2 posts tagged “sushi”

1042 E El Camino Real
Sunnyvale, CA 94087-3754
Phone: 408.241.7292

Executive Chef / Owner: Steve Sawa

Sawa Sushi is not for everyone is a massive understatement. It is not about a Japanese experience a la Urasawa. It is not about finesse. It is not about ambiance. It is very, very, very expensive. It is about eating fish in large quantities.
 
Sawa Sushi is located in a nondescript strip mall. There is a large sushi bar, but unlike the normal sushi bar, there is no fish on display. The entire sushi case is empty. Placemats are plastic with pictures of standard sushi items. There are no servers. There is only Steve who handles everything by himself. One young man showed up without a reservation and was politely met by Steve at the door and  when told the price of admission, left immediately. The only diners this evening was our party of 4 and 2 women “regulars” who sat at a table.
 
Sawa Sushi Ambiance:

It was very difficult to get Steve to explain each item and how he sauced it. To be honest, it was like pulling teeth so even though I tried, not all descriptions are complete. All photos represent portion size for one person. Note how large the portions are.
 
Monkfish Liver – Steve said he makes his own ponzu and doesn’t use vinegar. For him, it is all about the citrus. He also said to notice the smoky taste of the monkfish.

Madai (Red Sea Bream) – This was served with deep-fried Burdock root (Gobo). The only seasoning Steve used on the Madai was a little lemon and salt.

Salmon – The saucing for the salmon is a 2-day affair. The first day, Steve deboned the whole salmon, cooking the bones. The next day, he uses the gelatinous parts of the bone for the sauce. I must say I am a little unclear about this, but this is what my notes say. In any case the sauce for the salmon is the “bone stock” mixed with cream and mustard. On top was topiko (flying fish roe) mixed with citron.

Steve displaying Salmon Eggs:

Salmon Eggs with Grated Radish:

Minima Hom Maguro (Baby Southern Japanese Blue Fin Tuna) – Toro next to the neck – Steve explained that this fish has more oil, but is much sweeter.

Baby White Sweet Shrimp with Wasabe and Sesame Oil with Pickled Blue Eggplant:

Bonito with Red Onion Slices, Fried Garlic Chips and Wasabi - the garlic chips just about obliterated the taste of the bonito.

Steve Attacking and Winning the War with a Scottish Lobster:

Scottish Lobster Sashimi:

Snow Crab with a sauce of tofu with sesame:

Spanish Mackerel:

Hirame (Halibut) Sashimi:

Samma (Pike) with Garlic, Green Onion and Sesame Seeds:

Toro, by the neck, with Uni – to be honest I didn’t taste this. I hated to waste the food, but I had hit the wall.

Pineapple:

Conclusion: I wouldn’t go back to Sawa Sushi ever. I was appalled by the way Steve treated his fish. Watching Hiro handle his ingredients is like watching a ballet. Watching Steve is like witnessing a murder. Some people praise Steve for the quality of his fish. But, sushi is more than hunks of fish. Where Urasawa is a Zen experience, Sawa Sushi is a glutton’s gorge. This meal was completely out of balance. The size of each piece of fish was so huge that you couldn’t savor the taste or the texture properly. If anything, I thought that Steve was disrespectful to the ingredients. There was no denying that the quality of the fish was excellent, but the meal felt more like punishment. Sawa Sushi has absolutely no Japanese sensibility, neither in aesthetic, nor approach, nor quantity, nor progression.

posted by: Lizziee 

218 N Rodeo Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Phone: 310.247.8939

Chef: Hiroyuki Urasawa

Dinner at Urasawa started at 7:30 and ended around midnight. Besides the four of us, there was one other couple - just 6 of us for a night of adventure an incredible fish. A word about Hiro Urasawa's fish - pristine is an over-used word and many times when you read that this or that sushi bar has the best fish, it is often an over-reach. But Hiro's fish is really incredible, most of which has been flown in from Japan. None of his fish is pre-cut or displayed in a glass case. His fish sits on ice in a far corner of the sushi bar to be sliced, prepared at the moment to ensure that it retains this pristine quality. Only the toro was not quite the equal of Masa or Kuruma. Also, chefs talk about cooking seasonally, but Hiro pushes the envelope in this regard. Every fish, every garnish, every ingredient is in tune with the season. There isn't one wrong note - this is harmonious food.

During the time that Hiro was at Ginza with Masa, he occupied position #2 at the far end of the bar. As he wants to pay very special attention to each of his diners, he is limiting Urasawa to 10 per night.

At Urasawa service is much more than serving wine and placing dishes. A first time visitor may be surprised that the guest is not supposed to take any dish from the chef. The server places each dish in front of the guest.

The look of Urasawa is much the same when it was Ginza. This is a calming space - the décor is simplicity; the light maple wood of the sushi counter has been lovingly taken care of. There is a superb flower arrangement in the open space behind Hiro, which sets the seasonal tone.

