TBA
Sushi Inaba
Per Mike's request, managed to score a coveted reservation at Sushi Inaba for Allison and AJ's birthdays. Chef Yasuhiro Hirano and his colleagues manage to put on a fabulous meal as always, on every visit showing why they earned a Michelin star.
Staples such as mehikari (green eyes) tempura hand roll, seared nodoguro (black throat sea perch), Hokkaido uni, baby anago (sea eel), ankimo (both with wasabi and with black pepper), and aged bluefin tuna (both akami and otoro) are consistently delicious. This time they were joined by a sous vide oyster as well as some aji (horse mackerel) that were particularly fine; the oyster in particular was massive, which was a bit concerning for someone who typically does not like massive oysters.
Smoked katsuo (small bonito) was a bit shocking to watch Chef Hirano throw away so much of the fat on the back, but it was as tasty as promised. Seeing all the fat rendered from the otoro as it sat on a warm plate was almost as surprising!
More unique items tonight were shiro-ebi (40 to 50 tiny white shrimp make one piece), chinu (black head sea bream), and houbu (bluefin sea robin). All three were excellent, with the houbu being outstanding enough I was surprised it was the first time I having it.
Dewazakura Dewasansan Junmai Ginjo, Akabu Junmai, Heiwa Shuzo KID Red Rice "Aka" were the drinks of choice tonight. All were very reasonably priced, with the first being a bit more crisp and refreshing, the second being smoother, and the last being a red rice sake that was less sweet than many traditional dessert sakes, yet still quite good. And while the adults enjoyed sake with the staff and the other guests, AJ impressed Hirano-san with his excellent Japanese. Happy Birthday Allison and Happy Birthday AJ!