Feb 8th, 2014

Simply extraordinary.  I have never had Edomae sushi this authentic and this good before.  Chef Hiro-San and his staff are gracious, engaging, and a delight.  Each piece of sushi was carefully prepared and presented as a special treasure.  Chef Hiro-San welcomed and appreciated our feedback on each piece.  Each piece of fish was uniquely prepared to bring out the essence of each.  Not only were the sauces and marinades used to accentuate the flavors, they also brought out the best textures. While it is easy to say I loved the Toro, it was the more mundane bonito and tai (snapper) that shocked me with their tastiness.  Chef Hiro-san has a gift – and as an added bonus he is very nice to the guests unlike Nozawas/Zo/and Shibucho et al. Omakase was $165 pp ++ and worth every penny.

When I read sushi reviews I judge the credibility of the reviewer by what other sushi restaurants they love/hate.    I love Shunji for Kaiseki.  Nozomi in Torrance is very good for sushi. I even like Kampai in Westchester if you avoid the western stuff. I hate and will never return to places like Matsuhisa, Katsuya, the new Sasabune and their peers because of the overpowering westernized sauces, fake wasabi, and sub-par and sometimes precut fish.  I think Sushi Zo is terrible because he mixes ginger juice into the sauce for several of the fish.  Sushi Sushi is simply boring because he uses the same sauce for most of the fish.  Kiriko and K-Zo are ok but very westernized and overpriced for what you are getting.  I hate the rice at Sugarfish – too sweet.  And I don’t think much of the quality of their fish, either.

If you truly understand and appreciate the fine art of authentic Japanese sushi, go here.  If you think Katsuya has good sushi, just don’t go here. You will hate and not understand Q.