Ankimo, Oysters & Gluttony...

Last week, we met Alice*, Molly, & their better halves at Yuzu for dinner.

Alice, a native Japanese speaker, had called Arima-San ahead of time to work out an omakase menu for us, and also played interpreter for both the really special dishes we were served and the massive sake tasting we did.

This was one of the best Japanese meals I've ever had, from the sushi (which included itsy-bitsy deep fried crabs to be eaten whole, and a mind-numbing bluefin toro that was like nothing I've tasted) to the cooked dishes (which were all incredibly unique) and the sake (we actually sampled one that was $23... PER GLASS!)

At the end of the night, we decided to split up the dishes and each blog about a few... what, you thought I could do a post about a 10-course Japanese menu without a little help??

Oysters & Ankimo was probably my favorite dish of the night. I think it was maybe the 2nd or 3rd course, and was an amazing combination of flavors. For those who don't know, ankimo is monkfish liver, and sometimes referred to as the "foie gras of the ocean". Handled well, it's amazing stuff... silky, delicate but still rich, a milder and more refined flavor than most types of liver.

Arima-san tucked a piece of ankimo under an enormous oyster with a creamy mayonnaise-based sauce and a bit of seaweed, then broiled the whole thing. Topped with a dab of masago, and served with wedges of lemon, this was a study in gluttony. The richness of the liver & sauce were offset by the crisp brininess of the oyster, and the tart acidity of the lemon.

Another dish I really liked (this time for its simplicity) was the Broiled Chicken. The skin was well-crisped and flavorful (maybe brushed with ponzu?), and the meat was perfectly moist - if I didn't know better, I would have guessed that this was dark meat.

The spicy, sriracha-based sauce was really flavorful, though I really only needed the smallest dab.

Finally, we finished off dinner with these gorgeous ikura & uni sushi. The ikura were so beautiful we didn't even want to eat them. But, as you know, we are gluttons and... Anyway, they have this very delicate pop which gives way to a sweet, briny flavor which was a hair too strong for my palate. I saw Alice put a bit of wasabi on top of hers, and I wish I had thought to do that.

The uni, on the other hand, was perfect for my taste (in fact, I finished C's portion). These were from Santa Barbara as opposed to the Japanese uni that M & A had had the last time they were there, and they both talked about how they had been spoiled by that experience. But I loved the perfect texture, and that distinct uni taste which was clean and delicious.

Thanks again to Alice for pulling this together, and guiding us through this amazing dinner!

Yuzu Restaurant
54 W. 37th Ave
San Mateo, CA 94403
650.358.0298

*All pictures in this post are courtesy of Epicurean Debauchery