Hiro asked if there was anything we didn't like and it doesn't take a genius to realize what our answer was. Hiro is unassuming, shy but eager to please and he actually beams when he sees how much you are enjoying yourself.

Fugu or Japanese Blowfish Salad -  A room temperature broth, which appeared to be vinegar/yuzu based with small pieces of blowfish flesh, its liver, intestines and skin. The broth had chrysanthemum petals and shiso flower infused into it, topped with 24 carat gold leaf.  The extraordinary thing about this dish was all the different textures of the blowfish.

Goma tofu, Kyoto-style. A delicate pressed ball of tofu made entirely with sesame seed is served in a chilled liquid of mostly dashi seasoned with soy and mirin.  It is the soufflé quality of the dish that makes it extraordinary.

Sashimi Sampling Served in a Hand-Carved Ice Bowl - Kama Toro from the cheek with shiso bud and micro purple basil, Sea urchin placed in a manila clamshell and Red Snapper. The toro was top quality as was the snapper and uni. The ice bowl is much more than a decoration – it keeps the fish as its maximum freshness; the ice sort of gives "tightness” to the fish.

Steamed Red Snapper and Yama Kaki (Mountain Root) with bonito starchy sauce. There were large slices of red snapper in a delicate sauce with hints of smokiness and ginger. The yama kaki didn’t have the elasticity of raw yama kaki; it was more of a potato dumpling mouth-feel.

On the brazier, a houba leaf was filled with miso sauce. Placed in the sauce were oysters, scallops and scallions. You let the fish simmer in the sauce. The leaf doesn’t add any flavor; it is there for presentation only. I just can’t convey with words how good this dish was. There was a sweetness to the miso that accentuated the brininess of the oyster. As the miso simmered it became more intense and thick so that the first bites were very different than the last bite.

Deep-fried piece of fugu on the bone – this had a decidedly tempura quality.

Shabu Shabu - a bowl of hot broth is presented. Yoshie, our server, then added scallions to the broth. On a separate plate were slices of foie gras, toro and just “killed” lobster.

We cooked the foie, toro and lobster in the broth and then were presented with a spoon for finishing the broth.

Sushi now starts. Homemade ginger pickle, fresh wasabi and house made soy are presented. Again, notice the fish to rice ratio. Hiro is of the school that 260 grains of rice per nigiri is the correct amount so the ratio is more fish, less rice.

Toro – the quality of toro was excellent.

Maguro (tuna)

Aji

Squid with yuzu zest

Mirugai (Giant Clam)

Hoka Crab

Spanish Mackerel

Eel

Also notice how Hiro presents the fish. We were seated in front of him  and all the fish that he would use was on ice to our right. In the far right hand corner is the Kobe beef.

Kohada - Japanese Herring

 Needlefish

Hiro then brought out live shrimp. They were wiggling all over the counter. He cut off the head, immediately extracted the meat and served it. This is what fresh is all about.

 Red Clam

 Shitake mushroom that had been grilled.

 White Shrimp

 Kobe Beef Nigiri

 Uni

Saba

 Grilled Kobe Beef with freshly grated Wasabi. This was real Kobe, not the American Waygu.

Tamago – there is no way to convey the light soufflé quality of this tamago.

 Usu jelly with plum and grapefruit.

A leaf package.

I don’t have a clue what is inside, but it was similar in flavor to Halvah.

Green tea - mocha... what a soothing way to end the meal.

My husband's notes on the wines:

Drinking great wine with "sushi" at the level prepared at Urasawa is a special treat.  Selecting the wines requires palate memory for the unique flavors that Hiro provides. At one point during the evening when we were having '90 Corton Charlemagne (Louis Latour) I was struck by the way the full-bodied, buttery wine fit so perfectly with the tart, intense flavor of the miso sauce served with scallops (which I generally hate) and oysters. It was amazing. The food is wine-friendly, but the sommelier must have a keen awareness of the food before trying to choose.

The wines were as follows:

1985 Krug Champagne R.D.  (Disgorget in Nov. 2000)...this wine is very special. I have never seen it anywhere but at Rare Wine Company. The ‘85 is a great wine on its own. With the extra years (I estimate at least 8 years) the wine is fuller bodied, richer, smoother...wow!

1990 Corton Charlemagne, Louis Latour...this is a consistently wonderful wine.  It is showing some signs of age. I’ll have to check how many we have left and develop a “drinking schedule”. That is one of the important things about having a fairly large cellar...tasting things regularly and making sure to drink the wines up as they get near the end of their life.

1997 Clos Vougeot, Anne Gros — wow! This wine was huge, deep and fabulous...Red Burgundy as it should be. Getting into this wine as we switched to sushi was perfect. This wine IS gigantic, yet it is not over-powering. It is subtle, full, clean and velvety...a great bottle with great food.

Conclusion: Urasawa just isn’t a sushi bar experience. It has all the earmarks of a Kaiseki meal. Because Hiro is only serving a small number of diners, it is a serene and calming experience with almost a Zen-like quality to it.

posted by: Lizziee