Mother's Day was this past weekend and my brother and I really wanted to take my mom somewhere nice with an awesome Omakase. After asking around, we decided on Sushi Kappo Tamura, located on Eastlake in Seattle.
The restaurant is in a nice little quiet yet somewhat busy area, not too far from the University of Washington. If you didn't know what you were looking or, you could easily miss the place. It was a gorgeous Seattle evening and there is even outdoor seating should you choose. Inside, the place was very simple with both old-fashioned and modern vibes.
While my brother and his girlfriend opted for the Tasting menu, my mother and I had the omakase which is basically the Japanese term for "I leave it up to you" meaning the chef will choose your courses for you with the selection of fresh foods they have that day. This one was a dinner style omakase that included appetizers and desserts!
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| My favorite, Fuji Apple Pie Sorbet A La Mode |
Shigoku oysters on the half-shell with momiji ponzu (soy and citrus mix) with ikura (salmon roe) : The oysters were so fresh and just the right size. The meat was nice and firm with a sweet taste, crisp taste that isn't to briny. The deeper shell made it ideal for the added ponzu and ikura bits. You take it like a shot and the flavors all complimented each other. Loved this and could honestly eat over a dozen, lolz. Raw oysters though aren't for everyone. My mom could only eat one (she doesn't like the texture since it can be slimy to some) and gave the other two to my brother. 3 came in total
Chawan Mushi (steamed egg custard dish) with jidori eggs, red crab, and Neah Bay black cod topped with California uni (sea urchin): I was already excited with the fact that I would get some chawan mushi, but when I opened the lid and the waitress announced there was also uni topping it off, I was even more ecstatic! Uni is my all-time favorite so I loved the fact that there was some on top. The creamy texture of the uni went well with the smoothness of the chawan mushi. The flavors of the red crab and black cod weren't overpowering and was just right in adding a nice sea flavor to the dish!
Sashimi bowl w/ chutoro (medium fatty tuna), Hamachi (yellowtail), sockeye salmon, and fresh amaebi (sweet spot prawns): The first of the raw fish/seafood items. First off, the presentation of this is great with the bright colors of the bowl to the fish themselves. The quality was so fresh of each piece, ESPECIALLY the sweet shrimp/spot prawn. It is spot prawn season so these were extra fresh and still alive minutes before we were served. The texture and sweet flavor were definitely a nice treat. All the other pieces of sashimi were great too and went surprisingly well with the key lime they served along with it!
Nitsuki Neah Bah Idiot Fish w/ hari ginger and fresh gobo (burdock root): I have never experienced a large dish like this at a Japanese restaurant since half to whole fishes in this style I usually have at Chinese restaurants. With that said, the look of surprise/shock on all our faces were definitely noticeable! This dish came with half the fish head along with a few chunks of the meat. It was cooked in a sweet sauce (reminiscent of Teriyaki, but not Teriyaki) and had great texture to it. I loved the flavor and how the ginger and gobo went well as a condiment. It would have been nice to some rice along with this dish but that definitely would have made us overly full and you can't have that when you're about to have a bunch of sushi coming at you!
Chef Selection of sushi: Alaskan King Crab, Squid w/ shiso, king mackerel, Washington salmon belly, Nova Scotia uni, Washington albacore tuna, sea scallops, ikura, anago (sea eel) and I'm missing one but forgot what it was called: Wow, wow, wow! This selection was great and to see the excitement on my face when there was another selection of uni made it even better! (what makes it better is that no one but me eats uni so I got to have both =P). Everything was very fresh and the sushi rice was perfect. I feel like the rice is just as important as the quality of the fish so the fact that it was made just right made the experience even better. My favorites to note were the Nova Scotia uni (perfectly creamy with a more nuttier than sweet flavor, but still delicious), the Alaskan King Crab (a definite treat with nice firm textures and that signature Alaskan King Crab texture), the sea scallops (so sweet, and not slimy and all with a subtle sea flavor) and the anago (sea eel made just right with the meat being nice and smooth).
Desserts included a Fuji apple pie sorbet a la mode, house made millet mochi with sweet azuki (red bean), chestnut and butterscotch creme brulee, and a yuzu yogurt panna cotta: Each one of these desserts were great in their own way and had a touch of uniqueness to them.
Fuji Apple Pie Sorbet a la mode: First was their take on apple pie a la mode. Instead of a typical apple pie, they used Fuji apples and turned it into a sorbet. With one scoop of vanilla ice cream, one scoop of the sorbet, and some graham cracker pie like crumbles on top, this was by far my favorite dessert!
The house made millet mochi with sweet azuki was a majority favorite. The mochi was warmed up just right and wasn't overly chewy and had a nice crunch on the outside. The azuki (red beans) were not too sweet and there was some salt added to it which complimented it very well.
Up next is the Chestnut & Butterscotch Cremé Bruleé: You could definitely taste the chestnut in the pudding part but it was so mild and subtle that you couldn't quite figure out what it was. I didn't notice the butterscotch part in particular in this dish, but maybe because it was caramelized to a perfect crunch on top! The last one, yuzu yogurt panna cotta, was probably the least favorite out of the 4. I was expecting it to be mind blowing--maybe because I usually love panna cotta. The Yuzu flavor was fine, but I think it was the layer on top that settled on top of the panna cotta that didn't go well with me.
So there is my run down on Sushi Kappo Tamura! Overall, I do highly recommend this place if you want some quality Japanese food and quality sushi for dinner choices such as an omakase. Since the vibe is a bit more modern than old school, this might not be for the older generation, but it definitely is for me! The quality of the food is great, especially for the price you pay (omakase is usually set at a set price or market price and this one included all the dishes mentioned above except for 2 desserts). It is a bit pricier than your typical Japanese meal so I would definitely save it for a treat for yourself or a nice get-together dinner. My brother and I will for sure be taking my cousin here when he gets back to Seattle!
Readers, have you ever had an omakase dinner? What is your favorite Japanese dish? Let me know!
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