Where’s the fucking text ???
Looks good.
But give me Shunjis any daly of the fucking weeeeekkkkkk ???
JL-good to see you alive and hossing down all the best cuts. (and good to also see so many other folks that have steered me well over the decade plus i was a hound before being banned) I’m with Kevin on Shunji tho!
inline jpgs on yom kip? hallelujah
something CBS couldn’t bring after 3 software/DB/UX updates. Morons.
That tamagoyaki lookin good.
Question for J.L. (or any other sushi enthusiast). Would a place like Sushi Tsujita make sense for a newbie like me?
I can easily taste the difference btw a good neighborhood joint (Sushi Masu) and, say, the Korean-owned sushi places where it’s all CA-based “specialty” rolls. I went to Sushi Zo (Culver City) location once many yrs ago and really enjoyed it (but had no idea what I was eating for the most part).
Or would Sushi Tsujita (or Shunji) just be a waste of $$$?
Eat and be merry.
I’d say Mori might be a little more subtle.
For some fucked up reason Sushi Tsujita doesn’t really interest me. Maybe too austere stentorian or traditional.
Just my worthless fucking two and a half cents on the fucking matter.
If you can taste the difference between a roll factory and a “good” joint, then I’d say you’re well on your way to shedding that “newbie” status.
But to answer your question: Yes, I think you’d enjoy Sushi Tsujita. If you want to foray into regular sushi-eating in that part of town, I’d also recommend Kiriko.
If you don’t wanna commit the big bucks yet, but still want to develop your sushi palate, then I’d suggest a toned down (read: non-premium) lunch omakase at Tsujita or Kiriko.
Only you can decide if something is “worth it” but I think anyone who wants to learn more about sushi, and is as interested in food as you are, would have a very very valuable experience at Tsujita Sushi.
Possibly the value will be great enjoyment and deeper appreciation.
Possibly the value will be in the recognition that high-end sushi doesn’t appeal to you - and that knowledge may save you many thousands of dollars.
Wise words, Ciao Bob, JL, Kevin.
Thanks for the pics JL, awesome as usual and beautiful to look at (and as Tony said, better format and displaying than Chowhound could do). 
@paranoidgarliclover I think the much loved Shunji has a Lunch Omakase Special. All the Shunji vets please correct me if I’m wrong. I thought it was like… $40 for 12 pieces of top quality Sushi and a Hand Roll, and there was a cheaper option also, like $23 for a smaller set?
So that’s also worth checking out.
And don’t ever be afraid of just asking the chef if you’re not sure what the fish is, or just talk to them about where it comes from, etc.
Thanks, all, for the info! I think I’ll try the lunch omakases first and then move on from there, if I’m enjoying myself and want to explore further.
@J_L_ I noticed in one pic that the fish is braided. Is that just for looks, or does it also somehow affect the flavor/texture?
The kohada (gizzard shad) is a silver-skinned fish (the general term for silver-skinned fishes is “hikarimono”). Many sushi chefs like to exhibit their knife skills by preparing hikarimono by “braiding” when the situation presents itself.
As for affecting the taste, hikarimono tend to be smaller and thinner when fileted, so braiding them “doubles up” the bite from the fish on the piece of nigiri. And, when served on sushi rice, this practice is thought to “balance out” the taste AND texture of the piece of sushi overall for the taster.
That, and they can charge more for it.
Just had a damn good lunch omakase here. I am thinking a dinner omakase is in order.
Highlights were the maguro, ika, shiro ebi, and nodo guro.
Has anyone had the dinner?
Now that I have a chance, here is some thoughts on some of the more memorable bites.
First, the rice temperature is slightly warmer than most places, but I found it to be a pleasant experience. The rice is a intentionally firmer in texture which I thought was a nice touch. The rice seasoning was great.
Nodo Kuro - Black Throat Sea Perch
- chefs recommendation bonus round and it was one of my favorites, buttery texture, dimensional in flavor, and a slight torching provided even more depth of flavor.
Maguro - Blue Fin Tuna
- my personal favorite of the meal, deep dark in color, this maguro was so complex
Shiro Ebi - Icy Baby Shrimp
- Hide-San recommended this over the Botan Ebi. Flown in from Japan, this baby shrimps were super sweet and super luscious, they went down so smooth. Every chew was a nice sweet flavor of the shrimps accented by the balanced shari.
Chu Toro - Medium Fatty Tuna Belly
- super smooth and buttery, excellent
Ika- Squid
- excellent knife work, squid was super tender, and the squid was served relatively early in the meal so the small nuanced flavors were still ever present
Meal was also served with two small dishes and soup. Meal ended with a lovely delicate green tea that was far more mellow than the roasty green tea served with the meal. Also included was a yuzu drink, sort of like really good lemonade as a send off.
I usually don’t take pictures with omakase out of respect for the chef, but I did get some pictures of the dishes they served. One, a chawanmushi (no picture), another a soup broth (excellent) and lastly a Uni/Ikura-don.
$$ these days for lunch?
That donburi looks great. How was the wasabi and uni?
It was pretty good, the uni was decent but not top notch, the ikura was excellent, they marinade it and it was awesome. Chef said this is there most popular dish.
Have not been to Sushi Tsujita in over a year.
Who is the itamae of choice there?