So I ordered their 'sushi combo A', pictured above. It comes with まぐろ [maguro] (tuna), すずき [suzuki] (sea bass), サーモン [sa-mon] salmon, はまち [hamachi] (yellowtail), さば [saba] (mackerel), and えび [ebi] (shrimp), as well as a 6pc. tuna roll for a fair price. To many people, sushi is sushi, but there is definitely a difference. This place has extremely fresh fish and their chef(s) take great care with every cut, and it shows. Many of my friends would likely prefer another place for sushi, such as some of the places in Belltown, as they have more "exciting" types of sushi (read: fusion). While fusion sushi can be good, I do not consider it to be truly Japanese, and much prefer the beautiful simplicity of authentic.
Tsukushinbo is a family-run restaurant, and it is about the quality of what they are giving the customer, rather than pure profit. I was the only person at the sushi bar today as I showed up toward the end of their lunch, which gave me the chance to speak to the chef. He gave me many tips for finding other types of Japanese food in Seattle. I have found this to be the case at many Japanese restaurants. The owner or chef will always be open to recommending other Japanese restaurants. The way the chef put it to me today is that they look out for one another and try to help each other out. It is not all about competition. I think this is due to the Japanese culture in general, which I find truly inspiring. The waitress brought me my bill after I was done, but I had ordered a piece of いくら [ikura] (salmon roe), which is typically $2-3/pc. that she was not aware of. I asked the chef to correct the bill, but he said do not worry about it. This place has amazing food and knows how to make someone feel at home. I highly recommend it. Just remember what I said about reservations, particularly if going for dinner.
it was interesting to read your post because I had a similar experience on Memorial Day in Philadelphia. I went with some relatives to their local sushi bar in Philly, and we were the only people there. However, they treated as wonderfully, throwing in a desert at the end, and it was a fantastic experience not to mention wonderful food. It is always wonderful when you find people putting out the effort for one, or 20 people.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post. That picture is just unfair though! I really shouldn't read your blog when I'm hungry... I love small family-run joints of all kinds and especially the "scavenger hunt" doors. If I have time before I leave for Houston this is officially on my list. I'm curious as to what you thought of the individual pieces? What is your favorite typically and what did you find your favorite to be here?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post. Once again, I'm getting hungry. I can definitely appreciate some good family friendly customer service to go along with quality product. I agree that conventional sushi basics are more dependable than the fusion type. I guess you could call me a purist.
ReplyDeleteThis post just killed me right there. I'm on a diet so I don't eat much after 7pm and it's 12.24am at my place and I'm craving for foods, especially sushi! I have to admit, Japanese foods never get me bored. I can eat it anytime, but the downside is most Japanese foods are expensive. I wish sushi is easy to make and I could roll them. Thank you for another restaurant recommendation, I will definitely try out when I get back to Seattle.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to a sushi restaurant other than sushiland. I am not a big fan but from time to time I have this certain craving for it. I really like a lot of the crab sushis and from you post it makes me want to expand my horizon on my choices.
ReplyDeleteTyler,
ReplyDeleteI really love how in-depth your posts are. It's great to see you writing about your personal experiences from this point of view, because it really gives us as readers and classmates more of an insight to you as a person and your interests. Like you mentioned in your post, being the only one at a sushi bar and being able to talk to the chef is always fun - I love watching their techniques (more of an art, actually), and if you ask any chef for his favorite or a recommendation, you always get something totally different and most of the time amazing. Trying new sushi rolls is super exciting considering all of the potential ingredients, some of which can be intimidating at times! I too prefer authentic Japanese food to 'fusion' food. Great post Tyler!
Cheers,
Kate