My girlfriend has been to Kaori Sushi several times with her girlfriends, so when everyone decided…read moreto turn it into a triple date, we ended up with a party of six and collectively decided to go for the omakase.
Now, I should probably explain that I am VERY new to seafood. My girlfriend has slowly been introducing me to sushi and different types of fish, and I've discovered some things I absolutely love and others that I still can't get past. So when everyone said omakase, I'll admit, I was a little intimidated.
But as someone currently on a mission to explore seafood, challenge accepted.
We started with the cucumber sunomono, and this was an excellent way to begin. I added some fresh ginger and absolutely loved it. Light, refreshing and immediately had me excited for what was coming next.
Then came the asari clam miso soup. This one wasn't really for me, but I gave it a solid try! That's basically the entire point of this seafood adventure anyway.
Next was the chef's choice sashimi, which I believe included salmon belly and yellowtail, and this was REALLY good. Beautiful cuts, great texture and flavor. Raw fish continues to be where I'm finding my happy place.
Then came the main event: the nigiri.
This was probably the most adventurous I've gotten with seafood yet. We had everything from uni and bluefin toro to kampachi, madai, scallop, black cod and unagi. I especially loved some of the lighter-colored fish with the bright, citrusy yuzu flavors. Those were easily some of my favorites.
The food also started coming FAST. I remember scarfing down what I thought was my last piece of nigiri only for another plate to immediately appear with the unagi and black cod.
I've learned from my previous seafood adventures that I really like unagi, and that held true here. The unagi was delicious. Black cod, however, has now gotten multiple chances from me and I think I'm finally ready to admit we're just not meant for each other. There's a particular fishy flavor that I haven't been able to get past.
We finished the omakase with the negi toro hand roll, cut in two, and by the end I felt like I'd just completed an entire crash course in sushi.
We also added a few things outside the omakase, including jalapeño bombs and chicken karaage.
And after ALLLLLL that sushi...
The chicken karaage was my favorite thing of the night.
I know. I know.
I survived an entire omakase, tried uni, toro, kampachi, madai, scallop, black cod and eel...and walked away talking about the fried chicken. But that karaage HIT.
Overall, this was an awesome experience and I'm genuinely glad my girlfriend convinced me to jump into the deep end. The omakase helped me try several types of fish I probably never would have ordered individually and, more importantly, helped me figure out what I actually enjoy.
Would I do the omakase again? Probably not, but that's not a knock against it at all. I feel like it accomplished exactly what I wanted it to. Next time I'd love to come back knowing what I like and explore the rest of the menu, maybe a bento or another entrée.
For a former "I'm not a seafood guy" slowly figuring out that maybe I actually am a seafood guy...Kaori Sushi was one hell of a training session.