Hatsume 7($$$)

Hatsume

The best sushi in Beijing…

….was disappointing.

Hatsume is well known for being the best in Beijing but it was quite a few steps below the neighborhood sushi restaurants back home. But considering it is the best, I would defiantly avoid any other sushi place in town.

Despite the quality of the fish this restaurant is pretty busy during the dinner hour. Reservations are absolutely necessary.

On this occasion Kris reserved the traditional sunken Japanese dinner table. We took off our shoes and climbed under the table hand picked out chopsticks from a little presentation and then ordered four dishes. Braised salmon and tuna in garlic cream miso sause, a salmon tuna roll in spicy 119 (911 in china) sauce, a roast duck and cucumber roll and tempura sweet potatoes.

In the taste category Hatsume warrants a 7. It was not that bad, in fact I did enjoy the braised salmon and tuna with garlic cream miso sauce. But their sushi grade fish was not what it should have been. The duck roll was actually the better of the two rolls, with is saying a lot for the duck and not a good review of the fish. I usually hate sushi rolls with anything other than fish it them.

For two people we spent $ for two people including a decent bottle of French Riesling. It was paired perfectly with the salmon and tuna but did not pair as well with the roast duck roll.

The atmosphere was kind of cute, it had little fountains and zen sand walkways but it was currently under construction or renovation so half the walls and ceiling were covered in painters tarp. Hopefully they will finish it soon.

Overall I give this restaurant a 7 out of 10. It was ok, and probably a little better than I give it credit for, but I have come to expect top rated sushi places to be absolutely exceptional. The quality of the fish is everything, and the variety and creativity of the menu should come second.

Wasabi and Ginger 8 ($$$)

May 04, 2008 after Maker Fair.

After a day at the fairgrounds I really needed some real food, something light and refreshing. Sushi!

Wasabi Ginger was not my first choice, second choice or even my third choice. But #1, 2, and 3 Zagat rated sushi restaurants are closed on Sunday. So we drove around until we found Wasabi & Ginger. This restaurant was on the smaller side despite how it looks from the inside, a little neighborhood kind of place, where many of the locals grad take out. I didn’t really have very high expectations but I was pleasantly surprised about the quality and innovation for the cut rolls we ordered. I had a Volcano Roll and a Money Train Roll. The Volcano had tuna, unagi and mango, the sweet tangy mango contrasted the more rich flavors of the unagi and tomago. I have had a few rolls that try to incorporate fruit before and many of them have failed miserably, but this one succeeded where the others failed.

Kris ordered the Fantastic Roll. It was a special that was described as having asparagus and spicy tuna in it, but when they brought it out it was nothing like the description. Kris also ordered a Nigiri of Toro. It was old, and not that fresh anymore, but it was buttery all the same.

Price wise Wasabi and Ginger would rate a $$, very reasonable for two people who ate three rolls, an order of Toro and a beer. The décor was a little lacking in style and newness but it was obviously a nice family operations. The Sushi chiefs were friendly and the service was very prompt.

Taste wise I would rate it an 8; better than expected and better than many that I have had. The Sushi Chiefs were all Japanese men who knew their fish. The rolls were not very traditionally Japanese but their California fusion was much better than many local sushi places I have eaten at here in Sacramento. I thought the chiefs were perhaps a little heavy on the sauce but it was mostly on the plate so you didn’t have to dip it if you didn’t want to.

Overall I would give Wasabi and Ginger an 8 because I liked their food, the service was prompt and I thought the chief was innovative without being intrusive with his California fusion rolls. They are available to do catering, take out and delivery.

2299 Van Ness Ave. at Vallejo
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-345-1368

www.wasabiandginger.com

Sushi Ran 9 (3x$$)

Sushi Ran

This little restaurant located in the quaint and expensive Sausalito is supposed to be the best sushi on the West Coast. I expected it be an expensive and trendy place and it was, but not necessarily upscale. Kris and I got all dressed up and I wore my birthday dress. We probably looked out of place, him in a suit and me in a cocktail dress, but it was a celebration and we didn’t let appearances stop us. Weather or not it is the best in the west, Sushi Ran is extremely popular so I recommend making a reservation no matter what time you expect dinner.

