Omotesando Ukai-tei, Tokyo

If you've been following my blog, you know that I recently took a business trip to Tokyo.  During our free time, we were determined to fit in as many different dining experiences as possible, ideally involving Michelin stars.  And so we did, eating 9 Michelin stars in only 3 days, having our share of fine French cuisine and sushi, along with more humble ramen and okonomiyaki.

One day, we decided to go for teppanyaki, to experience something a bit traditional Japanese than all the fine French cuisine we'd been feasting on.  But of course, we wanted more Michelin starred food, so we picked Ukai-tei, in Omotesando, due to their single star.

We went for lunch, since dinner was far more pricey.  The lunch options were￥6,830, ￥9,450, and￥12,600 (compared to the dinner options that started at ￥12,600, and went up to ￥24,150!).  We went for the cheapest option, the "Tenderloin Steak Lunch Course", which was advertised as: Today's Starter, King Crab Fritter, Seasonal Vegetables Consommé Soup, Ukai Beef Tenderloin Sautéed, Dessert, Coffee or Tea with Baked Confectionery.  The next pricier choice not only upgraded the cut of beef, but had totally different courses preceding it, including marinated yellowtail, grilled lobster, and sautéed scallop.  And the highest priced option included jellied scallop and sea urchin, roasted foie gras, and sautéed tilefish.  OMG.  Had I not been splurging for so many days in a row, you know I would have gone for that last one, as it included some of my favorite ingredients!

The entire experience was fairly formal.  Once we checked in, we were brought to a formal waiting room for all of 30 seconds before then being lead to our table.  It reminded me of a parlor from Victorian times, or something I'd find in my grandmother's house.  It was a bit strange to have us go sit in the waiting room, and then immediately get back up.  We literally only had time to sit before immediately being led away.  We could have just waited at the check in area ...

Anyway, we were then led to our table, which was in a private room.  I didn't get to see the layout of the rest of the restaurant, so I'm not quite sure if it is just made up of many small rooms, or if there is a larger area somewhere.  Our room could have seated 6, but we were a group of 4.  The chairs in the room reminded me a bit of thrones, with ornate woodwork.  There were fresh flowers on the table.

The service was all fine, although not very present for the most part.  Since we were in our own room, the servers entered originally to determine which menu we wanted, and to bring us our courses as they were ready, but besides that, we were left alone (except for when a chef came to cook on the teppan of course).

Overall, it was good, and I understand their Michelin rating, but I am unlikely to return, as it just isn't the style of food that I generally would pick.  I'm glad I got to experience higher end teppanyaki.  The lunch course did indeed seem like a deal, and I don't think you could find anything equivalent in San Francisco.

I don't normally include a review of the bathrooms, but I found theirs to be worthy of a mention.  Once inside the doorway for the women's room, there was a cute little spiral staircase of a few stairs, leading to the washroom area.  It was stocked with everything you'd expect, but also toothpicks, and a very fascinating rose mouthwash.  It was floral, yet minty, at the same time.  I thought it was really refreshing and lovely, but my dining companions did not agree.

Plum Wine.

I started with a plum wine, while my companions all choose beer.  It was sweet yet not too sweet, and exactly what I was in the mood for.  Served on the rocks, with a giant round ice cube, like we saw in many bars on our visit.

Marinated Ocean Trout, Mousse, Greens. 

Our menu just said "Today's Starter", so we had no idea what the first dish would be.  I was delighted when this was set in front of me, as I expected just a small little amuse bouche, not a full on appetizer.

The trout was mild, not at all fishy, quality raw ocean trout.  On top was a relish or gremolata of sorts, with capers and onions, which added some crunch.  It also provided acidity.

The mousse on the side was also trout based and was really creamy.  The mousse was topped with trout roe.  I loved how the different parts of the trout carried through these elements, and the roe added a delightful pop to each bite.

On the side were simple greens, lightly dressed with lemon, salt, and olive oil.  They were fresh and crisp, and added a lightness and additional acidity to the dish.

It took a little work to figure out how to craft a perfect bite, since it wasn't totally clear which components would work together.

Overall, this was flavorful, light, and beautifully composed - fresh fish, creamy mousse, perfectly seasoned greens, crunch from the capers, pop from the roe ... an excellent dish!  A wonderful start to the meal, and my favorite dish.

French Bread and Butter.

