Toshi Sushi: OMG Omakase

Omakase can be a daunting prospect for some: Those who are uneasy leaving their gastronomic fate in the hands of another and those who can’t fathom paying so dearly (triple digits!?) for one meal.

I like food surprises, but not credit card surprises, so when Tony of Sinosoul touted an authentic, appetizing and affordable ($44.50) omakase experience in Little Tokyo, I was down, down like what’s filling your fancy schmancy Crate & Barrel duvet.

Joining Sinosoul and me at Toshi of the neon fish signage were new food friends: Food She Thought’s Liz, her husband/musician David and Nancy of The Wanderkind, so teeny that she made my five-foot self feel rather manish and ungainly, able to crack lobster claws with my meaty mitts.

Toshi is not a large establishment and keeps the atmosphere from feeling overly stuffy and cosy with a simple, bright interior and light-colored wood. Head to Toshi on a weekday or weeknight if possible since parking can be a bitch otherwise. Seating is a similar story. We had a humble party of five, but learned we couldn’t reserve the sushi bar (to enable interacton with Edomae (traditional) sushi Chef Toshihiko Seki for omakase optimization) for more than three people. Nevertheless, our reserved table suited our needs better conversation-wise.

David and I started with the light flavored, better-with-food Echigo beer, while his wife went straight for the sake. Mr. Food She Thought was kind enough to let me try some sake paired with my beer as well, which was a first for me and made the omakase that much more vivid.

I am always surprised (and rather touched) by an amuse bouche, and this one was one of the most exciting and complex I’ve been served yet. The wakame (seaweed) is a toothy favorite, but the grated mountain yam (yama imo) has this texture fiend reaching for Roget’s and Wikipedia.

The yam, when grated, becomes a bit frothy and slightly viscous, actually slippery, much like the the okra slime or raw albumen folks can be a bit squeamish about. With the more solid bits of vegetable, however, I found the overall dish to be the perfect starter to wake up my palate.

To make this dish even more intriguing to me was a tidbit Tony let slip about the use of yama imo by eunuchs. I won’t elaborate, but I’ve been searching the Internet.

Besides the amuse bouche, I couldn’t find this trio on the omakase description proper, but it wasn’t presented with any other explanation, so perhaps it was part of the deal too. Already with this second dish, the meal was exceeding expectations.

The lightly marinated tuna in the center (above)  is as tender and fresh as it appears.

The baby squid gave me all the tender, yielding mouthfeel in a light sauce I could want in such a small, but powerful bowl.

Lovely oyster with a touch of crunchy tobiko and grated ginger. Refreshing.

The sushi portion (supposedly a total of 10 pieces not counting last trio] begins. From left to right: A light hirame possibly with a delicate kelp marinade (kobu-jimae), an unmolested tuna and possibly a mackerel? If that last one is correct, it’s unlike most sushi mackerel I’ve had. Much cleaner and somehow rawer in taste.

Really, how can you go wrong with a delicately miso grilled black cod with a squeeze of lemon? Umami layered on umami cut with acid. So very tender and flavorful.

This was another surprise dish made expressly for our group. I can’t even recall what the protein was (sorry!) but the braised daikon surprised me in a way I hadn’t expected. It reminded me of my childhood. Somehow, somewhere, and somewhen daikon had been prepared for me this way, probably in a soup. The daikon was so soft, almost mushy, it yielded easily to spearing chopsticks. The taste is slightly bitter, but somehow still satisfying.

A very supple octopus in tempura set out to share. I didn’t share that well and finished most of the basket myself.

This mega plate of sushi to share had the promised Wagyu beef that was laid out on ice cubes (the better to keep it cold and not gather bacteria) that you can see in the 9:30-ish area. It was fairly chewy, but still had that pure, beefy flavor. More of an interesting eating experience that was designed to be only part of the whole, I think, not a focus.

If you still don’t know where your food comes from, check out the raw Spanish mackerel center stage with the cut slices arranged back in its carcass. At Tony’s request, the chef took the hollowed out fish and deep fried it, head to tail. (See Food She Thought’s blog for a pic of the deep-fried goodness.)

Here’s an aerial view, which will make it easier to see the thin slices of geoduck — a large, saltwater clam — at the 11 o’clock position. I love most chewy, firm clams and this was no exception. I was so taken with eating it, I neglected to get a proper picture of it.

The salmon at 6 o’clock was just cool, smooth and lovely.

The food just keeps coming. I was surprised at how many times I could be surprised in a night. Sheesh! Seven more pieces of sushi for each of us. Besides the reappearance of hirame, salmon and mackerel. Tamago (egg) is my least favorite sushi, perhaps because it’s a slightly sweet concoction with a non-fish flesh texture. Perhaps because I need to acquire the taste. Those who love it probably would have approved of this one though: Light but incredibly flavorful with something green in it — aonori?

The flavors in the meal so far had built up to the creamy and rich uni (sea urchin, bottom left), which I save to eat last on the plate.

To help ease down all that fish was a soothing clam miso. Coming down.

Finally, a spot of tea and potent green tea ice cream to cue the taste buds that the evening’s jaunt has come to an end.

So … wow. This is just the type of meal that can make the most impact on me. Simple, fresh flavors. Not flashy. Deliberate and careful. Just plain good.

The omakase is a definite treat, and I’ll have to go back with less people (hell, maybe alone!) to try it at the bar to get that one-on-one interaction wtih someone who obviously values his craft. I’ll probably wait a bit to make it more special though. In the meantime, however, I hear that Toshi-san serves a mean chirashi, which I’ll definitely seek out soon.

Toshi Sushi
357 E 1st St
Los Angeles, CA 90012-3901
(213) 680-4166

Toshi Sushi Catering

Tagged as: Japanese, Little Tokyo, omakase, Review, sushi