You’re right.
Yah, I read they don’t like that.
Excellent. Will do. Keep spitting in the wind. Sometimes I do informal Omakase and just ask the Itamae to give me what they like. Some get a little uneasy, but I tell them I’m good with anything.
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I’ve eaten all manner of sushi, but whenever I dine alone at a new place and order omakase, I get the “safe” fish.
When ordering ala carte, I’ll usually request uni, or smelt roe with quail egg, to indicate I will eat something other than tuna and salmon. Sweet shrimp is another favorite. It’s the omakase that throws me as far as letting the chef know what I like.
I’m asking for advice because I really, really liked Shunji and would like to go for dinner. Maybe order ala carte the next few times, then have omakase when they know me better.
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Or you could just talk with the chef and let him (or er) know if there are particular items you would enjoy (or dislike) or, alternatively, that you are open to anything. Most of the good itamae I have dined with in California seem to welcome the dialogue so that they can give you the best experience possible and the ones at Shunji have been particularly accommodating when I have heard fellow diners make requests in connection with their omakase.
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that’s not bad advice for visiting a new chef. it’s asking for certain things that facilitates that establishment of bona fides in both directions: you want to establish that you are capable of appreciating how good of a chef he is. if he’s astute to notice that you tend to order light to heavy/lean to fatty. that scores credibility points. asking for something unusual like kohada (when it’s in season - and you should know that going in) gives you the chance to ask follow up questions as to whether it’s commercially prepared or if he prepares it himself. if he goes out of his way to tell you he prepared it himself, he’s bragging big time. and if it’s good, complimenting him on it goes both ways - it acknowledges how good he is, but also tells him that you know enough to know how difficult it is to prepare properly. going with the light to heavy/lean to fatty i usually start with whitefish but might zig slightly by asking for engawa (halibut fin); if he has it and asks how you prefer it prepared, there’s room there to establish more bonafides on both sides. i like to ask that they make something using nagaimo - if they have it. appreciating its creaminess lets them know that there’s really no texture you find off-putting. you might ask if he prepares his own anago. if not, he won’t have the skeletons to roast that give the eel sauce.its smokiness. but you won’t ask that until near the end and you want to wrap up with something sweet. by this time a good chef will know if you know your stuff - or if you’re a poseur - by how you interacted with him,
and if you enjoyed it tip him well - he’ll remember you.
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Kohada (gizzard shad), Nodoguro (big eye perch), Uni (Santa Barbara and Hokkaido)
Great advice @MyAnnoyingOpinions.
The nodoguro was so very good, buttery, firm, a touch of fishy. Kohada was great, also “fishy”. ( Is that the right term? I mean this in a good way). I used a touch of soy for that one. I also had the shima aji and ikura.
I feel like I should make sushi flash cards. I was really happy with this meal.
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Looks like you figured out how to advance to the fun stuff. Good job.
Me too!
I have eaten great sushi, but it’s when I’m not dining with a sushi master that I find myself floundering. I never bothered to learn for myself. (Have I mentioned I’m lazy? 
)
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I used to be the same way. Now it’s become a minor obsession. I say minor because, shhh… I’m lazy too.
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My favorite sushi is masago izura.
I learned the name for my favorite sushi last night. I showed my itamae a picture on my phone, and he was kind of laughing at me trying to repeat what he was saying. The young guys are the best, they can be kind of goofy when the stern eye of the master isn’t on them and keeping them in line. 
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Did I miss the boat on Kohada (gizzard shad) or is it still in season? Anyone? My book says mid-autumn to early-winter.
no pun?
Kohada spawn from March to August, so technically the fish is available year round and whether your favorite restaurant carries it will depend on season, weather which affects catch (and the quality at the time), wholesaler availability, pricing/affordability, and whether the restaurant wants to purchase. But the optimal time to enjoy them would be as you say, autumn to winter time frame.
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Also look out for baby kohada, or “shinko,” which is around July (but can sometimes be earlier, in Spring). Gizzard shad, known generally as Kohada, changes name as the fish grows (aka shusse-uo, a “promotion”-fish just as yellowtail is) - from shinko to kohada to nakazumi to konoshiro. Note: konoshiro are pretty much never used as sushi; too oily and too bony. Anyway, kohada mysteriously can be found year-round, due to them coming from different areas (some top sushi chefs have said the best come from Mikawa (Aichi prefecture)).
Kohada are very prized, but shinko especially. In fact, shinko are quite expensive that just the cost of the neta alone can be $20+ and thus shinko can be an unprofitable sushi item. They’re smaller so often it takes a couple of pieces wrapped around for one nigiri.
They really rely on the skill of the sushi chef, particularly in balancing the marinades (a large function of timing w/r/t moisture and size). It’s pretty much a 4-step process: furishio (salting), suarai (vinegar-washing), tsukekomi (marination), and draining/resting. Balancing the rice’s strength is just as important. Sometimes, to sweeten it, a layer of pickled kelp is placed on top of kohada, or a layer of ebi oboro (ground dried shrimp) is packed underneath to help balance the vinegars.
something related…
Master class level at Sushi Sho, Honolulu:
No, it’s not kohada/gizzard shad, but in fact Hawaiian Moi (pacific threadfin, “kingfish” because it was historically reserved for the Hawaiian royal males). It’s naturally like konoshiro (large gizzard shad) which again is not really suitable for sushi. So Nakazawa-san double-marinated the moi in koji for 6 days and then flash-marinated in shoyu, and added pickled kelp on top. Served with red-vinegar sushi rice which is a blend of Japanese and Californian grains. A powerful yet even refreshing bite after some slippery raw lobster fermented in its innards and with xiaoxing wine, paired with Kokuryu.
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this post was a masterclass.
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A friend who is a fisherman notes that gizzard shad are also fished in the US. A cynical person might be less surprised as a consequence about the availability of the fish in American sushi restaurants all claiming Japanese origins for the fish.
Hi @BradFord -
That piece looks like mother-of-pearl or the inside of an abalone shell. Lovely!
You have probably forgotten more about Sushi than most of us will know.
P.S. I found the answer to my question the other night… We were served kohada! Will report soon.
Happy 
Eating
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did you ascertain the provenance in terms of prep? i’d assume the chef did it himself but i’ve been told that it’s possible to get commercially processed kohada. it can be a challenge to get the bones soft enough without turning the texture of the flesh overly mushy.
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I’m a beginner, and hadn’t even read @BradFord’s post yet. We said “Kohada” and the itamae smiled, walked away and came back with this.
It was pungent, vinegary, salty, oily, goodness. I want more.
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