Next came bread service.  The bread was fairly unremarkable to me, as I'm not usually much of a bread girl, but one of my dining companions proclaimed it the best French bread he'd had in a long time.  It was very crusty and was useful for lapping up sauce later, but besides that, I didn't really care for it.

King Crab Fritters.

I wasn't entirely sure what a King Crab fritter would be, but I think I expected a little ball, a small appetizer portion.  Instead, we each received two large pieces, which were filled with spinach, bits of crab, and cream, wrapped in a large wonton style wrapper.

They were insanely hot and fresh, perfectly executed.  I actually burnt myself on my first bite, it was that fresh out of the fryer.  Incredibly crispy skin, obviously fried but it still felt light, contrasting with the creamy inside.  The filling seemed to be more cream than crab however.

Also on the plate was broccoli to freshen the dish up a little, and two sauces: a cappuccino-like crab foam, and a oil drizzle.  Neither sauce really had much flavor, and I would have preferred something more to dip the fritters into.

My second favorite dish, and another one that was obviously well thought out and composed.

Seasonal Vegetables Consommé Soup.

Next up we had a soup.  I never care much for soups, but I really didn't like this.

The broth was a beef consommé, and it was way too rich for me, really oily.  The vegetables (onions, potatoes) were overcooked and mushy.  And, the chunk of beef cheek floating within was very fatty.

The others all liked this however, so I guess this was just my own dislikes.  My least favorite dish, by far.

The Chef's Station.

Now it was time for the real action.  Our chef entered the room, and set up his station with a few oils, spices, tools, and sauces.

Wagyu Tenderloin and Mushrooms, Raw.

He also came barring a platter of the raw ingredients that would make up our main dish: Wagyu tenderloin and assorted mushrooms.  Mmm, look at that beef!

Mushrooms Cooking on the Teppan.

The chef started with cooking the mushrooms, with just a little seasoning, right on the teppan.

Steak and Mushrooms Cooking.

After a few minutes, he transferred the mushrooms into a pan, generously filled with oil, and seasoned them further with garlic.  Then, it was time to get the meat sizzling.

Between all moves, he kept the cooking surface meticulously clean, and wiped it down the moment he finished cooking.

Final Product: Beef Tenderloin and Mushrooms.

The chef plated up each dish, making sure to give each of us a variety of the different types of mushrooms, and pouring plenty of sauce on top.

The steak was well seasoned, and a little more rare than we expected giving our ordering of medium-rare (chef's recommendation).  It was obviously a good steak, and the guys really loved it.  I however just wasn't into it.  I just wasn't feeling the red meat.  I'm not sure why.

But, I did love the mushrooms, super meaty themselves.  One of my dining companions doesn't like mushrooms, so I traded some of my steak for his mushrooms.  We both felt like winners.

I also really liked the sauce, a thin style beef gravy, very flavorful, full of garlic and other seasonings.  I gladly dunked the mushrooms, and extra table bread, into the sauce.  So good.

My third favorite dish.

Satisfied Diners.

Here you can see the private room, and our happy, satisfied crew.  The chef offered to take our photo, before leading us on to the next part of our adventure, dessert!

Dessert is served in a separate room.  This makes a lot of sense, since we shouldn't keep occupying the valuable space with the teppan while we enjoy leisurely desserts.  So, after we'd finished, we were asked to follow them to the dessert lounge.

Dessert Menu.

The lounge was really nice, open and airy, and a big change from the fairly dark private room we had been in before.  It was filled with patrons, all enjoying desserts and drinks.  On a sunny day, it would have been wonderful, sunny and bright, and the views overlooking Tokyo were impressive.  In summer, they even have a patio with seating on it, which I'm sure would be amazing.

You can actually come just for the dessert lounge.

Once seated in the dessert/tea lounge, we were presented with dessert menus.

There were 5 choices, none of us went for the ice cream, sorbet, or "Japanese Orange with Jelly", although I almost wish someone had because I'm curious what that really was.

Chiffon Cake with Strawberry.

One of my dining companions picked the chiffon cake, a fairly boring looking plain cake, with a few strawberries, and cream.  I didn't even bother asking for a bite.

Mont-Blanc.

The other two, at the recommendation of the water, went for the Mont-Blanc.

It was a fascinating creation, covered in what looked like spaghetti, but was actually chestnut puree, and surrounded by several sauces.  It was quite the surprise to cut into it and find cold ice cream and a roasted chestnut in the center.

This was certainly interesting, but not any of our favorites.

Classic Pudding.

