Sushi I-NABA: Joe's Bachelor Party (dinner)

Sushi I-NABA

(temporarily in Torrance)

Stylish sake glasses.

Pouring sake.

House-made cold soba and uni.

Two kinds of uni.

Sardines in their own sauce.

Refilling sake.

Chawanmushi.

Horsehair crab chawanmushi.

Chef Yasuhiro Hirano hard at work.

Smoked bonito in sardine vinegar. White shrimp copmera (?) in sanbaizu (sp?).

White shrimp copmera (?) in sanbaizu (sp?). White shrimp copmera (?) in sanbaizu (sp?).

White shrimp copmera (?) in sanbaizu (sp?).

Searing the nodoguro.

Nodoguro (black throat sea perch).

Braised ankimo (monkfish liver). Compared to raw, liked this much better.

The magic box of deliciousness.

Serving.

9 day dry aged marinated akami.

Kawahaga (file fish).

Seaweed cured kasugo (sea bream).

What do we order next.

Horse mackerel (aji).

Shima-aji (striped jack).

Snapper (I think).

Mehikari (green eyes) tempura.

A dessert sake, I think, ordered by one of the other customers-- was much like a dessert wine...

Joe's bachelor party.

Felt honored that Mike and I were Joe's only two guests at his bachelor party/dinner.

Otoro topped with uni and caviar.

I forget what this is-- I think flounder?

Preparing.

Black uni (I think). So much uni on one piece I almost was overwhelmed.

Otoro, warmed slightly on a warm plate before serving.

Kohada (gizzard shad).

A very light clear soup that still had good intensity.

Baby anago (sea eel).

Tamago with scallop and shrimp.

When the chef brings out the tamago he's telling you it's time to go home.

Tamago with scallop and shrimp.

The menu.

Celebrating Joe's last days as a bachelor and Brian's birthday. Chef Yasuhiro Hirano's restaurant and manner turn more towards open and friendly as opposed to formal and elegant, but his long experience with dry aged fish shine through. Unfortunately did not write down the menu as we nom'ed through (and Google Translate is a bit shaky of his whiteboard'ed menu), but as usual everything was excellent.

Particularly unique was the braised ankimo, which is less intense and more welcoming to the palate than uncooked ankimo. Warming the otoro before serving on a warm plate was a subtle but significant enhancement compared to some of the usual ways to serve it, and seared noduguro is always delicious. Kinmedai (golden eye snapper), kohada (gizzard shad), and two kinds of uni are always excellent stand-bys to any sushi meal.

Some of the other guests ordered a desert sake off the menu, I forget the name, but it was also truly unique (at least given my limited experience with sake). All in all a superb and very friendly night of sushi, and congrats to Joe on letting Mike and I be a part of his bachelor (party? dinner?)!