best I’ve ever tasted. (I’ve seen it at one other sushi place in San Francisco; it also goes by “ocean trout.”) It also helps that hamachi, shiromaguro, and aji are also favorites, the clean, fresh flavor of each delighting my palate.
The second round disappointed me. The taira-gai were firm and meaty but lacked their usual sweetness. The kampachi, not one of my favorites due to its crunchy texture, had a strange slimy mouthfeel, almost but not quite inedible. (The only occasion I’ve left sushi on my plate was at Genki Sushi, but that’s another story.) The hirame, usually another favorite, was strangely devoid of its usual punchy oceanic richness.
Thankfully, round three redeemed the experience. Flavorful, firm charred mutsu; sweet, delicate amaebi; buttery toro. All good, but not the standouts I expect from this place.
I had a great time, though. The cozy warmth of the sushi bar is only rivaled by the graciousness of the fellow clientele, all of whom exude friendliness and a genuine love of exceptional sushi. $42 later, I left with my belly full and a smile on my face.
(Next: my original review from about a year ago.)
