I tried Kru last night. The front room was really hot because they were having some sort of air conditioning issue, but the hostess sat us in the back where it was cool. The menu is intriguing but scattershot. There are small plates, salads, and big plates on one side. I'm not sure who would go to a sushi place to get a steak entree, but I guess if they make it really well it makes sense. I will probably never find out because I would go to a steak house if I wanted a steak. The server was very knowledgeable, which was a notable difference from Tamaya, the other new place, where the waitress didn't even know what a robata grill is, even though her restaurant purportedly has one. She recommended some things, and we took her recommendation and started with a small plate called the poke trio. It was three kinds of seafood in poke sauce with three special salts. The presentation of this and everything else we got was beautiful, especially the nigiri. The nigiri was obviously carefully prepared. I appreciate that. The poke trio had white tuna, octopus and red tuna. The octopus was fun to gnaw on but I thought the white tuna tasted the best. The salts actually all had different flavors (one was spicy, one was mixed with seaweed) and that was fun too. Oh yeah, I forgot, the give you free edamame which is a big plus in my eyes. I got some sort of special salmon nigiri, I guess it was sockeye salmon, I didn't really catch what she said, but it was a dark red and looked very different from regular sake. It was cut well and tasty, but not as tender as regular salmon. Grace got a special roll (can't remember which one) and she raved about it. My spicy tuna roll (I tried that to see how they would do on the standard rolls) was pretty good. D.P. didn't really like his roll but he liked Grace's. One thing that disturbed me and that I (nicely, I hope) informed the server of was the fact that none of the fish was at all cold. I assume this was because of the air conditioner problems, but it made the food less tasty. Kru has more sakes by the glass than some other local places, which I also like. Altogether, I still preferred the food (and the low price) at Tamaya, but I'll try Kru again.
Trying another new sushi joint just brought it home that I wish a super fancy, super high quality sushi place would open. Someplace you could go for a special night out. A couple of years ago I ate at a place in Hawaii that is what I have in mind. Someplace that is run by people from Japan, that would maybe have some rare delicacies that I've never tried. I'm reading this Jeffrey Steingarten book (I would recommend either of his books to anyone who likes to read about food, in a really funny format with just enough of the science of food thrown in), and he has a chapter about bluefish tuna that piqued my interest. You may be familiar with toro, the special cut from the belly of this fish, but there is an even rarer, more prized cut from up near the head (I can't remember what it's called) and I want to try it! Where can I get it in Sac?
OK, yeah, but if room temp is really hot then that equals warm sushi. I'm not talking icy, but it shouldn't be the same temperature as my tongue (and I have a really hot tongue). They will probably fix it when they get their air conditioner fixed.
ReplyDeleteThe special cut is the cheek meat. I'm not sure what its called but it's supposed to be very tasty. I think it has a more fishy taste too.
ReplyDeleteAte at Nobu about a week ago. Sushi was excellent. Table next to us was David Spade and on other side was Brian Grazer (producer of Vince's favorite movie; Blue Crush, Beautiful Mind, bla bla bla)
ReplyDeleteand I have to say that you in Sacto are lucky to have Takas! I don't know how things have changed since the expansion, but sitting with Chef Lou Vallente and letting him make you whatever he wants is a world class experience (when he isn't too busy). Anyone back me up on this? I am not talking about sitting at a table and ordering a california roll, ok?
Ella
I always forget about Taka's, but Grace really likes it. My problem with Taka's is petty but here goes: inadequate ventilation leads to hair that reeks of shrimp tempura. I can't stand smelling like food.
ReplyDeleteAnd to get back to John L's comment, although I need to verify it with my book (which is at home), I don't believe that the cut I'm referring to is the cheeks. I researched further and I think it's called "otoro". Here's a cute little page that shows the cuts:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sushiman.net/menu/ingredients/ahi-cut.htm
I think you are right to think that the Steingarten cut is called o toro, and that it's not cheek meat. But you are wrong to eat such a sensitive, mysterious creature as an octopus, especially since all you get out of it is a chewy chewy piece of rubbery flesh. If they were delicious, maybe it would be another story. I say eat squids instead. More delicious, less sensitive and mysterious. The o toro I had wasn't fishy at all; it's like the fattiest beef ever, but more chewable.
ReplyDeleteI meant to put a "!" after "octopus", to keep the tone of my comment a little lighter. Don't take my comment to heart!
ReplyDeleteBut sir (or madam), smarter animals taste better. No, really, you're kinda right (although do you stand up for pigs, too, I hear they're smart), but I only eat octopus like once or twice a year, so I don't feel too bad. Except that soon I will be in Portugal and will be embarking on an all octopus diet. It will make my eyes brighter and my coat glossier. And it will make me more sensitive and mysterious.
ReplyDeleteI looked up that chapter in the book, and there is an even choicer cut than the otoro, and it's called kama. But I can't find a fucking thing about it on the internet! That's some underground shit.
While pigs are indeed smart, they aren't in the least bit mysterious. They like to eat and lay around, which is a very smart thing to want to do, but once again, not very mysterious.
ReplyDelete-Connie
Otoro, kama, whatever. Fucking nyataimori is the true sushi underground.
ReplyDelete-sac
Snore. I eat most of my meals off naked women (well, a naked woman, well, full disclosure, i mostly just eat my meals off my own stomach while laying in my bed watching reality tv. saves on dishwashing, i find. ) so you're not blowing my mind here, sac. try again.
ReplyDeleteTaka's!
ReplyDeleteI've had otoro and kama there!
Ella
P.S. what about the restaurant I heard about in Japan where they feed sexy girls a special diet and then they poop on your plate, while
you watch??? Those Japanese, they have a highly evolved perv culture.
Ah, well you have home field advantage, I'll give you that, but to a cornfed boy like myself, eating sushi off of a naked woman whom I am not currently dating seems exciting and new to me. Anyway, I've tried the auto-nyataimori as you mentioned, but I keep getting hairs in the hamachi.
ReplyDeleteAlso, pigs are delicious. Especially in sausage form.
ReplyDeletea good sushi place will have the sushi and the rice at 98.6 degrees so that it isn't hot or cold. i like taka's.
ReplyDeleteI've been tesing out this "octopuses/octopodae/octopi/whatever aren't
ReplyDeletedelicious" theory on whoever has the patience to listen, and I finally found
someone who said that an octopus is delicious. As a disclaimer, I should be
clear that this person is Greek, and the Greek are not well-known or -respected
in the culinary world. I like to suppose that this is because of their unfair
proximity to Italy, the zenith of the culinary universe. Not that I've been to
Thailand. Anyhbow, back to Greece, because that's what I was talking about.
The Greek(s) tell me that that they love to eat the octopus in Greece, and the
way they make it delicious is by beating it against the rock and then hanging it
up to dry, and then grilling it. Is this/can this be true? I can't say.