September 19, 2010

Urasawa – An Expensive Sushi Extravaganza

I’ve been debating on whether to dine at Masa for years. At a minimum of $500 per person, its tasting menu is by far the most expensive in the U.S (heck, than most of the world). Is it worth paying *that* much money when I’ve already had some of the best sushi in Japan? Could the fish possibly be better than what the top restaurants in Tokyo get? So when I read rave reviews about Urasawa and found out that it was Chef Masa Takayama’s restaurant before he left to open Masa in New York and was now being run by his former sous-chef/protégé, AND the tasting menu was “only” $200 per person (it’s all relative, right?), I put Urasawa on my mental list of restaurants to dine at.

Unfortunately, that was a few years ago and Urasawa’s set menu has now almost doubled to $350 per person (that doesn’t include drinks or gratuity). But since I was finally going to be down in SoCal and my friends are also sushi fanatics, we decided to take the plunge and made reservations at Urasawa.

The restaurant is located in Beverly Hills on the second floor of a nondescript building on Rodeo Drive. Despite the ritzy address, I was pleased to find a simple and intimate space with just 9 seats along a beautifully sanded wood sushi bar.

The food was great overall, but what really made the restaurant stand out was the happy and friendly demeanor of Chef Hiro Urasawa . At most established sushi restaurants, the head chef is usually quite formal and stern. However, Hiro-san warmly introduced himself when we sat down and talked with us throughout our meal…all while never losing focus on the fish and making sure his staff attended to even the smallest details. The service was top notch. Not only did Hiro-san provide us with informative details of each course, he also tolerated my picture taking (not allowed in most high-end sushi places), calling me the “sushi paparazzi”. He did tell us that the nigiri must be eaten within 10 seconds of him making it, so I tried to quickly snap a shot or two (all in the name of good blogging!) before enjoying the sushi at its optimum…

[Note: There were 31 different presentations (yes, 31!) so I will keep my descriptions brief]

