Sushi Azabu – Plate 75

Sake Flight

We had three sakes the Junmai Daiginjyo which had a light and fruity taste with some peach and pear notes, the Junmai Ginjyo, a grapey sake, and the Tokubetu Junmai, with hints of apples. At least that’s what it says in my notes: this was like a week and a half ago! We had this super ricey wine brought to the table and I recognized it. I’d brought it to someone’s house before and didn’t have so much of a taste for it (it’s the center one in this pic)

Black Seaweed and Sweet Carrot

Wow! I wasn’t just surprised at how much I liked this one, I plain thought it was a fantastic amuse bouche. Light, sweet, and salty with a uniquely pleasant, firm consistency.

Edamame

What can you say about edamame? It’s fabulous. I used to buy a bag at Trader Joe’s and prepare it for the week only to take the whole bowl down before Entourage ended.

Uni Avocado Soe

I don’t know what a Soe is, but this was some creamy stuff. They only thing that could possibly have added to the creaminess of this dish would have been cream. The last time I was here, I wasn’t so psyched about uni, but this dish made a strong case for itself. I’m coming around.

Fresh Mackerel

Look at the blood there – that is a fresh fish. This is one of the first few times I’ve tried mackerel. I never thought of it as a very expensive or tasty fish before, but this bite changed my mind. It was quite firm and a bit warm. It almost tasted like a rare steak.

Espada

I don’t have any idea what this fish is, but it sure as hell is one ugly mother (pic). I love trying new things and this wasn’t an exception. It was seared on the top and had a nice, firm texture and tasted like a bluefish. It was more oily than the rest but it worked for me.

Chu Toro

The fat content of bellies make them very tasty. If pork belly and tuna belly is so good, what other undiscovered bellies out there can I eat and enjoy? Anyone want to go on a belly tour with me? I just watched Belly last night … I think I have belly on the brain.

This bluefin Chu Toro was delectable, fatty, and smooth. The chef said that the crosshatching brought out its natural flavors.

Bigeye Snapper

All I have written for this one is “kind of peanutty.”

Huh?

Wagyu Steak Sashimi

Tartar – one of my favorite things. The Wagyu lived up to that moniker. It tasted of teriyaki and garlic that was blowtorched just a bit to give it a nice caramelization.

Salmon Roe

I have been getting over my fear of these things slowly, but still don’t really have that much of a taste for them. I feel like they’re just little tapiocas filled with sea water. They were cool and not fishy, I am sure that someone who orders these all the time would like them. I’d rather have another piece of fish, but I appreciate the diversity.

Plum Wine and Junmai Yuzu Citrus Sake

I had the plum wine, Kathy had the sake – although the citrus sake would have won our hearts had it been summertime, the ruddy, uber-sweetness of the plum wine took this battle in January. This tastes almost exactly like Madeira wine.

Lemon Cheesecake

Kathy told me that Japanese Cheesecake was a completely different animal than regular cheesecake. The guys at Sushi Azabu didn’t get that message and I was thankful for it. Kathy was looking forward to something different, but she liked it just the same. The big dessert champion, however, is below …

Deconstructed Mont Blanc

Chestnut cream wrapped around whipped cream on top of a meringue and homemade vanilla ice cream and a fresh blackberry.

Fuggedaboudit

You need one of these things. How many times have my companions said “Oh, I couldn’t eat another bite.” Then I order dessert Not once has someone been dissatisfied with this choice. Kathy is the dessert columnist for Serious Eats NY; I asked her if this was good or great. She said great. I loved this thing and wondered why I had only known Mont Blanc for their pens to this day.