Sushi Ran has an interesting custom of over pouring their sake to over-flow the sake glass until it runs down the sides into a bamboo cup. I really don’t think this is a traditional custom, but rather something that sushi ran started so that their customers feel like they are getting their moneys worth. In either case the taste of the sake from the bamboo cup is supposed to contaminate clean taste of the sake. It is much better to drink sake from a ceramic or glass container.

The Toro was spectacular and best I have ever tasted. Sushi Ran flies fish in daily from Japan; this makes the biggest difference when eating sashimi. On this occasion Kris and I shared an order of Toto, a platter of nigiri and vegetable tempura. My only complaint would be how much wasabi was used. The sushi was often way too hot for Kris and I and we had to keep asking for water. After dinner we had banana foster for dessert. I was a little disappointed that they didn’t have a green tea ice cream but the foster was really pretty good. And I don’t usually like bananas.

The service was nothing to get excited about. I needed to ask for service on a couple of occasions and the woman got our order wrong once and then billed us incorrectly later but it figure it was really busy and perhaps she was new or something.

For Price Sushi Ran rates $$$$$$$ for two people who share an appetizer, order toro, share a 7 piece nigiri platter and drink a glass of sake. It is expensive, the toro was worth it though.

I would give the quality of their fish a 10 out of 10. The fish was fresh, caught healthy, and the best cut. The wasabi though strong was authentic, and mixed correctly to have that really clean burn and flowery after taste. The sake was smooth, I just cant remember what it was.

The atmosphere was trendy, and popular but local feeling. I got the impression that most people eating there eat there on a relatively regular basis. Due to the crowd though, it would not be a very intimate kind of restaurant and so not good for a first date. You have to yell a lot to be heard in Sushi Ran.

Kru 10 ($$$)

Kru is hands down the best sushi in town. We often go here, and we often introduce it to all our friends as "the best".
The head chief at Kru won second place at the regional Sacramento Sushi Masters Competition (it was a lot like the Iron Chief show, accept without the celebrity critics and it took place in a gym). Kru ranges from very traditional rolls, to innovative California fusions.

During dinner, I came up with a simple but telltale test for knowing if a sushi restaurant will be any good. The test proceeds as follows: Does the menu include chirashi? if the aswere is yes, then its good, if the answer is no, then its its likely they smother all their rolls with cream cheese or cream sauces to mask the older, tougher fish taste.

For taste Kru always gets a 10. Fresh, clean, natural, the best cut of fish they can get. I like to sit at the bar and watch them assemble and cut with those razor sharp knifes. The knife is very important, a dull knife will danage the cells of the fish when it is being sliced. A traditional Japanese sushi knife kept very sharp will not contaminate the taste of the fish.

For atmosphere I give Kru a 7 out of 10. Its along the midtown J street. Close to the art galleries, night clubs, bars and midtown itself; it sits on some prime realty. The decor however is less than impressive but does well for just a little neighborhood restaurant. I am curious though, to know what the old Victorian looked like before the first floor was converted into a restaurant.

Price recieves a rating of $$. It can be cheaper than that, because the chirashi alone costs $25, and the typical roll costs $15 but I usually spend a little more and get the really good sushi.
Chirashi, Fried rolls. Green Tea Cheese cake.

Over all, Kru gets a 10. When I think of sushi I think of Kru.
2516 J St
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 551-1559

Dragonfly (9) $$$

If you are looking for a relaxed downtown evening of good food, classy drinks and engaging conversation, look no further than 18^th and Capitol. Dragonfly specializes in sushi and Asian fusion both modern and innovative.

Yesterday I met some friends there for New Years Eve dinner. We meet here fairly often because most of us like sushi, but if you don’t there is something for everyone, like their dragonfly burger.

