Life, as we know it, consists of a series of events strung together over time. If we're fortunate, the good events outweigh the bad, more good luck and we can enjoy good health and fat wallets, and if we're REALLY charmed, we get to eat at Urasawa. In deciding how best to write this post, I thought of mentioning the cliche seminal moments written about in countless tomes through the ages; falling in love, the birth of a child, etc. etc. I'd go on to mention my own greatest hits including that bit about love, as well as when I bought my house, the first time my work was published, the release of my book, meeting David Bowie, seeing Prince live for the Nth time (twice in one day, 5th row with Ruben, and 10 ft from me and Quinn), spending a week with Marc Almond, and now, last night's meal at Urasawa. Yep, that covers the biggies.
Quinn's a smart cookie and he's finally decided to nurture his melon and go for intellectualism and it's paid off with a degree in social work. Damn do-gooder. LOL Well, he generously chose to invite Bob and me to his celebration dinner at the one place we've all been dreaming of.
We picked Quinn up at his pad and drove over to Beverly Hills. Needless to say, it's not our usual destination and, as we pulled onto Rodeo Dr., Bob mentioned that he'd never even been in that part of town. I can't say the same as my folks dragged me there time and again when they had out of town guests; Beverly Hills was on their sightseeing route. I developed my distaste for it as a child and have never outgrown it, and I am happy happy happy about that. Other than last night's dinner, my BH adventures had been limited to shuttling MY out of town guest to her plastic surgeon for a boob job consultation, the surgery that followed, and the subsequent follow-up visits. I'm not complainging, though, because it meant she visited more often and because sometimes we'd stop at Sprinkles for cupcakes.
Dinner at Urasawa is kind of legendary. Before I'd ever heard the name, there were whispers about the "ultimate sushi bar" on Rodeo where each person's dinner cost $350 and I'd never get to eat there. In fact, in Jonathan Gold's guide to LA sushi entitled "Raw Power", he lists Urasawa under the heading "When You Win the Lottery". Back when I first heard about it, I'm sure it was in its previous incarnation, Ginza Sushiko. At the time, it belonged to Masa Takayama (who eventually moved to NYC and opened Masa), and Hiroyuki Urawasa was his apprentice. Hiro now owns this nine seat restaurant tucked away upstairs in the Rodeo Collection.
You can read other people's well-researched posts about Urasawa on blogs and Chowhound, so I'll just say that the service was impeccable (the waitress slides open the door when you arrive, again if you have to go to the potty, again when you return, she delivers completed dishes the 6" from the bar in front of you to right under your nose), Hiro was very pleasant and became friendlier as our three hour meal progressed, and most importantly, the food was beyond out-of-this-world. We took photos and notes and even some video. The chef spoke very softly, his English was heavily accented, and I missed some of the details for which I apologize. Still and all... Enjoy!
Summer vegetables in brine served in beautiful crystal, dusted with gold leaf and to be downed like a shot. It was a tasty preamble, an amuse buche that had the desired effect of galvanizing our palates in preparation for the wonders to come.
Toro Tatake - three slices of immaculate tuna belly seared, served in a shallow pool of what I think was Ponzu, with grated daikon, paper-thin slices of scallions, a smattering of wine-colored sprouts, and gold leaf. As you can imagine this dish was rich, fatty, perfectly flavored and downright exciting.
Nikogori - A terrine of mountain potato, uni, sweet shrimp and nikogori (a natural gelatin derived from cooked fish), topped again with gold. (Let me pause to say that all three of us counted uni among the foods that we would never eat. I had it once before and despised it. You're looking at three converts.) Goddamn was this good, sweet and savory, faintly tasting of the sea.