I went for one that sounded incredibly simple: "classic pudding".  I asked for a description, and was just told, "pudding".  "Vanilla?" I enquired?  "Yes", I was told.

I could tell there was a language barrier, and didn't quite trust the answer, but, I love puddings, so I went for it.  It wasn't like any of the other options were jumping out at me anyway.

When I saw my dessert, I certainly wouldn't have called it a pudding, let alone a classic pudding.  I'd call it a crème caramel, or a flan.

It was pretty much exactly what it looked like.  A decent creamy custard, with a slightly caramelized sauce.  Pretty standard execution, not particularly good nor bad.

Decaf Coffee.

Like most restaurants we visited, coffee or tea was included in the meal.  No other drinks were offered, not even water, which bothered me, as I wanted water.

There was also an alcohol cart that I think would roll out were it evening rather than mid-day.

I failed to take notes about this coffee, as I was way too distracted by what was coming next ...

After-dessert Dessert Cart!

Yes, the dessert cart!  I knew it was coming.  Not only do you get your pick of main desserts, you also get unlimited selections from the dessert cart.

It seemed like forever before the extra dessert cart came rolling over.  The cart may or may not have been a primary motivation of mine for going to Ukai-Tei in the first place :)  You know me and my love of desserts!

The cart featured an assortment of items: tarts, cakes, cookies, brownies, meringues, hard candies, marshmallows, pâtes de fruits ...

And, they just asked, "what would you like?"

My dining companions all had restraint.  Or perhaps they just don't really have sweet tooths.  I think they all selected at most two items.  I was momentarily upset that I hadn't planned this better, telling each of them to order a few extra things and then just give them to me, so I could try everything.  And then, I decided, I had no shame.

One of my platters.

Yes, I got one of everything, except the brownie.  The server used a small plate for each of the others, but pulled out a much bigger one for me.  I didn't actually feel judged or rude with my order, and think this may be not entirely uncommon.  Or, so I like to think.

And I will admit, by the end of this, I was really, really sick of sweets.  For a few hours.

I'll try my best to remember these all, clockwise, starting top center:

• Caramel - We had so many caramels on this trip, as every single restaurant included them in their mignardises, that I really couldn't distinguish this from any of the others.
• Fruit Tart - The tart shell was really buttery, and even though it looked burnt, was quite good.  Filled with decent pastry cream, and topped with strawberry, a raspberry, and a blueberry.  This was one of my favorites, a great mix of crunch, cream, and fruit.
• Chocolate and Strawberry Napoleon - Layers of a slightly chocolately, buttery, crispy wafer, chocolate cream, and strawberries.  This was very, very tasty, although a bit hard to eat, since cutting into it caused the cream to squish out.  This was my favorite, although the fruit tart was a very close second.
• Ladyfinger Filled with Orange Marmalade: This was very sweet, and I don't really care for ladyfingers nor orange marmalade in the first place.  Wouldn't have ordered it if I knew what it was.  Not a favorite.
• Grapefruit Pâtes de Fruits: Tart yet sweet, very flavorful, better than most pâtes de fruits.
• Plum (?) Pâtes de Fruits: This had a very familiar flavor that I couldn't quite place, but I think it was plum.  Again, better than most, not too sweet, good chew.
• Mexican Wedding Cookie: Pretty standard, almond powder and bits, powdered sugar coating.
• Meringue: Filled with chunks of hazelnut that were a bit bitter, but this was pretty unremarkable and standard.
• Mint Chocolate Chip Marshmallow:  Very, very light and fluffy.  Intense mint flavor, with little chocolate bits too. I've had a lot of fancy marshmallows over the past few years, but these were perhaps the best I've ever had.  Besides the pastries, these were my favorites on the platter.
• Strawberry Marshmallow: Again, light and fluffy, super intense strawberry flavor. Another stellar marshmallow.
• Hard Candies: Pretty standard, just hard candies.
• Log (center): I have no idea what this was, but it was really dry, and had no real flavor.  My least favorite item.

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Snacks from Hail Merry

At work, we have an event every year where vendors bring in assorted chips, nuts, bars, and other snack foods.  We taste all of the products, and then vote on which items we'd like to see stocked on campus.  Knowing how much I love sampling things and trying new products, you can imagine how much fun this is for me!

I could easily fill my blog for an entire year with just the products I have tried at these product fairs.  But, I'll spare you and only share the ones I found to be particularly noteworthy ... like the vanilla maple almonds from Hail Merry!

