Catching up on previous dinners. Our last supper before stay at home.
Update 1:
It had been awhile since we last visited Chef-Owner Taketoshi Azumi (formerly of Sushi of Gari, Asanebo and Mori Sushi). Walking in, Take-san had proudly displayed his well-earned Michelin Star:
Take-san was as warm and affable as always, greeting us with a smile. He has always run a tight-knit operation, and on this visit it was literally just himself and 1 hostess / waitress, and that was it.
Good news, FTC Sake Lovers, Shin Sushi has finally started expanding its Sake offerings. On our 2nd visit, Take-san had literally 2 Sake on the menu and was asking customers for recommendations if they had any. He now has 10 different types of Sake, all the way up to baller level: Tatsuriki Yoneda (@beefnoguy @J_L @Sgee @TheCookie and others.)
Hyaku Moku - Alt 3 - Special Blend Sake (Hyogo, Japan):
This was a surprise: Take-san explained to us that this new offering from Hyaku Moku, known as “Alt 3”, is a blended Sake, made with multiple types of Yamada Nishiki Rice brews. So it doesn’t have a traditional classification like “Ginjo” or “Daiginjo.” Interesting.
Taking a sip, pretty smooth, more layered and more complex flavor than a typical Daiginjo. It was sippable and went well with our opening course.
(Zensai Course) Fat Bastard Oyster (Washington) Topped with Ikura (Salmon Roe) (Hokkaido, Japan); Ankimo (Monkfish Liver); Takenoko (Bamboo); Hotaru Ika (Firefly Squid) (Toyama, Japan) + Karashi Miso (Japanese Mustard + Miso Sauce):
The Fat Bastard Oyster with Ikura (Salmon Roe) from Hokkaido, Japan was wonderful: Crisp, silky, bright, with excellent pop in the Ikura.
The Ankimo (Monkfish Liver) was fine. Creamy, fatty, this was a solid rendition of Ankimo.
However, the fresh Takenoko (Bamboo) was outstanding! Super tender and delicate, but with some nice texture. The Dashi Broth that Take-san poached this in was a great complement.
And the Hotaru Ika (Firefly Squid) was a highlight when paired with his Housemade Karashi Miso sauce added a wonderful light zing but mellowed out by earthy Miso.
Time for Sushi:
This was an excellent comparison of an adult vs. young version of the same Fish.
Madai - Sea Bream (Ainan, Japan):
Take-san talks about Madai, which he says is the adult Sea Bream. He tops it simply with some Sea Salt and Yuzu. It’s refreshing, light and delicate with a good mouthfeel.
Kasugodai - Young Sea Bream (Kyushu, Japan):
And presented back-to-back, the Kasugodai (Young Sea Bream) was surprisingly a bit more firm, but still tender. We preferred the Madai.
Yuki Masu - Snow Trout (Nagano, Japan):
One of the lesser seen Fish around L.A., Take-san has been a big fan of Yuki Masu (or Snow Trout) since he first opened Shin Sushi. He presents it today lightly torched, and you get this clean, smooth taste, with a lightly smoky finish.
Hotategai - Scallop (Hokkaido, Japan):
(Forgot to take a pic, sorry.)
Beautiful texture, silky, fresh.
Sawara - King Mackerel (Nagasaki, Japan):
Incredible! Beautiful inherent deep oiliness and nice funk. So good!
Kurodai - Black Snapper (Chiba, Japan):
Shut the front door!
Seriously.
Creamy, smooth, there’s a real lushness to the Kurodai that was incredible! Best Bite of the Evening! (@PorkyBelly @J_L @Ns1 @paranoidgarliclover @TheCookie @foodshutterbug @A5KOBE @beefnoguy @CiaoBob and others.)
Good news for Sushi fans, Take-san’s Rice has improved. When originally opened, I thought Shin Sushi’s Rice could’ve used some improvements, and for this visit, the Rice has better texture, it has more body, and you can discern the grains / mouthfeel better than previous visits.
Maguro - Bluefin Tuna (Turkey):
From a 500 pound, farmed Tuna, this is Take-san’s preferred size of Maguro, it has the right amount of fat and flavor for his taste. It was very good, yielding enough without being overly soft, good balance of bright and (good) briny.
For the next Sake bottle, Take-san recommended Kuzuryu.
For those that remember, Kokuryu (or Koku Ryu) is a rather famous Sake lineup, meaning “Black Dragon” in Japanese (such a cool name!).
According to Take-san, the brewery behind Kokuryu has a special separate lineup and named it Kuzuryu (or Kuzu Ryu), meaning, “Nine Headed Dragon”!
And Take-san said this was his favorite from that lineup, so we had to order it. (Sorry @beefnoguy, I missed your recommendation until after the meal. Thank you!)
Kuzuryu (Nine Headed Dragon) - Daiginjo Sake (Fukui, Japan):
While the Alt 3 Blended Sake was a fun drink, the Kuzuryu Daiginjo Sake was delicious! So clean and dry, balanced, not overly floral. It was just perfect!