A trio of sashimi served atop a beautifully carved block of ice decorated with a single blue iris, garnished with freshly grated wasabi and seaweed. Two morsels each of uni, red snapper, and toro. This dish exemplifies the true wonder that is sashimi. Three offerings, each radically different in flavor and texture, one better than the last. Again, the uni was a revelation, sweet, rich, and meltingly soft. The snapper has a mouthfeel that I have grown to love over the years; it frightened me in my teens and I steered clear of it in favor of softer fish like tuna and yellowtail. The flavor is subtle and the flesh is a bit rigid, somewhat chewy, and a fabulous foil for the other two. And finally the toro, fully unlike any other toro I've ever had. When I took the chilled block into my mouth, I was first struck by that wondrous tuna flavor. As I bit down on it, it felt as though biting on a sponge, all of the liquid escaped to flood my tongue, and then I chewed the remaining meat. It was truly unusual and I remember concentrating hard on the sensation when I ate the second one.
Chawan Mushi - Warm egg custard with sea urchin and sperm sack, scallions and gold leaf. Unfortunately, I did not make out what variety of fish gave up his little squigglies, though I've read here that Hiro has been known to serve fugu sperm sack. As though this meal couldn't get any better, I think I actually made audible pleasure noises while eating this (and that's so not my style). My exact words were "I want to keep eating this for days". And I didn't mean for lunch on consecutive days, I meant non-stop for hours and hours and hours. It was just sublime. It was a warm ray of sunshine on my palate, immensely flavorful, unspeakably decadent. And the uni.... Oh god, it was fabulous, gently cooked, barely warm, and with the flavor and texture of small fish roe. Hiro should get a cookie for this one.
Helpers appeared and spread a paper napkin before each of us. Atop it was placed a shallow bowl filled with salt upon which sat a smooth, shiny stone of about 5" in diameter. At the far lip of the bowl was a parchment splatter screen of sorts.
There appeared a lovely bowl nestling three pieces of the most marbled, fattiest toro you've ever laid eyes on. Diminutive chunks of love as red as watermelon.
We were instructed to take each piece and sear it on all sides on the stone, paying particular attention to the fat. Great wisps of smoke floated about as the meat was browned and the fat rendered.
Up to this point, Quinn had been on note-taking duty, but he was incapable of performing as he was lost in the pleasure of this dish. He said, "This is one of the most heavenly things I've ever eaten in my life." People, it was gorgeous. Meaty, dense, carmelized, unctuous. I started making lists in my head of the people I know who deserve to experience this much pleasure. Those who would appreciate it. I pray for riches so that I can gift this dish...
And then, we lost our minds. Japanese beef cooked in sweet sake, soy sauce and yuzu juice. This, my friends, is the pot roast of the gods. Served atop a tender slice of daikon, garnished with scallions and one snow pea cut on the bias, the meat was completely infused with spectacular flavors, almost sweet, and more tender than the finest fillet mignon. It was dazzlingly beefy, an unexpected comfort food and perfectly timed within our meal.
Shabu Shabu - though it deserves some other name. Something way fancier. We were presented with a small pot of hot water into which a fanned piece of parchemnt had been placed. As instructed, we first seasoned the liquid with two kinds of seaweed, and then dropped in a generous slice of foie gras. It gently cooked for about a minute, until it had rendered a surprising amount of fat and turned soft. That was followed by a slice of impressively marbled Kobe beef swirled in the glistening broth for mere moments before dunking it in a soy-based sauce and devouring it amidst much eye-rolling ecstasy. A slice of scallop and one sweet shrimp were similarly blanched and their exquisite sweetness savored. Lastly, a slice of king eel was dispatched to the pot and cooked until opaque, about a minute. The flesh was quite firm, subtle in flavor, and surprisingly lean for eel. Finally, we were given stone spoons with which to shuttle the soup to our eager mouths.
The sushi round was heralded by the arrival of a square stone bowl of the house-pickled ginger. Of course, it was like no ginger I've ever had, spicy and gingery to be sure, but it was deeply perfumed, reminiscent of apples somehow.
Toro - Divine, firm in texture, it tasted absolutely like fish and was the perfect beginning.
Blue Fin Tuna - Rich and meaty, Bob was still raving about it on the way home.
