Princess Dreams of Sushi – Shiro’s

Once upon a time, there was a master sushi chef, named Shiro, widely regarded as the best sushi master in Seattle.  Impressed by the praise and the honors bestowed upon Shiro, she set out to determine the merits of the claims.

Always a favorite, the agadashi tofu did not disappoint with it slightly sweetened broth and crispy texture.

appetizer - agadashi tofu

agadashi tofu – crunch on the outside, bathing in a lightly sweetened broth

As she wanted the chef to shine, she ordered the omakase (chef’s choice).  Ordering the omakase proved a little confusing as the table had three diners, and thus attempted to order three orders.  However, the server informed them that omakase starts at $50 and is portioned for two people.  $75 offered three pieces of each, but did not affect the items served.  

sushi

uni, eel & cucumber

sushi

(clockwise from top left) salmon, geoduck, tuna, yellowtail, tuna salad, albacore tuna

The fresh caught uni (sea urchin) had a buttery flavor with a delicate hint of sea brine.  Geoduck, crisp and sweet, provided a contrast to rest of the sushi.  Although neither the tuna salad or the unagi (eel) stood out, the freshness of the fish shone through, especially for the hamachi (yellowtail).  The sushi rice, deserved note, in the balance of vinegar and sugar, tucked neatly beneath the sushi and dabbed with the perfect amount of wasabi – no soy sauce needed here.

sushi

tamagoyaki, spicy tuna roll, spider roll

In addition to the omakase, they also ordered the spider roll, tamagoyaki, and spicy tuna roll.  The spicy tuna had just enough spice to be considered spicy without over-powering the tuna.  The spider roll had a shell that crunched without becoming chewy.  But the tamagoyaki (egg cake) was unlike any other she had in before.  Made by the apprentice in “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”, this sushi tasted like a honeyed egg cake, fluffy, springy, and sweet.

Next time, the Princess would like to sit at the sushi bar and watch the master at his craft, but until then, she dreams of that next bite, the next piece of sushi, shining yet understated upon that bed of rice.

Synopsis
Overall:
A dream come true
Highlights: uni (sea urchin), hamachi (yellowtail), tamagoyaki (egg), sushi rice
Footnotes: sit at the sushi bar for the full omakase experience rather than a table, but expect to pay a lot more than the $50 base price to be full; they had run out of the miso cod chin for the night at 7pm – it must be a popular dish; Shiro is only there three nights of the week (one of them is Friday); reservations are highly recommended as the restaurant is small
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