..."Perched at the L-shaped bar, I observed Chef Ian Robinson closely as I perused the small menu. He was hypnotizing to watch--deft in his movement and precise in his technique. You'd never know he had no formal culinary training (he apprenticed at Sushi Kaji).
The menu (complete with an old-school library date stamp) presented a selection of locally-sourced vegetable sides, sushi and sashimi. All items were offered à la carte (ranging in price from $4 to $10) or as omakase (chef's choice). For the night I was there, the omakase was priced at $45 and included onozi, Japanese new year soup, and eight pieces of sushi.
Let me tell you...the Japanese new year soup was not an impressive way to steer the ship out of the harbour. Limp vegetables floated in a bland miso broth. C'etait dégoutant...."