Sushi Gem Inspires Uni Dance

Kiriko

11301 West Olympic Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90064
(310) 478-7769

Spoondle's Rating: 10

As children, we are taught to share. But as adults, although we know sharing is morally correct, there remain instances which unleash your inner selfishness. This was what I experienced when I first thought about writing a review of Kiriko. The sushi restaurant in West LA run by chef Ken Namba, is truly a gem. Everything about it is amazing. It is small, uncrowded, unpretentious and carries the freshest fish I have tasted.

Kiriko may not be a secret anymore, after Jonathan Gold's List, but it sure doesn't attract the large crowds of trendy and expensive spots like Katsuya or Nobu. Their focus is on making traditional, simple ingredients taste extraordinary. This is the place you come for Spanish mackerel sashimi and a great yellowtail scallion roll. They take pride in their attention to detail by topping their sushi with grated ginger, crispy garlic chips or sweet ponzu. They also make a few things in house such as ice cream, sorbet, and smoked salmon. If you are looking for over the top rolls and appetizers, this is not your place. Instead try Izaka-Ya by Katsu-Ya where they have yummy and fun items like spicy tuna on crispy rice, creamy rock shrimp, or the best baked crab handroll in the city. All at damn good prices. But if you want simple, delicious, mind blowing freshness, no one does it better than Kiriko.

The quality and the cuts of the fish are always the best. Last week my salmon was marbled! I had never seen anything like it. When I put it in my mouth, it literally, honest to God, melted. Like butter! And the Uni. Oooooh my most favorite and anticipated moment in the meal. The uni, (sea urchin eggs) is out of this world. It is so fresh you can taste the seawater. Some of you may be thinking this sounds unappealing. Trust me, it's not.

I didn't always like uni. It took me a few tries. My first reaction 4 years ago was"gross". The second time I thought, "eh", but by the third time I was hooked. The cravings started. It would be 2:34 pm on a Wednesday and the uni aftertaste would pop into my head. There is something about uni's aftertaste that is unusually delectable. I wanted it. Needed it. It became an obsession. Today I am ashamed to say I crave it almost daily. If it wasn't so damn expensive I think I would order a platter for myself each meal. There is nothing so tender, so delicate, creamy, and unusually sweet as fresh uni.

Last week when I finally ate it ( I save it till the end so I can savor the aftertaste) I did a happy uni dance. Don't know what that is? I didn't either. But when those tiny iridescent eggs hit my tongue, my body was compelled by my taste buds to move. The sushi chef probably thought I was a nut as I sat opposite him, closed my eyes, hopped and wiggled my shoulders in my seat while repeating "mmmm", "mmmm" "mmmm". Yeah, it's that good.

*Tip- As with all sushi restaurants, the best time to go is on a tuesday, wednesday or thursday as they will have the freshest fish and smaller crowds. This means they will have more time to spend on the careful preparation of your food. I always suggest to sit at the sushi bar.

seared golden eye snapper topped with a ponzu sauce and wasabi

Seared bluefin tuna garnished with a ponzu sauce, crispy garlic chips and topped with truffle butter

An array of live sweet shrimp, uni, salmon, and kanpachi

Ikura sushi- salmon eggs topped with a quail egg. (I have not yet worked up the courage to try this but it is my boyfriends absolute favorite)

Appetizers of soft shell crab with a ponzu garlic dipping sauce, fried shrimp heads (the remains of the live sweet shrimp deep fried) and yellowtail sashimi

Buttery salmon sushi with creamy, mouthwatering UNI. Look at the way it drips over the edge. Ooooooh sooooo tasty. I'm drooling

The perfect light and refreshing end to a wonderful dinner- homemade blood orange sorbet

Sushi with Chef Andy Matsuda

Photos courtesy of Jason Yeh

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of assisting Chef Andy Matsuda in a sushi making class at Sur La Table. Chef Matsuda has worked in the finest sushi bars and hotels in LA, Aspen and New York and has consulted for many fine japanese restaurants and sushi bars. In 2002 he established The Sushi Chef Institute in Los Angeles where he teaches the art of sushi making to beginners and professional chefs from all over the world.

If you are like me, when you eat sushi, you aren't thinking about the detail and careful preparation that went into each roll. You stuff it in your mouth, chew it up, and focus on whether the freshness of the fish lives up to your expectations. Watching a professional sushi chef make a california roll, then watching 15 unprofessional people immitate him, will change this. Suddenly you appreciate the detail and precision that goes into every slice, placement, roll and cut. You realize that even nigiri sushi is a 7 step process.

The only way to understand how difficult sushi making is, is to try it for yourself. Here is what your first time may be like...

1. You watch the sushi master as he breaks the process down, speaking clearly and moving slowly, as if you are senile.

2. You think, "Hey, that looks easy." It does. He makes it look easy, fluid, obvious.

3. You go back to your table where you have the same ingredients, the same amount of fish, the same rice and suddenly, your mind goes blank. You begin to have a mental meltdown. Do you roll the rice in your left hand? Do you push gently on the top of the rice, then reverse it? Why is your rice sticking to your hands? They didn't stick to his hands. Maybe his water is better? His rice less gooey? How come your fish won't stay on? Were you supposed to put wasabi on the fish or the rice? Does it matter? Which side of the seaweed should be up? Is your fish facing the right way? Which end do you roll first? What did he say about soy sauce? Why is everyone else's looking so much better? Did I remember to take my birth control? AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Relax. Remember the important thing is to FOCUS. Sushi making may be tedious, difficult, and mentally hazardous, but it is well worth it in the end!

Click here to watch Chef Matsuda demonstrates his 7 step process to making nigiri sushi.

For those ambitious people interested in making sushi at home, Chef Matsuda gave me a few names of top Japanese markets to shop for sushi grade fish. The three markets below have multiple locations, not only in LA but San Diego, San Jose, and even New Jersey.

Marukai Corporation

Mitsuwa Marketplace

Nijiya Market

There are also several small Japanese markets on Sawtelle near Olympic that have excellent selection of fresh seafood.

Chef Matsuda demonstrates the 7 step process of nigiri sushi making in Sur La Table's kitchen

Chef Matsuda's perfect spicy tuna and california rolls

Carefully placing the spicy tuna in the seaweed before using a Makisu to roll the sushi

Chef Matsuda's california rolls topped with spicy tuna and wasabi sauce

The students finished masterpieces. Not too shabby eh?

Look for more of Chef Matsuda's classes at Sur La Table in the Grove.

Photos courtesy of Jason Yeh

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