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| - Enjoyed a very nice dinner here.
Parking lot's small and tight. Restaurant's equally "cozy."
Decent array of menu items including a specials board to the right of the sushi bar. On our evening specials included oysters on the half-shell 6 ($15), Amberjack sashimi ($30), Aji tataki ($20) and black sesame ice cream ($5).
Enjoyed the deluxe chirashi ($28) which included a scallop, dollop of krab salad, spot prawn, tuna, whitefish unknown x2, salmon x2, hamachi x2, albacore, smattering of ikura, egg omelet slice, shiso leaves x2 and two slivers of uni. A very good representation, and I'd recommend shelling out the few extra bucks for the better fish selection. Comes with gomokuzushi-style rice. They will fry the botan ebi head for you; I'd ask for it at the outset rather than when you're done dining.
Sampled the scallop handrolls - heavy on rice, chewy nori, could have used a touch more scallop. I'd recommend the creamy scallop over the spicy scallop (too much sriracha).
Tempura is well done and fairly "authentic" as far as the coating goes. Oil tasted a touch on the old side. Shrimp texture could have been a touch firmer. I'm just quibbling though, because once you've eaten at shops that specialize in tempura in Japan, it's hard to compare.
If they've got the black sesame ice cream, I'd recommend giving it a try. It's quite popular in Japan, and Wa's rendition (don't know if it's house made) is quite good and hits the spot. Not too sweet. The strawberry wafer they include is a bit off though; It appears to be the same strawberry-flavored wafers you get out of those giant square tins sold in Chinatown supermarkets. Doesn't really mesh with the dessert. Perhaps they were trying to replicate the Japanese-style Gaufre wafers which are more delicate and a better fit.
There are some fairly-priced menu items, and some that seem just outrageous. Most of the specials seem highly overpriced and that $20 spider roll'd better be soft-shelled Dungeness (why doesn't that exist?).
Servers are courteous and attentive.
A really nice Japanese restaurant and quite close to downtown. I'd definitely recommend it.
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