Ankimo wrapped Toro and Caviar – WOW, what a way to start the meal! Exquisitely plated and masterfully executed. The flavors of the toro (fatty tuna) and ankimo (monkfish liver) were rich and sumptuous, while the caviar and the daikon kept things bright and added interesting textures.
Ikura and Edamame Tofu – I’ve never had anything like this before. The ikura (salmon roe) burst with such a gentle sweetness. The saltiness was so subtle that I knew the roe was fresh and hadn’t been preserved in salt water for very long. The silky edamame tofu had a slight nutty taste and provided a perfect contrast.
Baby Japanese Eggplant - first time I’ve eaten raw eggplant. It was soft and slightly spongy, while dipping it in soy sauce accentuated its sweetness. Garden fresh taste even though it was flown in all the way from Osaka.
Sashimi (Toro, Kanpachi, Uni) – Amazing, one of my favorite courses. The sashimi was served in a beautiful hand-carved ice bowl by Hiro-san. The kanpachi was clean yet had a slight butteriness. And of course, the toro was melt-in-your-mouth heaven. But what really made my knees go weak was the uni (sea urchin) from Santa Barbara. It was absolutely sublime and some of the best I’ve had.
Kobe Beef Tartar and Caviar – two very luxurious ingredients, but I actually didn’t love this dish. The beef had similar savory-sweet flavors found in Chinese beef jerky, but it was too salty and overpowered the delicate caviar.
Shark Fin Soup – a soulful and elegant soup. The shark fin was so soft and tender, like a shitake mushroom only much more delicate. The only other time I’ve had shark fin soup this incredible was at Hiiragiya in Kyoto.
Tempura Anago – a Japanese version of the battered, fried fish. Crispy on the outside, then warm and meaty anago (sea eel) on the inside. The grated shiso leaf added an nice herbaceous element to the tempura.
Kobe Beef, Scallop, Prawn on Miso Paste – served over a small hot grill, the sweet and unctuous miso paste perfectly complemented each of the items, especially the oh-so-tender Kobe beef.
Shabu Shabu with King Eel, Red Snapper, Foie Gras, and Kombu Kelp - each item was individually placed in the boiling broth by our waiters to cook for just a few seconds. The king eel was kind of chewy with no distinguishable taste. Foie gras shabu shabu was a new concept for me, and I appreciated how the simple poaching kept the foie gras light and creamy. My favorite part of this course was actually drinking the broth afterwards. I was surprised that it was only a simple seaweed broth. But all the various items that had been cooked in it really developed the broth's depth and flavor.
Kama Toro (fatty tuna) – velvety and rich. This cut came from the collar of the tuna (unlike most toro which comes from the belly)
Seared Kama Toro (fatty tuna) – the quick sear further integrated the marbleized fat into the meat and made for a heavenly morsel
Katsuo (skipjack) – firm with a clean, subdued flavor
Kanpachi (amberjack) – liked it better in the sashimi, this cut was more chewy
Tai (red snapper) – although this had sudachi zest on top, it was too similar to the 2 other firm white fishes that were just served, none of which have a lot of flavor
Maguro (blue fin tuna) – like a beautiful red satin
Seki Aji (horse mackerel) – Hiro-san said this was the “number one mackerel from Japan”, but it didn’t particularly stand out from good aji I’ve had at other places
Ika (squid) – firm with a creamy finish, grated sudachi added flavor
Uni (sea urchin) – sweet, creamy, absolutely incredible! The most outstanding of piece of nigiri served. I wish I could have taken one of those containers of uni home with me!
ChuToro (medium fatty tuna) – rich and buttery goodness
Kohada (gizzard shad) – not as fishy as saba, but still has the oiliness and distinct flavor of silver fish
Baby Shrimp – kind of bland, needed some acidity to brighten it up. I prefer the version from Sushi Sam’s Edomata (only other place that I’ve had this).
Sanma (mackerel pike) – a traditional preparation that’s over 300 years old. The fish is "grilled" with hot metal rods pressed against the top, creating huge puffs of smoke. The chopped shiso balanced the saltiness and oiliness of the fish.
Shitake Mushroom – simple yet distinct woody and earthy flavors. The mushroom had been slowly grilled for the past hour and had a lovely tenderness.
Negitoro Maki (fatty tuna roll) - the toro was complemented by green onions and pickled radish
Awabi (abalone) – firm and slightly crunchy, but the sudachi tasted strange with it. Honestly, I usually find abalone flavorless in sushi and this was no different (only exception was the awabi at Sushi Mizutani, the best sushi restaurant I've been to date)
Amaebi (sweet shrimp) - this is as fresh as it gets! We watched Hiro-san take the large shrimp apart while it was still alive and moving. It didn't tast as sweet as I expected and had a slight mineral-like taste. Because it was so fresh, it was firmer than other amaebi I've had, but there was still a mushy consistency that I’m not fond of.
Aji No Tataki (minced Spanish mackerel) – interesting preparation, but I was so overloaded with mackerel (and sushi) at this point that it was difficult to appreciate this
Anago (sea eel) – I was relieved to have something bold and different to wake up my taste buds. The anago was lean, meaty, and full of flavor from the sweet kabayaki sauce
Tamago (egg cake) – fluffy and light with the distinct taste of egg, but also with a hint of sweetness. It is said that quality of the tamago is indicative of how good a sushi chef is..and Hiro-san's was especially delicious!
Asian Pear Gelée – great palate cleanser. Refreshing and tart.
White Sesame Ice Cream with Matcha Green Tea – smooth and creamy with the nutty sesame flavor. Hiro-san made the matcha with such care and precision, as if it had been a Japanese tea ceremony. I enjoyed the bitter contrast of the tea with the sweet dessert.
Three and a half hours later, I was beyond full. I never thought these words would ever come out of my mouth, but there *is* such a thing as too much sushi! The fish presented in the nigiri part of the meal became monotonous after a while. I would have enjoyed it more if Hiro-san had left some of the similar items out (i.e. didn’t need so many white fishes and mackerels) and kept the nigiri more distinct and focused. I also noticed that Hiro-san served nigiri to other diners in a different order, which I thought was strange. The order is important in multi-course meals, building up in richness and flavors…but Hiro-san’s was all over the place. Perhaps, my palate was overwhelmed too early in the meal with heavy items and that’s why it was hard for me to enjoy the more subtle flavors and differences in the fish later on.

Don’t get me wrong though, I REALLY enjoyed my dinner at Urasawa (especially the first half of the meal), but I expected a lot more given the price. I’ve also had similar or better sushi experiences elsewhere for less, so I probably wouldn’t come back to Urasawa unless they lower the prices. Unfortunately, Hiro-san mentioned wanting to raise prices again due to the strength of Japanese yen…so if you want to eat at Urasawa, get your butt here fast before the price goes up again!

BITE METER: Urasawa – 4.2 bites (out of 5)

2 comments:

  1. Thanks Karine for this great review.
    I believe Urasawa counts among the very best outside Japan. My question: what would be your personal top 2,3 best Japanese restaurants in the world? I have never been to Ursawa, but would eventually like to try it along with its finest peers in the US and Japan. Your answer would be highly appreciative

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  2. Glad you enjoyed the review! I've had so many phenomenal Japanese meals, but I'll try to break out some of my favorites for you...
    - Best traditional sushi: Sushi Mizutani (Tokyo)
    - Best kaiseki meal: Hiiragiya (Kyoto)
    - Best Japanese/sushi with a more creative approach: o ya (Boston), Sushi of Gari (New York, upper east side), Sushi Sam's Edomata (San Mateo)
    You'll find detailed reviews on Sushi Mizutani, o ya, and Sushi Sam's Edomata under the 'top eats' section of my blog. Enjoy!

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