The King of the Sea

I normally don't like to mix work and blogging, much like religious Jews won't mix milk and meat. It's really just a question of "should" -- isn't it a bit ethically questionable if I start promoting my work clients in a personal domain? It might be, but today I experienced a meal that I can't resist sharing. Ironically, as I walked to the restaurant, I passed a building where I've been formerly employed--numerous times--and that I hope to return to one day. The irony is that for the first time, I felt like I was in a better place. No, my job isn't more of a dream job than the positions offered there--not even close. But with the magazine industry in the state that it's in now, and with said company having just declared a hiring freeze (officially freezing the entire industry, as they were the last ones standing), I'm so thankful to have a job that gets me the kinds of perks I experienced tonight.

So onto that meal...


Chef Suzuki is a real pioneer when it comes to Japanese food in the States. He opened his restaurant in 1984, back when the thought of eating raw fish was downright disgusting. He invented the inside-out roll as a way of disguising seaweed and making sushi more palatable to Americans; he created "State" rolls such as the California Roll, the Philadelphia Roll, and others; and he came up with the idea of sprinkling sesame seeds on the outside of those rolls after eating enough burgers and staring at their buns (true story!).

Now that Americans have warmed up to true Japanese food, he's gone back to the real thing, and the omakase (or, in English, the tasting menu) that I had tonight is proof of what a genius he is. Oh, and did I mention that he trained Masaharu Morimoto?

What I found most interesting about the restaurant is the deep philosophy behind it. After tasting more kinds of fish prepared in more diverse ways than I've likely ever had before, I realized the truth behind something that Chef Suzuki told me: like human beings, each fish has its own character, and it must be prepared accordingly. Even two blue fin tunas that I was served tonight (and both in the form of sushi/sashimi) were totally different, in part because the little touches that Chef Suzuki makes are done with a thorough understanding of each fish's character. Different rice vinegars, styles of ginger, varietals of soy sauce, slicing techniques, or amounts of wasabi should be used on each kind of fish depending on its inherent chemical properties and individual makeup, and I've never seen someone take such an intellectual approach to sushi before.



Low and behold, the food was spectacular. Word to the wise--this isn't your restaurant if you don't like fish, nor is it for you if you're looking for a surf and turf after your sushi course. But nonetheless, Chef Suzuki is onto something huge, and I'm so excited to have him as a client. Feel free to check out his website here.

PS. For some strange reason, my keyboard seems to be working now! Finally (I hope), my keyboard woes are behind us all.

PPS. Apologies for the crappy images, but never would I have dreamed that I'd be writing about this man... hence my lack of a camera at tonight's dinner. Please, just use your imaginations :)