Sushi from Koto Sushi

I tried to go to the elusive, near-impossible-to-get-into Lucali Pizza recently, and while they weren't too crowded, they were closed for vacation! I swear, I'm not meant to go there. So with a simple switching of gears, we went to Koto Sushi (see post from July for more info), and had ourselves a lovely little dinner.

We started with the Sunomono Appetizer which was an assortment of fish in a vinaigrette sauce. It was mostly octopus, which had an interesting texture; kinda chewy, but in a meaty, not rubbery way. There was also some crab, one piece of shrimp and some seaweed salad - tasty, but not great, and since there are other, more terrific appetizer options (think Ponzu sauce), I think this was the last Sunomono at Koto I'll have.



I've begun to order from the list of Special Sushi of the day. I'm not sure if this makes me a sucker, but I find that the fish I've had off of this menu has been so incredibly fresh and amazing, I'm going to keep getting it. Below is a photograph of the Sea Eel (from saltwater, vs. Unagi, which is freshwater eel), and the Aji Mackeral. Let me just say now that photographing raw fish in a dark restaurant is not the easiest task, with the result being less appetizing looking than the actual meal.




The Sea Eel was amazing. So tender and flavorful, and very different from Unagi. It actually was a little bit saltier. Our waitress made sure that we didn't put soy sauce on these pieces, as they had they own special sauce. The Aji was great too. I prefer mine with a little fresh squeezed lemon, but again, these pieces were fresh, flavorful and tender.

We also ordered two Maki rolls, the "Out of Control Roll" and a special Yellowtail Roll.



The Out of Control Roll was made of too many items (tuna, yellowtail, spicy tuna, siso, avocado), each one's flavor got lost amidst the others. It was also HUGE, and therefore difficult to eat. The Yellowtail Roll was great though, with crunchy asparagus and avocado inside, seared yellowtail on top, and I would definitely get it again.

The other great thing about Koto is that they use pickled ginger that has not been dyed, and has a terrific flavor that does not overpower. 'm often found eating that when all the Maki are gone.