We gave some to Take-san and after our toast, he just stopped for a second and smiled. He thanked us and said simply, “I feel complete.”
Iwashi - Sardine (Shizuoka, Japan):
Outstanding! Beautiful deep oceanic oiliness, nice amount of fattiness as well. (Nowhere near as good as the legendary Oba Iwashi we had with Maru-san in our last visit to Mori Sushi, but this was still very good!)
Amaebi - Sweet Shrimp (Canada):
Beautiful texture, good meatiness while still retaining a good tenderness and slippery quality.
Miso Soup with Amaebi Head:
And Take-san made a special Miso Soup with the Sweet Shrimp Head. A good interlude.
Gindara - Black Cod (Toyama, Japan):
Loved the light torching, a buttery, tender example of Gindara.
Kohada - Gizzard Shad (Nagasaki, Japan):
Wow.
Kohada is probably one of my favorite Fish for Sushi, and Take-san’s Kohada was outstanding on this visit! Deep, gorgeous brininess, nice salinity, good texture. 2nd Best Bite of the Evening!
Ohtoro - Fattiest Tuna Belly (Turkey):
From the same 500 pound Tuna as the Maguro he gave us earlier, Take-san lightly torched the Ohtoro for flavor enhancement: Lightly smoky, extremely fatty, luscious.
Zuwaigani - Snow Crab (Hokkaido, Japan):
Inherently sweet Snow Crab meat, I wish he had an entire Zuwaigani (Snow Crab) for us to eat. It was that good.
Bafun Uni - Sea Urchin (Hokkaido, Japan):
Topped with a bit of Yuzu, this was the one misstep for the evening. The Bafun Uni on this evening was just not that fresh, having a bit of bad ocean funk, but still having some inherent sweetness. Just not as pristine as one would hope.
Buri Toro - Yellowtail Belly (Canada):
Incredibly luxurious in its fattiness, but not overwhelming. The Buri was simply another Highlight of the Evening!
Saba - Mackerel (Kyushu, Japan):
Marinated with Shoyu and Sesame, this was a nice departure from the usual Saba preparations we’ve had recently. Beautiful brininess and oiliness.
Bonus Round:
Amadai no Kobujime - Tilefish (Kyushu, Japan):
The Amadai (Tilefish) wrapped with Konbu (Kelp) added some delicate notes to the fish, however, this was really chewy(!). It had more meaty chew than most Tako (Octopus) Sushi we’ve had. It was really interesting, but I’m not sure if I’d order this again.
(Same Karei no) Engawa - Roughskin Flounder Fin (Miyagi, Japan):
I love Engawa, which is usually the Fin portion of various Fish (like Fluke). For this evening, Take-san is smiling as he presents to us a special type of Engawa (from an ocean fish called Same Karei), and taking a bite…
What am I eating?
It’s outrageously creamy(!), fatty, lightly torched for smokiness, I’ve never tasted Engawa like this before.
It is simply ridiculous.
OK, this was the Best Bite of the Evening! WOW. (@beefnoguy @PorkyBelly @J_L @Sgee and others.)
Ikura Shiso Kyuuri Temaki - Salmon Roe, Shiso Herb, Cucumber Handroll:
We asked Take-san to make his favorite Temaki (Handroll) for this evening, and he made us this. Great combination of Hokkaido Salmon Roe, herbal bright Shiso Leaf, the crisp snap of Cucumber and Yuzu Dashi! The Nori (Seaweed Wrapper) could’ve been a touch more crisped, but otherwise, enjoyable.
Dessert Time!
Trio of Housemade Desserts:
Tofu Mousse with Kuromitsu (Black Sugar Syrup):
For some it might sound weird, but this was one of the best Desserts we’ve had recently: Incredible fluffy, airiness in this Housemade Tofu Mousse! The Kuromitsu (Black Sugar Syrup) provided enough sweetness without being saccharine. So good!
Hojicha Ice Cream:
Very good Hojicha (Roasted Japanese Green Tea) flavor in each bite.
Lychee Sorbet:
Very nice aromatic Lychee flavor coming through in this Housemade Lychee Sorbet.
Since being awarded 1 Michelin Star, Take-san remains as approachable as always, earnest, friendly and he makes you feel at home, cracking jokes and keeping a jovial atmosphere. His Sushi has improved as well, with the Rice being more distinct than before, toothsome and balanced.
And while his Fish offerings will change with the seasons, looking at incredible offerings on this visit like Sawara (King Mackerel), the amazing Kurodai (Black Snapper), Iwashi (Sardine), Gindara (Black Cod), Kohada (Gizzard Shad), Buri Toro (Yellowtail Belly) and that ridiculous Engawa (Fin), Shin Sushi continues to shine as one of L.A.'s great Sushi restaurants.
Shin Sushi
16573 Ventura Blvd.
Encino, CA 91436
Tel: (818) 616-4148