Toro - Again, this toro was wholly different from all of its other presentations. The fish was sweet with the texture of rare beef and just as satisfying.
Skipper Jack - I've had Skipper Jack sushi before and it's delicious. I believe it's related to yellowtail and presents with similar flavor, though a firmer texture. Hiro's did not disappoint, it was mellow and delectable, easing us into bolder flavors to follow.
Spanish Mackerel - So perfect, flawlessly fresh, with that deep smokiness and firm flesh, it reinvigorated our pallates.
Red Snapper with freshly grated yuzu - Solid but not tough, yielding after a few more bites than the mackeral, this sushi was sweet and citrusy, perfectly punctuated by the yuzu.
Small Shrimp - Glorious little sweet meats formed together in Hiro's hand and placed atop the rice. It was like sweet shrimp only more so, now another new favorite.
Mirugai with yuzu juice - Mmmmmmmmmmmm..........! Giant clam is my very favorite sushi so you know I was doing backflips at this point. When the chef was preparing the mirugai course for our neighbors, I watched as he selected a piece and tossed it hard onto his cutting board. The first one moved a bit, but was discarded in favor of the next which undulated fiercely before curling up upon itself. It was the showiest moment of the meal and was tickled to witness it.
Earlier in the evening, I watched Hiro place three shitake mushroom caps onto a brazier at his side.
I believe he brushed them with soy sauce and grilled them slowly.
Shitake sushi - Each cap was cut in half, brushed with yuzu juice, and cupped around a small ball of rice. Mushrooms of this quality are well served by simple preparation. In a single bite, we enjoyed the soft outer layer, still warm from the fire, giving way to sweet, tender flesh and scrumptious mushroomy, woodsy earthiness.
Needle Fish - Easily the most eye-catching presentation of all the sushi, the meat was separated from the skin of a very small critter using the blade of a long sushi knife. Hiro split the meat lengthwise and rolled the ends into each other. A stunning, classic presentation of a firm-fleshed, smoky fish, tasting somewhat like mackerel.
Cuttlefish (squid) - Chewy goodness scored, salted, dusted with ground yuzu skin and mopped with yuzu juice. The best I've ever had, sweet and tender.
Uni - I'm such a convert that I was filled with joy at seeing another slice of sea urchin layed before me. I fairly writhed with the pleasure of its briny sweetness.
Abalone - I had abalone sushi once before and, like uni, it was wretched and never ordered again. The food police should require a restaurant to be licensed to serve it because done wrong, it's completely inedible. Not so at Urasawa. The beast was prodigiously scored, I'd go so far as to call it tenderized, and topped with soy, yuzu juice, and ground yuzu. Miles apart from the crap I ate the last time. I doubt that I'd ever order it, but I'll gladly eat Hiro's version again.
Toro - The final permutation of this versatile wonder, grilled completely (not seared), it looked and tasted so like beef. A tiny prize of fat and smoke, and sweet, chewy meat. Unfuckingbelievable.
Anago (Sea Eel) - Topped with yuzu juice, this was the least fatty eel sushi I've ever experienced. Smaller, too, than the gigungous slabs served at sushi joints, it was compact and meaty with a slight bitterness on the back end.
Tamago - Looks like pound cake, right? This wasn't the omelette that I adore, but something completely different. It was very cakey, though light. The mouth feel was surprising. A delicate, sweet ending to a powerhouse round of sushi.
Grapefruit Gelatin - I am NOT a fan of grapefruit for the simple reason that I don't do bitter. Can't stand it, actually. But, again, I was happy to put this in my mouth. There was enough sweetness to please my palate and push the bitterness far off in the distance. The gelatin was topped with red beans and gold leaf and served as a perfect palate cleanser.
I'll make note, too, of the lovely presentation, a crystal goblet snuggled into a cylindrical block of wood. Niiiice!
Sesame Ice Cream with soy milk and honey - A fucking revalation. Just gorgeous to taste, a touch of sweetness surrounded the nuttiness of the sesame, and we were all in heaven.