I was addicted to these nuts.  Unfortunately, they did not get selected so my supply has run out, but since then I've also had the chance to try more Hail Merry products, like aboard Virgin America.  Hail Merry has several product lines: nuts and seeds, macaroons, and "miracle tarts".  I've never tried the tarts, but they look like little refrigerated tarts.

Hail Merry products are all raw, gluten-free, vegan, do not use refined sugar, non-GMO, etc, etc.  And, it just so happens, actually taste good too!

Vanilla Maple Almonds.

"Rather than roast our almonds, we season them with organic Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla and then dehydrate them at very low temperatures to protect the naturally occurring plant oils."

I adore these.  Fresh tasting almonds, coated in the most absolutely delicious vanilla maple stuff.  Sweet, but not too sweet.  The vanilla flavor is really strong.  They go well with coffee, with tea, or just as a snack.  Love them.

Additional tasting notes: [ Awesome!  Really good.  Nice maple flavor, sweet, delicious. Definitely sweet, but addicting! ][ I’m in love with these ] [ So sweet, love the vanilla, delicious ] [ I really love these.  Great vanilla flavor. ] [ Love love love the flavor in these. ] [ Seriously love the coating on these, but some individual nuts don’t have much. ] [ The coating on these is addicting.  I love it.  I eat far more of these in a sitting than I expect because I’m chasing after more of it, since they are unevenly coated. ]

Salt N Black Pepper Sunflower Seeds

"Our sunflower seeds are dehydrated at low temperatures to protect the natural oils that absorb our classic seasoning combo of fresh salt and a kick of black pepper."

These are exactly what they say they are.  Just … salt and pepper sunflower seeds.  Interesting kick from pepper.  Not my thing though.

Orange Rosemary Pecans

"Instead of roasting our nuts, we season then dehydrate our nuts at very low temperatures.  Orange Rosemary blend tastes of fresh pine, tangy orange and a touch of sea salt. "

Nice flavors, strong, a little unexpected.  They go very well with red wine and cheese.

Additional tasting notes: [ Strange to just snack on, but on a cheese platter, these would be perfect ] [ Nice subtle orange flavor, rosemary good combo.  Somewhat savory.  I prefer sweeter nuts, but these are interesting. ] [ Good flavors, complex, almost really love these. ] [ Yes, indeed, they go well with red wine and cheese! ]

The Royal Blend.

"This nourishing Royal Blend of raw cashews, Celtic sea salt almonds and Chimayo Chile pecans is a satisfying snack any time of day."

Chimayo chile pecans, sea salt almonds, cashews.  All very … plain.  I expected a lot more flavor, particularly since Hail Merry’s other nuts and seeds had so much.  The majority of the mix was cashews, next prevalent was almonds, and finally, pecans.  The almonds and cashews seemed to just be salted, no additional seasoning, the cashews even more plain than the almonds.  But the nuts were high quality.  The pecans were the best, a tiny bit of interesting spice from the chile, but also, there was pepper.  The pepper ended up overwhelming most other flavor, which was surprising, but grew on me.

Chocolate Macaroons 

“This decadent dessert snack is perfect as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, or as a guilt-free treat. Merry's macaroons are dehydrated at low temperatures to protect the raw coconut oil for a melt-in-your-mouth taste experience.”

I was surprised by the very simple ingredient list: organic maple syrup, organic shredded coconut, Fair trade dark cocoa, organic extra virgin coconut oil, organic Madagascar bourbon vanilla, sea salt.

These weren’t quite what I was expecting, as they were intensely chocolatey.  They reminded me more of a brownie, albeit one with a lot of coconut flakes, than a macaroon.  The strong cocoa flavor was complex and fairly dark and bitter, and although there was sweetness from the maple syrup, these were not particularly sweet.

They were decent, but I'd like to try some other flavors before I'd go for these again, like the Caramel Sea Salt or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough macaroons.

Each macaroon was a little puck, and a serving size listed on the package was two, which seemed about right for a small snack.

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Biscuit Bender

I very distinctly remember the first time I encountered Biscuit Bender.  It was a Saturday morning, and I was at the Ferry Building for the farmer's market.  I was there to actually shop, but the crowds were out in full force, hampering my progress.  I needed to get bread from Acme Bakery inside, and I wasn't looking forward to making my way through the hallways inside the Ferry Building, even harder to navigate than the already crowded outside sidewalks.  I was a bit grumpy.

