Hi @beefnoguy,
It looks like Shunji updated their Sake list. Any of these new additions you’d recommend for next visit?
Thanks. 
Thanks! What are the prices for these at Shunji?
Never heard of Kikuhide or Iwanoi. The Maboroshi Red Box must be new to the USA, the Black Box version is very good. The Hakkaisan Kongoshin should be great and you can see a picture of it on Shunji’s restaurant Instagram page. Myoka Rangyoku is by Daishichi and is iconic in the sake world for a number of reasons, though its taste is purely subjective and the markup can be very high. Ryujin is solid (I posted a picture in the Raku thread), and should be great with izakaya type fare as well.
Hi @beefnoguy,
Thanks. It sounds like all of these are rarer, and worth considering.
With prices:
Thanks.
Just saw on Shunji’s Facebook page that they’ve sold out of the summer Hakkaisan Kongoshin, but later says “But could get a few more bottles for you to try”. For those interested might want to ask them to special order/hold.
So close to my house, but never tried, until the other week. Went to Shunji for lunch. Had a very enjoyable lunch with fantastic sushi! Also got an aged sake. I neglected to photograph two items, and sorry, don’t remember most of the sushi items, though they were excellent.
Cold vegetable soup topped with salted crab - yum!
plate of seasonal yummies!
Then fantastic zucchini flowers stuffed with shrimp with matcha salt
then the sushi started
The aged shichida.
We came back the following week for lunch and a summer sake from the same brewery.
The summer shichida they held for us!
The chef looked at my photos to make sure he didn’t make the same items for us.
gorgonzola tofu - delicious! How do they make this?
black truffle with uni on custard
jellyfish in vinegar - even drank the vinegar, so good!!
seasonal fresh water fish from Japan - Chef said in Japan they eat the head, bones and all, which I tried to do but all I managed to do was suck off the soft bits
de-boned
then sushi
this plate of tuna was phenomenal! started with collar and worked our way down to belly - collar was my fave
ended with truffle ice cream which had an amazingly strong truffle flavor
Love this place!!
Hi @Xochitl,
Nice report and pics! So glad you finally tried Shunji. We love it, too.
That aged Shichida sounds wonderful, how was it? Did you like the Summer version more? (I can’t believe we missed that on the menu when we just went!) 
The Uni Truffle Custard looks so good!
Wow that tuna flight looks perfect
We really enjoyed it! The summer version was much lighter, with just a hint of floral - had we been outside in heat, instead of in a nice, air-conditioned room, I would have enjoyed it more. I don’t think it was on the menu - they only had 6 bottles, I think. My preference is for the aged. They have a really nice cask aged sake at Raku, also.
Wow, what a lunch. Jealous!
The aged Shichida is the Shichida Junmai 75 (referring to a 75% rice polishing ratio), and is brewed with Yamadanishiki rice. The brewery matured the sake for two years before pasteurizing and bottling, and with the combination of the brewing technique, the result is a nice rich flavored and well balanced sake that will also do well if warmed. This bottle is definitely better than the regular Junmai (which is more polished) and is great with cooked food, izakaya fare and yakitori.
Yeah the summer sake was pictured on their IG page. Even though that one is a Junmai, it’s built very differently.
Here’s a brief mention of it back in May when it was showcased to industry people:
Hi @beefnoguy,
I remember your recommendation for the Shichida Summer Release back then. 
I hope Shunji still has it the next time we’re there; I really want to try that based on your rec, and also our falling in love with the Shichida Muroka Nama Genshu (now sadly gone, right? (since it was a Limited Release)). 
True Sake has restocked both Junmai Ginjo Muroka Nama Genshu (spring release) to my surprise, and they also have Natsu Jun (summer release) right now. You can call/ask how the they do shipping and handling for nama sake.
Hi Time (Costa Mesa) still has 5 bottles left in stock of the spring release according to their website, and is $10 cheaper than True Sake.
To me, I prefer the spring release, even though they are both very different.
Sounds like HiTimes has a good selection of sake?
Yes, @Xochitl. Their buyer is very interested in sake and does her best to stock a great selection.
Cool! One more reason to visit my family behind the orange curtain!
Finally, a lunch at Shunji. After eating at SugarFish yesterday (not that anything is wrong with that), I wanted real sushi.
I ordered the small lunch special ($26), which was soup, 5 nigiri, and a blue crab hand-roll. Someone upthread mentioned a lot of white fish, and I have to agree; four out of five were a whitefish.
I can see how you baller guys don’t get full on the lunch special, even though most of you order the premium set ($60). Each piece of nigiri is a small bite, almost dainty. It was perfect for me (I usually must eat my sushi in two bites). My favorite was “ho palai”, obviously an error in translation on my part.
Mickey was my chef and was very nice, as were the servers. I used @Chowseeker1999’s photos to supplement with a Shira Ebi, and I also added baby abalone, a fried oyster, and requested the asari clam soup.
Baby Abalone
Food I Already Ate: Miso Clam, Crab Hand Roll, Fried Oyster
I wanted to dip the crab roll in the oyster/lemon juice, but I was mannerly because it’s my first visit. 
The Shibumi Pen
jfc north of $100 for a small sushi lunch + 2 glasses of sake
O_O
Well, the sake was $22 per glass, and that bill total includes tax/tip. You could get out of there for less than half that if you are fortunate enough to have impulse control.
I generally don’t w/ food. 
and 
Hi @Bookwich,
Nice report back. Glad you had a good lunch at Shunji’s. Hope you get to try it for dinner one of these days.
What’s your favorite type of fish? The lighter whitefish or more robust, oilier fish like Mackerel, etc.? Feel free to mention some preferences when you try the omakase dinner.
