Shiro’s

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If you’re a big sushi lover, you certainly have heard of Jiro, the world famous sushi master, and the documentary film, Jiro Dreams of Sushi. It is every serious sushi diner’s dream to visit his restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro, in Tokyo. We might not have the luxury to fly all the way to Japan and spend $300 per person on a meal, but we would definitely jump on a chance to eat at his apprentice’s restaurant that is less than 2 hours away from home.

To ensure we wouldn’t get stuck in a never-ending long lineup, we made a reservation a week prior to our Seattle trip. If you would like to dine at the sushi bar counter and watch the chefs making sushi in front of your eyes, sorry, you will have to wait in line.

Before the clock hit 5:30, a queue had already started forming outside the door. Everyone was eager to experience what Shiro’s was about to bring to the table.

Besides sushi, sashimi and rolls, the restaurant also offered a small selection of appetizers, salads, soups, broiled and deep-fried items. We were there for the fresh seafood so let’s just stick to the raw fish.

Kev and a few other friends were instantly drawn towards the omakase menu (which translates into “I’ll leave it to you, chef”), with options ranging from $25 to $65 per person. Not exactly sure how much sushi would fill him up, Kev selected the USD$35 omakase sushi to start off the night.

$35 omakase sushi

The plate contained 10 pieces of nigiri and 1 roll. As it was served, the staff carefully went through and told us what each piece was. Here’s what he remembered he had: tuna, medium fatty tuna, salmon, albacore, yellowtail, sweet shrimp, salmon roe and mackerel. The quality was unbelievably excellent. Really fresh, buttery and tasty. Out of all, he thought mackerel was the best.

I couldn’t agree more with my order of that day’s special.

Oops, wrong picture. That’s all the nigiri the six of us ordered individually from the menu, aside from the omasake.

Here’s my order – including the sockeye salmon (USD$3.5), smelt (USD$2.5), flounder (USD$3.25), and medium fatty tuna (USD$5.75). 

flounder, sockeye salmon, medium fatty tuna, and smelt nigiri

They really were the best sushi I’ve ever tasted in my life. So fatty and moist. Within seconds, they just melt in my mouth like butter. I really enjoyed the subtle, elegant sweetness they left in my mouth.

shiro’s roll

I also ordered a shiro’s roll (USD 5.5), which was wrapped with pickled mackerel, ginger and shiso leaf inside. Unlike common westernized rolls, it was prepared with simple ingredients (without mayo, thank god!), delivering unique, strong flavours. Impressive!

fatty tuna

I was able to quickly snap a picture of a friend’s fatty tuna before he consumed it. Doesn’t it look like bacon? 😛

Before leaving, Kev was curious to find out how tasty the fatty tuna was so he also made an order.

fatty tuna (Kev’s order)

Sadly, his fatty tuna ($7.5) didn’t look as “fat” as his friend’s. The server explained it was a different cut, but that didn’t make him feel any better because it looked so different. Anyhow, he could only accept that. Lesson learned: if you order fatty tuna earlier, the chances are you will get a better cut.

All in all, we had a fabulous evening at Shiro’s. Incredible, pristine sushi, I must say! Definitely check out this place if price is not an issue for you.

Note: I discovered recently that they have changed their omasake menu. Now, they only offer $65 & $75 omasake for table guests, and $70 & open-ended omasake for bar guests.