I wasn't paying that much attention as I tried to find the path of least resistance, but as I passed Far West Fungi, I saw something out of the ordinary.  A little popup biscuit vendor.  Sure, the Ferry Building has many popup vendors, but what stuck out to me about Van Dao and his biscuit stand, was his signature hat.  I realized that I'd just seen him recently on Chopped.

I was intrigued.  Why was he at the mushroom place?  It turns out he was making some biscuits with their mushrooms, but he also had several other varieties, including the very tempting sounding maple bacon biscuit.  I had to stop and get a biscuit.  And indeed, the bacon flavor came through in the biscuit. 

The next week I eagerly approached Far West Fungi, with grand plans of getting more biscuits, but alas, he was not there.  A few weeks later however, I found him again.  He seemed to pop up with no real schedule, but I was always thrilled when I found him.  My favorite biscuit back then was the pumpkin chocolate graham biscuit.  I remember loving the flavorful buttermilk base, and the exciting mix of chocolate chips, cinnamon, and graham, all in one biscuit.

A little while later, I really don't remember, months or maybe even years passed, and Biscuit Bender moved into a permanent stall in the Ferry Building, open every day.  It seemed like every time I passed by, the selection of biscuits just continued to grow, from savory (cheesy, sour cream and chive, bacon, mushroom, etc) to sweet (glazed, cinnamon rolls).  They even offer frozen biscuits to bake at home, and a selection of jams to enjoy with your biscuits.  Even though they have expanded, the biscuits are all handmade and hand cut, all the the signature buttermilk base.

A couple weeks ago, a tweet by Biscuit Bender caught my eye.  A guessing game.  Guess the key ingredient in their upcoming special biscuit for pride weekend, named, the Dixie Diva.  Thinking Dixie = South, I guessed pecans.  Nope.  Then, every few days, they'd tweet out new clues.  The one that sealed the deal for me was "Her key ingredient is a sweet and tangy childhood fave!"  I guessed correctly, and was rewarded with an early preview of the Dixie Diva biscuit AND another pride weekend special, Pink Saturday Strawberry Marshmallows.

Pink Saturday Strawberry Marshmallow.

You may recall a few years ago that I claimed artisanal marshmallows were going to become the new cupcake.  It seemed like I might be right for a while, with tons of places offering all sorts of flavored marshmallows, like the root beer float ones I loved from Tout Sweet.  Even Whole Foods made a bunch of flavored marshmallows, as part of their fresh bakery offerings.  And then, just like that, the almost-trend seemed to disappear.  Since I enjoy real marshmallows (as in, nothing resembling Jet Puff), I was excited to see Biscuit Bender experimenting with marshmallows.

The marshmallows are a large size, more than just a few bites.  The Pink Saturday tasted, well, fresh, which I know is a strange way to describe a marshmallow, but it wasn't at all dried out or stale.  It had a nice stickiness and good fluff to it.  But the real winning aspect was the flavor.  I have no idea how they infused so much strawberry flavor into this thing, but they did.  Intense strawberry, it tasted like summer.

While it might be a waste to use one of these in s'mores, can you imagine how good a s'more with a strawberry marshmallow would be?  I think it would taste like a chocolate covered strawberry.  Will have to try that next!

Dixie Diva Biscuit.

And, the main attraction, the special Dixie Diva.  What makes it a Diva?  As I mentioned above, that was for us to guess.  The answer was ... Pop Rocks!

The biscuit itself was studded with Pop Rocks (Sour Apple I think?), and then it was glazed with an icing that also contained more Pop Rocks.

This was a really fun treat.  Sadly, the Pop Rocks were there to provide little pops of color, not pops of Pop Rock action.  I think the baking process de-activated them.  I wonder if they were popping in the oven as they baked?

What I loved about the biscuit was the double dose of tang.  The first tang was more subtle, and came from the buttermilk in the base biscuit.  I always love a good tang to my biscuits, so I was delighted that I could taste the buttermilk here.  But the more obvious tang was in the glaze, it was sweetened, but very tangy as well.  I'm not sure if there was more citrus added, or if all the flavor came from the Pop Rocks.

Overall, this was tasty and fun, although, it would have been even more exciting if the Pop Rocks popped as I ate it!

