TBA
Sushi Kaneyoshi
Collaboration of Chef Inoue-san (Sushi Kaneyoshi, 1*) and Chef Hirano-san (Sushi Inaba, 1*) at Chef Inoue-san's restaurant, Sushi Kaneyoshi, is a few times a month on Tuesdays. As befits two Michelin star chefs working together, the food is fantastic, and is priced accordingly. ($285/person at Inaba vs. $400/person for Kaneyoshi x Inaba collaboration dinner). Inaba's trademark uni soba as well as a deep fried shrimp cake open the meal, and the chawanmushi with shrimp is tasty. Two dishes presented with liver (kamasu and abalone-- did not know either had enough liver to do that!), then a much more commonly seen dish, ankimo served at the same time as oyster with seaweed.
Standards everywhere seem to include nodoguro (black throat sea perch), kinmedai (golden eye snapper), aji (horse mackerel), chutoro, kohada (gizzard shad), anago (sea eel), and two kinds of uni (Hokkaido and Santa Barbara). The cut of aori ika (squid) was a bit different than normal, the aji was amazing, and I think noten (bluefin tuna head meat), lightly seared, was both unique and delicious. Among the echelons of high-end sushi, the experience here holds up well, although they are definitely priced up there as well.
Clear soup at the end was actually a clam soup (nom), plus two kinds of tamago, both different to show off the stylistic differences of the two chefs. Shorter and sweeter for Inaba, taller and more savory for Kaneyoshi. No fresh fruit or anything for dessert, but given nearly two and a half hours had passed at this point, wrapping up the meal seemed entirely reasonable.
As far as the other details, the exterior is nearly completely hidden, with only a small sign on the entrance to the parking garage and nothing else. Enter through the second story lobby, then down to the basement via a nearly equally unmarked elevator. Once you emerge from the elevator, Sushi Kaneyoshi reveals itself with a stylish lobby decorated with a wall-to-wall print of the city skyline, and a bit of a wall down the hall into the dining room proper, emoting vibes of a Japanese courtyard, which seems to be the latest trend in high-end Japanese restaurants. The whole experience, once you enter, feels quite exclusive. About the only hiccips on the night were not the fault of the restaurant on the night were that 2 of the 13 diners arrived nearly 30 minutes late, which made the meal end quite late; as well as several customers who were less than pleasant to have at dinner.
Menu:
Deep fried shrimp cake in shisho leaf, ume sauce.
Hokkaido uni with soba.
Chawanmushi with sweet shrimp, red seaweed.
Sum-ika (Japanese ink squid) with dried shrimp.
Smoked kamasu (barracuda) with shisho sauce.
Steamed abalone with liver sauce.
Seared nodoguro (black throat sea perch).
Oyster with seaweed.
Ankimo, 3 days miso marinated oyster, sake marinated wakame seaweed.
Iwashi maki (sardine, cucumber, ginger, shisho leaf).
Sushi:
Kinmedai (golden eye snapper).
Aji (horse mackerel).
Seared noten (tuna head).
Chutoro.
Steamed tachiuo (beltfish) with daishi sauce and sanshao flower.
Japanese katsuo (bonito).
Aori ika (squid).
Barfun uni and Santa Barbara uni. (Santa Barbara is larger).
Cured, aged kohada (25 days total) (gizzard shad).
Santa Barbara uni, Hokkaido uni (left).
Anago (sea eel).
Shijimi clam clear soup.
Tamago (shorter and sweeter is Inaba, taller and more salty/savory is Kaneyoshi).