Preparation
Chawanmushi
Owner/chef Eric Kim explained that the contents changed seasonally - this time it was mushroom and chestnut. The overwhelming sweetness of the chestnut was a little disconcerting.
Sashimi
Live Lobster with caviar, toro tartare, and Hokkaido uni
Hirame
Hotaru Ika
Kanpachi
King Salmon
Yamamomo as a palate cleanser.
Appetizers
Oyster
Ankimo
Sunomomo
Toro Tartare
Hamachi Nanbanzuke
Goma Tofu with Hotaru Ika
Hamachi Serrano
Nicely balanced.
Sushi
Akamutsu
Ji-Kinmedai
Madai
Shima Aji
Chu Toro
Kamashida Toro
Aji
Uni
Kinki Nitzuke
A little brutish with the flavoring.
A5 Wagyu - Ishiyaki
Showing off a little.
Uni Risotto
Lukewarm by the time we were served.
Dessert
Hojicha Ice Cream
(Un)surprisingly a big highlight of the meal - the loveliness of the presentation with the lacquered bowl and the faceted spoon and the gentle sweetness of the kuromitsu with the steady background of the hojicha was excellent. The matcha powder was a little distracting.
Untoto
Overall, definitely was reasonable QPR, but nothing in particular execution-wise compared to heavy hitters in LA like Shunji or Mori. I appreciated the explanations from the gracious hostesses and the chefs for each dish and ingredient - maybe not a bad start for someone looking for a classic “expensive ingredient” omakase. A solid meal.