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Sushi Kanesaka, Tokyo

On my first visit to Tokyo several years ago, several co-workers and I, rather on a whim, decided to go out to lunch one day.  We wanted amazing sushi, and were able to fairly last minute get reservations at Sushi Kanesaka, then 2 Michelin stars.  It was a mind blowing experience, as we all decided to be crazy and get one of the higher end omakase sets.  By far the most money I'd ever spent on a meal before, let alone lunch.  By far the freshest sushi I'd ever had.  Such a memorable experience.

When I recently returned to Tokyo, I knew I wanted to have at least one great sushi meal.  I of course tried to get reservations at all of the top places, but they require reservations as far out as they book, and we only planed our visit 3 weeks in advance.  Also, we were a group of 6, which would completely fill many of the highest regarded establishments.  So, no Jiro for me.  There were a couple other Michelin starred sushi places we could have gotten in at, but all carried very hefty price tags.  I remembered Kanesaka, and looked it back up to find that they had been relegated to only one star, but, they also offered reasonably priced set lunches.  And, amazingly, they could fit our large group on the Saturday we were in town.  Done!

Sushi Kanesaka has also expanded to a second location, but we visited the original, in the basement of a building in Ginza, a bit hard to find if you don't know what you are looking for, as there is no signage in English.

The sushi bar is small, with only 16 seats, divided into two sections, each with its own chef, 8 seats per chef.  Our group of 6, plus one other patron, were assigned to one chef, the other side of the restaurant had about 6 people total, served by the other chef.

Once seated, we were asked if we wanted just nigiri, or a mix of nigiri and sashimi.  There is no menu, no a la carte ordering, everything is omakase, which we knew and expected.  We said we wanted both.  Price options were then presented to us, which, I didn't write down, but were somewhere in the $290+ range.  Uh ... whoops?  I thought they were supposed to have reasonable lunch options?  While we all took a moment to deliberate, I insisted that there were other options, and asked the member of our group who spoke some Japanese to ask about them.  Sure enough, if we were willing to stick in nigiri only, there were 3 omakase options: ¥5,000,  ¥10,000,  or ¥15,000.  Phew.

I knew we were going out to a huge dinner that night (more Michelin star french cuisine!), so I went for the smallest option, and was told it would include about 10 pieces.  One other person joined me in my small feast, two others picked the mid-range, and the final two went for the highest priced one.  This allowed us to see what the different price ranges really offered.

After seeing all the different options, it seemed like the ¥5,000 was a great deal, and the ¥15,000 really did include premium selections, but the ¥10,000 seemed like the worst pick, as, yes, it included a few more pieces, but definitely not twice as many, and didn't include the premium cuts.  I was quite happy with my choice of sets, and I was really glad that they allowed us to all pick different sets.

Along with our sushi, beer, sake, and tea were ordered.  The tea service was particularly impressive; as soon as you reached half a mug of tea, it was quickly replaced, so that not only did your cup never get close to empty, but your tea was also never cold.  I was shocked time and time again when my mug of tea would get replaced so stealthily, but near the end, I had to ask them to stop, because I was going to be bouncing off the walls from all the caffeine.  It turns out, when your cup never empties, it is really easy to drink far too much, and this doesn't just apply to alcohol :)

The sushi was all good, clearly very fresh, very high quality fish.  But, it didn't blow me away in the same way that it had on that first visit.  Partially, I think that it is because I've had plenty of good sushi since, but moreover, it is because most of the pieces weren't ones that I would have selected if ordering a la carte.  Because it is omakase, we didn't have any say into what we received, and since that first visit to Sushi Kanesaka years ago, I've narrowed in more on the type of sushi I like.  The pieces were all very good for what they were, but weren't ever going to be my favorites.

Plating up our starter.

The dining experience was a bit interactive, in that our chef was there preparing each piece directly in front of us.

He interleaved preparing our dishes, and those for the other patron in our section, but we never waited long before receiving our next piece of sushi.

Starter: Seaweed and diakon salad.

To start, we were given a little salad of seaweed and diakon, drizzled with ponzu and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

It was refreshing and light, the perfect way to start the meal.  The ponzu was intensely flavorful!

Such focus and precision.

Throughout the meal, I was impressed with the focus and calm demeanor of the chef.  It was only at the end of the meal that he stepped back to really chat with us.  He was friendly and answered questions as he was going, but was clearly focused on his craft, and did not want to be distracted.

Always wiping his blade between cuts.