The ice cream was accompanied by a stone bowl of matcha frothed before us by the chef. Though I don't drink tea (I don't like the way tea tastes... Sue me.) it was perfectly paired with the dessert. Unobtrusive and cleansing. It was followed by a small cup of another tea, this one tasting of grilled rice.
Dang, it took me nearly as long to write this as it did to enjoy the meal. And enjoy we did. Dinner at Urasawa was one of the greatest pleasures of my life. I'll necessarily be a bit more frugal in the coming months as it set us back quite a bit. This was by far the most expensive meal I've ever had:
Omakase - $275 per person
2 beers (Bob) - $20
2 Cokes (me) - $8
Iced Tea (Quinn) - $6
3 bottles of Evian - $24
With tax and tip, it came to $380 per person. It hurts, but it was so worth every damn penny. Might I suggest, ever so gently, that you sell your soul, find a sugar daddy, or strut your cookies down Sunset... Just hustle up the cash and go. You won't be sorry.
Urasawa
218 N Rodeo Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 247-8939
A few final notes on the experience... There was no music, which I enjoyed, though Bob mentioned that, had there been music, we would have been able to talk louder. As it was, we spoke in hushed tones and I was probably the only one of us who heard all the conversation since I was sitting in the middle. In regard to the food, each of us has food we will not eat, I mentioned the uni earlier. Well, Quinn ate eggs (Chawan Mushi and Tamago) for the first time in 30 years, I ate foie gras (I still didn't like the texture but got over it), grapefruit, and tea, and Bob ate mushrooms, and we're all glad we did. Shazam!
-steen
Quinn's Commentary
The truth is that this experience was much more fulfilling than walking across the stage and getting hooded for my MSW. The other truth is that my bank account is really feeling the impact! Not to completely parrot Steen, but it was totally worth it and I would love to make this at least an annual event - there's got to be enough potential milestones ahead of us to warrant this kind of treat.
A lot of what made this experience is perceptual and visceral. The minute we walked off of the elevator, the server slid open the door and said "Quinn?" I like that sort of ESP shit! Not to mention the bar itself. The smoothest wood, freshly sanded - unlike any surface I have even dined upon.
What I would have said at the end of the meal (and I did) is that Hiro excels at the cooked and prepared courses rather than the actual nigiri. I have a change of heart in retrospect, but at the time, this felt true. The stone cooked toro and the braised Japanese beef were revelations. As for the toro, I had to consider it several times upon first bite to make sure it was not the most ethereal beef I had ever consumed. It is because of these moments that I frequently caught myself with a (hopefully) sweet perma-grin on my mug. I'm not sure if I will order uni of my own volition, but this is the second time this year that it has been presented to me in such an outstanding manner (earlier this year, I had the uni sabayon at Providence as part of their tasting menu - I had dreams about it twice that night!)
The nigiri was utterly perfect in terms of quality, size, presentation, taste, and probably most importantly, rice-to-fish ratio. What put me off ever so slightly was the use of his special sauce and yuzu juice. After a few pieces, those tastes felt redundant. Having said that, a couple of days later I realized that I have been dipping my sushi piece after piece in shoyu since I took my first bite at age seven! It was just unfamiliar and like all good memories, that flavor lingers on in my mind and in the inner recesses of my tastes buds for life.
As a contrast, I went and had some sushi at a place that shall remain nameless (as to not invoke an unfair comparison). It was good and fun and all that (I just love fish and shellfish, period) but my sushi mojo has been altered for life. Not a bad thing, I don't think.
I think good meals should touch me deeply, from time to time, in the manner that MFK Fisher would write. This surely did, especially that I got to celebrate my graduation with my beloved Steen. Hey, next time, we should bring a boom box with Malcolm McClaren's "Madame Butterfly"!
-Quinn
tags: Urasawa, dining, sushi, Japanese+food, Beverly+Hills
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I love butter. (Don't we all?) I really and truly do. Perhaps not quite as much as Paula Deen does, and I'm grateful for that, but still... 
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