鮨食べる人 アメリカ人

NBD, just a collage of pickles and vegetables. All that tuna, caviar and uni requires a frequent palate wipe and this is the way that happens here. The more I think about this meal, the more it reminds me of the #すし匠 style where there is a constant flow of snacks and well-placed palate cleansers. There is even the smoked iburigakko with shari "cheese" (top left) that is a signature of すし匠, so it can't be a coincidence. The tsumami have similar range and variety (more on that in the next post). Less

Format at Takamitsu is "Sushi Sho" style, with small appetizers and pickles between nigiri and, of course, all of that uni. The ankimo narazuke maki has to be a direct reference. Appropriately, the nigiri are sized smaller, and no less than 4 items (including the ohagi with caviar) feature tuna from Yamayuki. No question that this course encourages pairing the bites with nihonshu. While the overall vibe is "modern luxury," Yasuda-san's approach to nigiri presentation is quite traditional. Less

NBD, just a collage of pickles and vegetables. All that tuna, caviar and uni requires a frequent palate wipe and this is the way that happens here. The more I think about this meal, the more it reminds me of the #すし匠 style where there is a constant flow of snacks and well-placed palate cleansers. There is even the smoked iburigakko with shari "cheese" (top left) that is a signature of すし匠, so it can't be a coincidence. The tsumami have similar range and variety (more on that in the next post). Less

Format at Takamitsu is "Sushi Sho" style, with small appetizers and pickles between nigiri and, of course, all of that uni. The ankimo narazuke maki has to be a direct reference. Appropriately, the nigiri are sized smaller, and no less than 4 items (including the ohagi with caviar) feature tuna from Yamayuki. No question that this course encourages pairing the bites with nihonshu. While the overall vibe is "modern luxury," Yasuda-san's approach to nigiri presentation is quite traditional. Less

On this evening the regular course had 7 uni - 3 aka uni, uni risotto, and then this trio. They are interspersed throughout the meal and reappear almost at random, sort of like the head melody in a long jazz piece. I can understand why Yasuda-san emphasizes so much uni - the quality here was exceptional for every variety that was served on this night. In this picture there are murasaki, bafun and ensui (seawater preserved) sea urchins, all with completely unique flavors and richness. Less

All the luxury flexes. Clearly Yasuda-san has a predilection for @louisvuitton and @hermes. The staff even wear Hermes headscarves.
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This is indeed part of the "show" here. For example, that huge "quarter" of maguro isn't served at the meal. It gets unwrapped, placed on that vintage LVMH luggage (next to the Yamayuki label, naturally) and then put back away as soon as all the guests snap pictures. The maguro section of the course is served from the saku that are already broken down.
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Is this garish? Many, many sushiya and high end washoku pride themselves on serving on vintage @baccarat plates and glassware (@sushi_ikko famously has glass Baccarat vessels for his shoyu). This isn't very different. My take on all this is that as long as the "show" doesn't disrupt the pace or quality of the food, it's all fun. Yasuda-san knows his audience, and is in on the joke - he quipped that he needs to wear Hermes because other scarves give him a headache 😂. Maybe someday there will be a taisho whose staff wear all Balenciaga, like they're about to attend a staff meeting on the Death Star. Less

On this evening the regular course had 7 uni - 3 aka uni, uni risotto, and then this trio. They are interspersed throughout the meal and reappear almost at random, sort of like the head melody in a long jazz piece. I can understand why Yasuda-san emphasizes so much uni - the quality here was exceptional for every variety that was served on this night. In this picture there are murasaki, bafun and ensui (seawater preserved) sea urchins, all with completely unique flavors and richness. Less

All the luxury flexes. Clearly Yasuda-san has a predilection for @louisvuitton and @hermes. The staff even wear Hermes headscarves.
.
This is indeed part of the "show" here. For example, that huge "quarter" of maguro isn't served at the meal. It gets unwrapped, placed on that vintage LVMH luggage (next to the Yamayuki label, naturally) and then put back away as soon as all the guests snap pictures. The maguro section of the course is served from the saku that are already broken down.
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Is this garish? Many, many sushiya and high end washoku pride themselves on serving on vintage @baccarat plates and glassware (@sushi_ikko famously has glass Baccarat vessels for his shoyu). This isn't very different. My take on all this is that as long as the "show" doesn't disrupt the pace or quality of the food, it's all fun. Yasuda-san knows his audience, and is in on the joke - he quipped that he needs to wear Hermes because other scarves give him a headache 😂. Maybe someday there will be a taisho whose staff wear all Balenciaga, like they're about to attend a staff meeting on the Death Star. Less

It's rare to find even one type of aka uni in a sushi course, although if you're at a high end sushiya between June and late September there's a decent chance you'll encounter it. Aka uni is smaller and more delicate than even bafun uni, and doesn't travel nearly as well, especially outside of Japan. The flavor is less uniformly sweet than bafun uni and oftentimes, notably smoky.
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Unfortunately, these pictures were from almost a year ago and I didn't take detailed tasting notes or other facts on brand/origin/etc (@bootsy_gi who was with me, might remember better). What I do remember is that all three varieties were absolutely pristine in texture and flavor, with distinctly different notes of sweet, smoky, and briny flavor. I am pretty sure the one on the right (with the most nondescript box) was my favorite, coming from the Yamaguchi area. This was a type I only had the opportunity to enjoy once before when I was in Kokura back in 2017, so it was pretty special to encounter it again. Less

It's rare to find even one type of aka uni in a sushi course, although if you're at a high end sushiya between June and late September there's a decent chance you'll encounter it. Aka uni is smaller and more delicate than even bafun uni, and doesn't travel nearly as well, especially outside of Japan. The flavor is less uniformly sweet than bafun uni and oftentimes, notably smoky.
.
Unfortunately, these pictures were from almost a year ago and I didn't take detailed tasting notes or other facts on brand/origin/etc (@bootsy_gi who was with me, might remember better). What I do remember is that all three varieties were absolutely pristine in texture and flavor, with distinctly different notes of sweet, smoky, and briny flavor. I am pretty sure the one on the right (with the most nondescript box) was my favorite, coming from the Yamaguchi area. This was a type I only had the opportunity to enjoy once before when I was in Kokura back in 2017, so it was pretty special to encounter it again. Less