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| - Four of us met to have dinner at Chef Howard Choi's restaurant in the southwest section of town. One of the group had arranged for Chef Choi to do an omakase dinner for our party and we ended with a wide variety of dishes over the 15 courses. The items served were:
Cucumber and seaweed salad
Japanese curry spicy edamame
Spoon trio of oyster, uni, and scallop
Spicy tempura bacon
Salmon kama
Hamachi kama
Taco trio of shrimp, salmon, and tuna
Agedashi tofu
Soft shell crab cake
5 piece nigiri selection
Warm Springs roll
Mr. Monkey "nigiri"
Double E--freshwater eel over rice with shredded egg
Miso
Green tea
Cheesecake tempura
I have had this place bookmarked for many months. Starting with a small salad, some edamame, and followed by the spoon trio, the opening courses were smaller beginnings to a good amount of food. The edamame was coated with Japanese curry and had a really good flavor. The pods were tender enough to eat whole rather than strip out the beans like I always have to do.
Then came one of the biggest winners of the night and a reason to go back just for this--spicy tempura bacon with a maple and soy reduction. This was something not seen in any restaurant I've been at before and it was really good.
Two grilled fish courses followed that were a mixed bag. The salmon was done too much but the hamachi was sweet and juicy.
A trio of small plates came next with a spicy soft shell crab cake, a trio of tacos, and a bowl of agedashi tofu. Hands down winner was the trio of tacos made from egg roll skins and filled with shrimp, tuna, and salmon. Each one was different in flavor and the tuna poke was superb!
Next up were five pieces of nigiri, a roll, and another "nigirI' of quite a different stripe. The Warm Springs roll, one of several rice free rolls on the menu, with spicy tuna, spicy soft shell crab, and shrimp with avocado in a rice paper wrapper with eel sauce was very good and a different kind of roll. The Mr. Monkey, listed as a roll but I refer to it as a special kind of nigiri, with the normal rice layer being a fried banana which is topped with spicy crab and then topped with the spicy tuna. Very creative and very tasty.
The Double E bowl was good but the eel was overwhelmed by the amount of rice below. The shredded egg was an interesting take for a topping.
Some light miso to end and then it was dessert. The tempura cheesecake with chocolate and caramel sauces was excellent. Creamy and fried perfectly, it's another reason to return.
Chef Choi was a very genial, soft-spoken host and he explained his roots and how he came to being a sushi chef.
This is a small restaurant tucked in the corner of a small strip mall next to a Sonic Drive-in. One could easily drive by and not know it's there. Just plan to go there.
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