Tag: Japanese

I knew we had reached sushi saturation point in this town when we officially had more sushi restaurants than lobbyists. Sushi joints have become so ubiquitous that you’re liable to run into one even if you’re standing still. With so many choices, it not only becomes difficult to ferret out the good establishments from the bad, it also becomes difficult to actually differentiate good from bad. When you think about it, there are really three types of sushi restaurants: 1. Traditional (we really don’t have any of these in Sacramento), 2. Party sushi (e.g. Mikuni, Tokyo Fro’s, etc.), 3. Neighborhood sushi joints (the no frills sushi joint in your neighborhood and everyone else’s).

Where then do I categorize Akebono? It’s definitely not traditional what with its arm-long list of rolls and creative sauces. It’s definitely not party what with its relaxed vibe and decidedly unglamorous location. And it’s definitely not just another neighborhood sushi joint due to its exceptional non-sushi menu and its rather extraordinary sushi offerings.

To hell with labels. Akebono is simply incredible. Continue reading “Akebono- Beyond Category”

Two new sushi outlets are now open in the greater Tower District/Midtown area, and, despite their differences, each one is in the hands of a seasoned restaurateur.

Miso Sushi– Taking over the digs at 16th and Broadway wasn’t easy. What was supposed to be a quick renovation instead became a half-million dollar overhaul, says owner Roger Lee. As part owner of Silver Sake in Carmichael, Lee knows what it takes to get a restaurant off the ground. What he didn’t count on was the poor shape of the digs he was trying to move into. The previous occupant, Eddie Fong, lovingly ran a small breakfast operation out of the spot for years, but his rather cavalier attitude towards all things health code related didn’t exactly help arrest the decaying process in the already shaky building. Continue reading “A Tale of Two Sushis: Miso and Ju Hachi”

‘Twas a busy weekend in Northern California for the Eats.  One of the highlights was a group event at Kru on J st.  Now I’ve already signaled my appreciation for Kru’s sushi in a previous piece, but I really haven’t had a chance to try their non-sushi items.  This group dinner gave the perfect opportunity to sample away at some true delicacies.  So, consider this an addendum to last week’s sushi review.

If you find yourself at Kru, take a chance and try their small plate of ribs, a fantastic plate with pork and hamachi “ribs.”  The ribs are flavorful, tender and delicious.  Also, the lamb chops are fantastic (yes they serve lamb chops at a Japanese restaurant, are you going to make a big deal out of it?), tender and perfectly cooked.  The “poke trio,” a selection of three fishes served in the traditional Hawaiian style was my favorite of the evening.  It was like a Hawaiian party in my mouth, except without the annoying tourists.

Really, who knew that all these sushi restaurants actually serve things besides sushi?  And, here’s the kicker, the non-sushi dishes are sometimes better than the sushi.  It makes you think, really, go ahead, try it, try thinking, come on, you can do it.  Ok, fine, just look at it this way, Kru can be a great destination point for the sushi and non-sushi eating crowd as well.  Thank God, since it doesn’t appear that Tex Wasabi’s is really thrilling anyone on that tip.  Keep trying, Guy!

Kru-2516 J St, Saramento

It’s been a while since we took on the topic of sushi here on the ‘rag.  Our first round of reviews garnered more than their share of comments, and one particular standout was highlighted for its complete inadequacy.  Much like the oceans from where we find our tasty swimming friends, the tides of sushi consumption are changing.  Here’s your update:

Continue reading “Sushi Roundup: Part Ni (two)”

Inspired by a recent post on Vanilla Garlic, I found myself hunting through the files for an old review I did of Zokku under the nom-de-plume of “Hungry G.”  Hungry G, you see, was Russian immigrant who really knew how to party and was looking for a good time come hell or high water.  I did a few reviews written as Hungry G that were to be posted on a local party-goers website, but none were ever published.  So here, in its entirety is Hungry G’s take on Zokku.

Continue reading “Zokku-Hungry G Style”

There’s this place on the corner of Alta Arden and Fulton. It’s been there for many years. You’ve passed it a dozen times in your life, to and from Arden Fair, or when your mom would drag you to Gemco. You remember Gemco, you in your corduroy jumper and bowl haircut trying to convince your mother that you really really needed that new He-Man with the spring loaded sword arm.
Continue reading “Like You Need Another Sushi Recommendation”

Just ate at Taro’s this week, the hip Mikuni outlet at Arden Fair. It lived up to expectations, and those expectations were that it would be almost exactly like the other Mikuni outlets. I was not mistaken. Except for a few quirky menu additions, including a few dessert options that I’ll have to try on my next visit, and a few high-priced rolls that include such items as CA caviar, beluga and a 2 karat diamond, the menu is fairly familiar and pretty accessible. I had a fantastic sea steak salad and tuna ngiri with chopped jalapenos. My one complaint was that even though the main dining area had plenty of open tables, the hostess insisted on sitting us at a high-top bar table where the setting sun was coming through the windows like some Buck Rogers death laser.
Good food, fun ambience, mediocre service.

Taka’s sushi on 18th and S has closed and is looking for a new location. According to the Bee, arguments with the landlord peaked and they shut the whole operation down for the time being. If you ask me, it probably also had something to do with the comically large amount of roe that was included with almost every signature roll.
We’ll probably be seeing Taka’s reopen closer to midtown, but some might say that area is a little super-saturated with sushi already.

Sac-eats’ round-up of grocery-store sushi has been gnawing at me for days. I want sushi. Real sushi. Now. But with the sushi friends crew out of town for the holiday weekend and deadlines crushing me, I have to put a trip to the raw bar off for a few more days.

But that doesn’t stop me from thinking about it.
Continue reading “Raw desire”

Because someone, not sure who anymore, requested it, here’s a quick rundown on all of the grocery store sushi I’ve consumed in the last 4 weeks.
Nugget- Various selections of pre-packaged sushi, all small rolls or shrimp and/or eel ngiri. I went for the spicy combo with spicy tuna, California and unagi rolls. Not bad tasting and well worth the $4 price tag.
Safeway- Hmmmmm, same selection, looks like SW and Nugget buy from the same distributor.
Bel Air- Same selection, see item 1.
Raley’s- See previous selection.
Albertson’s-Ditto
Ralph’s- Oh come on, this is getting silly.
Whole Foods- I hat those assholes; I’m not shopping at their market anymore.
So, it appears that all of the supermarket sushi in town is rolled and packaged by the same company somewhere in the Inland Empire with one of those made up sounding Spanish names like Rancho Santa Dominguez Enchilada Hills or something. I guess it’s all the same no matter where you go. So don’t be choosy. Just grab-n-go and try not to imagine some poor illegal immigrant putting together sushi in East LA for $2 an hour. Instead, think of the poor Chinese laborer who has to works for pennies a day trying to fit a thimble full of soy sauce into those small ketchup sized packets. Eat wisely, my friends.