On this occasion I ordered a duck bun appetizer, and the Terminator roll.

The appetizer was served traditionally Chinese, with the exception of the cut of duck. This duck was little chopped pieces from off the bone, parts of the duck that are hard to get too and ugly to serve as an entrée, probably the back and neck. It wasn’t fresh duck but it wasn’t tough and old either.

I was both pleasantly surprised and disappointed about the roll. The terminator roll is shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, topped with salmon, ahi, yellow tail and torched scallops. The scallops were particularly good; perfectly seared but left mostly raw, they were fresh, moist, and they left a very clean taste. However the roll did rely heavily on the sauce. I like my fish as pure and fresh tasting as possible, I believe too much mayonnaise sauces or cream cheese hide the taste of the fish.

For atmosphere Dragonfly receives a 10. It has a large open air feeling inside, a large patio for summer, a trendy location and happy hour Monday thru Friday. They also have wine tasting on the second Saturday of the month during the art walk.

Dragonfly usually rates about $ for two people ordering an appetizer and an entrée each, plus a drink. On this occasion we spent about $$$$$$ but that’s just because it was New Years Eve.

I give Dragonfly a 9 for taste even though I didn’t like a lot of sauce on my sushi. The fish was still fresh, and all the elements of the roll were proportioned well. But next time I will have to remember to order my sauce on the side.

It is often hard to find parking in downtown and the midtown areas, but Dragonfly has valet parking. The Valet is shared between all four restaurants on that corner so you can valet from either side of the street.

Over all I have to give Dragonfly a 9 out of 10. It’s a fun trendy place to eat dinner or get lunch. Dragonfly even serves breakfast.

1809 Capital Ave. Sacramento, CA 95814

Isobune, San Francisco (5)$$

Isobune claimes to be the “original” sushi boat restaurant and was the first to use the floating boats to deliver sushi in the United States. Located in the San Francisco Japan center, Isobune boasts a unique atmosphere to stop and rest from a day of shopping and sight seeing.

Today when I went I was unlucky enough to become hungry during the peak lunch hour. If possible avoid arriving before 2:00 on a weekend or you will have to wait a long time to be seated like I did. There is good news, even if you have to wait to be seated, once you find that special spot at the counter, instant gratification! All you have to do is reach out and pick a good looking boat. Don’t worry if you miss on the first try it will come around again.

For fun and atmosphere Isobune receives a 7, (10 being the highest).

Isobune is not really a cheap restaurant but you can get out of there very reasonably if you eat light, so I give it $$.
The price of the dish is distinguished by the color, (blue costs about $2.50 and gold costs about $5.25) just stack them up to the side and your waitress will total them up at the end.

For quality and taste I have to rate Isobune at a 4 on this occasion. I was not impressed with the selection of sushi it mostly being uni, salmon and mackerel. The fish was relatively fresh and the eel was warm from the kitchens but my baby octopus was old and tough tasting. I believe those little red cephalopods are pickled somewhere over seas and then imported. Though you can’t argue with how easy it is to rip open a plastic bag and serve cold, I did not enjoy the experience.

I can say that the avocado used in all the hand rolls was very fresh and of a much better quality then what many sushi restaurants use. Their produce supplier definitely deserves kudos.

The toro leaves a lot to be expected but two pieces are served on a gold dish, so they are at least a very good “deal”.

Over all I give it a 5, a fun place to grab a bite to eat. Sushi lovers (eel, salmon, tuna lovers) can go crazy on their favorite rolls and compile a mountain of dishes before breaking the bank and if you go, do not miss their frozen peach sorbet served inside a actual frozen peach.

1737 Post Street, Japan Center, San Francisco (415)563-1030

1451 Burlingame Ave. Burlingame, CA 94010 (650)344-8433

Other attraction of the Kintetsu Restaurant Mall of include:

The Kinokuniya book store,
The KSG Kinokuniya stationary and gift store,
The four Asakichi stores: incense, iron works, kimono and art stores
Not to mention numerous novelty figurine stores.