Commonly referred to as the roe, it is actually the gonads (reproductive glands) of the spiny creature. It is a prized seafood delicacy and, just like caviar, comes in different grades with varied taste, texture and color depending on where it was harvested. It’s only fitting that my love affair with uni started here, in Japan. If you’re a sea urchin connoisseur, this is what heaven looks like.
I must admit I underestimated how bountiful the dinner would be, so I warn you – come hungry! Even though the star of the night is uni, the feast started with an assortment of sashimi (katsuo and red snapper), followed by delectable grilled Pacific saury.Īs we enjoyed the first round of appetizers, we watched Saisho-san assemble a gargantuan platter of uni gunkan maki. The menu is served in omakase style (Saisho-san picks your food based on the best seafood that is available on the market that day). But let me not derail from food talk for too long.
#Murasaki restaurant washington dc cracked
In the end, we all mingled, shared our names and cracked jokes somehow without even properly speaking each other’s languages. He is welcoming, friendly, and chatty, and makes sure each and every one of his guests gets personalized attention. But Saisho-san does a fantastic job at demolishing every stereotype about your typical, somewhat austere, sushi-ya in Japan. No, we didn’t dance to disco music with sushi in our hands. Saisho-san will comment back with a confirmation. All you have to do is follow his page and comment as soon as you see the announcement pop up (English is ok). The chef announces it last minute on his Facebook page and takes reservations on the first-come-first-serve basis. However, when the uni catch is particularly good Saisho-san serves an exclusive uni-focused dinner.
On most nights, Sushi Saisho is a regular 10-seat sushi restaurant with regular sushi selections. Let’s start with sea urchin because that’s what brought me here in the first place. There are two things that make this tiny place in Ginza unique: its exceptionally charismatic and uncharacteristically (for a sushi itamae) quirky chef Saisho, and the sporadic uni feasts that he hosts. Then there were some handmade lanterns by kids I believe.“I partied at Tokyo’s sushi restaurant” is not something you hear or read about every day, but that’s what the dinner at Sushi Saisho feels like. ^^ A local craft beer, yakitori (chicken skewer) and some hot chocolate were must haves that night ^^ There were so many handmade shisas in this area!! This band was my favorite!! You could also pay to create some yourself. The handwoven piece was also believed to protect the person who received it. In the olden times, a woman would give a textile with this pattern to the man she loved. The alternating pattern of five and four small rectangles symbolizes ”love forever”. The symbols on the hearts are known as Minsa. ^^ Loved that beniimo (purple sweet potato) tart lantern!! ^^ This time around I was able to capture this awesome place and I’m so happy! Guys taking photos at night is really hard!! I attended the previous year… but I wasn’t able to get my camera to work in my favor, so I decided to put it down and just enjoy it.
This was the third edition of the Ryukyu Lantern Festival. Of course we took them to all the touristy spots, but had to squeeze in a few places from my top holiday must do’s, one of them being the Ryukyu Lantern Festival at Murasaki Mura in Yomitan. After living here for 5 years, it was amazing to have them in our home and to drive them around the island. My in-laws came to visit us this past holiday season from Puerto Rico!! We met them in Tokyo for a few days (will blog about this later) and then we flew down together to show them around Okinawa.
0 kommentar(er)
