Sushiso Masa¹ opened one of those rare doors that change outlooks and paradigms – a glimpse into the impossible. It was very much a Plato’s Cave, or Matrix, moment – the jaded diner experiencing life. How could the top tier be mere local maxima? The potential was inconceivable. The results were astounding. And, then, to think there were others, possibly better, in this town? The city was ripe for more exploration.

One year later, a few weeks further in the season, the results were no less enchanting. When you look at man through food, his limits might be revealed by his best pieces of sushi.

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It is the Holidays, a new project is in the air, blog posts are backlogged, and life could not be busier. This post is basically another teaser but I hope the pictures ¹ entice and inspire. The pictures document most of the meal but I was asked to stop when another party walked in.

I will have a lot more to say about this meal – when the post for my second meal comes out. For now, I will say “I have had none better.” I must thank my virtual friend Cathy Ho for bringing this restaurant to my attention ² over a year ago.

It is a temple – that is ridiculously expensive – and it is absolutely worth it.

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Sawa – it is one of the most incongruous high-end dining experiences in America – located in Sunnyvale (re: nowhere) in a strip mall (re: next to Subway.) Menus and prices are not offered, merely discovered. The place settings, irony at its finest, depict the typical pieces of nigiri – none of which will be served. The fish, of the highest quality available in America, can come in such large quantities that one wonders if the ocean might just quit after the meal. The naysayers decry that Sawa strokes its customers’ unchecked egos but, masters of the universe or not, the regular patrons merely celebrate the brilliant seafood hidden beyond that neon Sawa sign.

Raw Scottish lobster, killed seconds before serving

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As vegetables go so goes the sea – there is a season for everything. January at Urasawa brings sperm sac and hairy crab for 10-14 days. It is easy to contort one’s face in a grimace over the former, and I may have reached my limits during this meal, but the latter is sheer joy in Urasawa’s hands – crab meat, eggs, internal organs, and uni – cooked over an habachi. KevinEats says it best – “it’s the pure essence of crab.” Dinner is always special at Urasawa but dropping in during opportune times can lead to more exotic fare than usual.

Two months removed from Tokyo, this was my first sushi, not pictured, on American soil since the trip.¹ It was comparable to the better sushi in Japan, falling just a notch below Sushiso Masa. The rice seemed warmer than usual², to the point that it sometimes warmed the fish. It is also clear that a full ten person bar might be too much for Hiro to handle, as sushi and dishes come at an uneven pace – six or eight has been a perfect-sized crowd in the past.

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To say that I was a sushi snob before… An anonymous doorway in Nishiazabu, seven bar seats, no menu, and thirty-five plus courses of sushi nirvana changed my rules of sushi engagement.

As the number of choices in the US dwindle due to inconsistent or inadequate quality;¹ I was very curious, and skeptical, if sushi (and raw fish in general) was “that much better” in Japan. The fish is not necessarily fresher since many high-end places air ship it from Japan; what does it matter if the fish is sitting in a restaurant waiting for dinner, or on a plane? Since business connections are made over many years in Japan, was it possible that native practitioners had access to higher quality ingredients? And what of the sushi itself – could its art form be more elevated from the highest expressions on American soil? Time was at a premium, and there were many non-sushi places to try, but I ear-marked Sushiso Masa as “the place” based on a friend’s (offline) report.

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