He was meticulous about cleaning the blade between cuts.  While he sometimes sliced up a few different pieces at a time, he mostly prepared the pieces one at a time, and each of us would be served individually as soon as our piece was ready.  He placed the piece directly onto the plate in front of us.  I'm not sure what correct etiquette is, but it seemed right to each eat it as soon as it was placed in front of us, rather than waiting for everyone.

Hirame (flounder).

The first piece, flounder.  It was a bit firm, not my favorite.

Tai (marinated sea bream).

Next came marinated sea bream, but was only included in the medium and large sets, so I didn't get to try it.

Yellowjack.

The texture on the yellowjack was really surprising.  It was ... soft.  Not mushy exactly, but soft.  Quite strange.

All the pieces came pre-sauced/seasoned, and we were instructed never to dip them in soy sauce.  There were subtle citrus hints to this one, I didn't see what from, but I imagine there was lemon juice added.  Interesting, but still not my favorite.

Maguro (lean tuna)

Next began the tuna preparations.  Those of us with the cheapest set just got standard maguro.  It was clearly very fresh, had a deep flavor, but somehow maguro always tastes a little too "bloody" for me.

Toro (Fatty Tuna).

Those who got the mid-range set also got toro.

Chūtoro (Medium Fatty Tuna).

And those with the largest set, got chūtoro, which they all of course loved.

Otoro (Fatty Tuna).

And of course, otoro, which was so fatty it was breaking apart, again, only for those who selected the premium set.

Ika (squid).

Next, we all received squid.

This one was really interesting, as it had lime squeezed over it and was topped with sea salt.  The squid itself was firm and sweet, and quite nice, but the fresh lime and salt made it pretty spectacular.  I called it "margarita squid".  I can't say I'd ever had salt on sushi before, but, it worked, which makes sense, since soy sauce is very salty.  My third favorite.

Ebi (tiger prawn).

Next, tiger prawns.

But this was unlike any prawn or shrimp I'd ever had.  It tasted far more like crab or lobster.  The texture was perfect.  It was also stuffed on the inside with shrimp powder, which intensified the overall flavor even more, and a hit of wasabi, for some kick.

This was my favorite piece of the meal, and certainly the most memorable.

Japanese anchovy.

Included in medium and large only, so I didn't try the Japanese anchovy.

Aji (horse mackerel).

I don't generally care for oily, salty fish, but the aji was good.  Firm fish, and while salty, it was quite enjoyable.  Topped with a tiny amount of ground up Japanese chives.

Mackerel Steak.

Speaking of salty, the mackerel steak was intensely salty, and had a very strong taste.  I didn't care for it, but it was the favorite of one of my dining companions.

Baby Squids.

Included in medium and large sets, this was actually a bunch of tiny little squids all pressed together.

Taka (octopus).

Next, octopus.  It wasn't too rubbery, but it was a tiny bit too slimy for me on the edges.

Mirugai (geoduck).

Included in large set only, geoduck.

Hamaguri (clam).

And for all of us, regular clam.

This one shocked me, as I never really like clams.  It was chewy, but ... I liked it.  My forth pick, just behind margarita squid.

Miso soup with clams.

An intermission, continuing the clam, miso soup, with small clams inside.  It was warm, comforting, and actually really quite good.  Miso soup doesn't tend to interest me, but this was far better than most.

Uni (sea urchin).

And then it happened.  Uni.  Always my favorite.  And ... included in the medium and large sets only.  I was pretty sad.

One of my dining companions was going to be nice and let me have his when he saw how much I was missing it, but luckily I was able to ask for it to be added to my set too.

It was creamy, delicious uni.  My second favorite piece of the meal.

Anago (salt water eel).

Next up was the anago, served warm, lightly sauced.  My notes say, "good enough", which, for a piece I don't normally tend to like, is better than usual.

Tuna Cheek.

The folks with the large set received this one, which looked remarkably like steak.

Tamago.

Finally, always one of my favorite pieces, which I consider my "dessert": tamago.  Only this tamago wasn't like any I'd had before.  It wasn't layered.  It wasn't as sweet.  And, it contained shrimp.  But it was richly custardy, and did complete my meal.

Squash Roll.

Or so I thought.  Tamago is usually the last piece, right?  Then we received a vegetarian roll, filled with stewed squash.  This was way too filling at this point in the meal.  It was large, and there was so much rice.  I was full before this, and I think it pushed me over the edge.

Those with the large set received a negi-toro hand roll instead, which seems much more worth stuffing oneself for rather than squash!

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