Ginza Sushi-Ko

[southern girl]

Lizziee, her husband and I had a very interesting and tasty dinner at Ginza Sushi-Ko. Originally our plan had been to have dinner at Spago. Unfortunately, the William Morris Company "bought" the restaurant for the evening. Lizziee generously offered to cook, but since this would be our first time together for a meal I vetoed the idea so she could relax over dinner too. Ginza Sushi-Ko was substituted.

Since the Lizziees had been to Ginza SK before and were friendly with Masa and his girlfriend-Sanmee (sp) (who takes care of the front of the house) we were warmly received and seated at the 10person sushi bar. The restaurant consists of the sushi bar, a small private room (which was not in use that evening) and a small kitchen. The sushi bar itself is blonde untreated wood (similar to Jewel Bako) congiured in an "L". Behind Masa's "stage" is another counter with a large flower arrangement. The chairs for the sushi bar are very comfortable (since the seat is yours for the evening this a good thing)...we occupied ours for some 3 1/2 hours since the amazing lizzie and I felt like old friends from the minute we met...The meal itself is $350...when you walk in the door. Masa makes the selections and you eat them how he serves them...no requests for change of sauce etc. It is autonomy at it's finest...substitutions-or deletions for allergies allowed. You may ask for additional pieces of what is served. That $350 does not include tax, tip or alcohol !

Lizziee's charming husband raided his wine cellar and provided some incredible wines which he also shared with Masa and his girlfriend. I am going to rely on lizziee to post the details of the wine (I don't want to make a mistake since we took no notes...and these wines were deserving of being accurately noted) and the service since she had experienced GSK before and could compare our experience to others they had.

Moments after we were seated an "amuse" of marinated, cooked eel liver was placed in front of each us. I would guess it had been marinated and cooked in a teryaki style broth. Very tasty.

1st Course-Tuna Tartare served with toast points(topped with copious amounts of Beluga caviar for the Lizziees)...this was the finest preparation of this dish I have had. The tuna was chopped so finely its texture was like butter...no chunks or sinew remaining....just smooth pink tuna. I am sure the caviar added to the dish, but, I was very happy with my edition.

2nd Course-Blowfish many ways served on a mix of microgreens with a ponzu based dipping sauce. This was the first time I'd had blowfish....very interesting. I decided to be a purist and basically eschew the greens for the blowfish-sashimi, steamed and (I think baked). The texture and the flavor of the blowfish was akin to hirame. I did experience the odd tingling sensation one always hears about in connection with blowfish.

3rd Course- She Crab with Roe and Tomalley-One of my favorites of the evening- A bowl with a mound of finely shredded she crabmeat mixed with the bright red roe and the green tomalley. Excellent combnation of flavors and textures.

4th course- Seared Toro- simply seared slices of the incredibly rich toro we sampled earlier (more toro to come )

5th Course- Toro Shabu Shabu- A boiling pot of broth (soy/bonito based I think) was placed in front of each of us...along with a dish containing a large thin slices of toro and a mound of thinly sliced scallions and a second dish containing a soy based dipping sauce. Sanmee prepared our first bite for each of us, dipping the toro in the broth for perhaps three seconds, wrpaaing it around the scallions and then lightly in the dipping sauce. Excellent.

6th Course-Broiled Miso Marinated Cod with Cod Sperm and Lily Root- Another favorite for me- Perfectly cooked cod served with a piping of cod sperm (something else I had never had- the consistency was similar to a parsnip puree, as was the color and texture and 3 small pieces of lily root. Excellent.

7th Course- Okay- get ready---A little bamboo basket was brought to each of us... it contained a paper wrapped "candy" surpirse---it was certainly a surprise. Once opened there sat a whole white truffle which had been cut into threee pieces dipped in tempura and fried...Can you say decadent??! The texture of the truffle was quite different. Perhaps Lizziee could comment. I likened it to chestnut- but, a tad "firmer"...and the truffle flavor was still there. I do have to admit I would rather have my truffles in the traditionally shaved way...but, it was an interesting way to experience a white truffle...and it was tasty.

Then came the sushi- 1 piece of each--with the excepton of the uni- which we had to have a 2nd piece of - yellowtail, toro, yellowtail, aji, whitefish, seared toro and an unagi roll. All very lovely specimens.

Dessert (at least the one GSK served) was a let down. It appeared to be a grapefruit granite topped with chunks of ruby grapefruit. I indulged in the incredible 1942 Madeira from Mr. Lizziee's celllar...it (like all the wines) was outstanding .

As we didn't take notes and did imbibe lots of wine, I hope I haven't left anything out...Help me out here Lizziee and add your thoughts and comments...especially about the WINE and what you liked and what disappointed you .

I thoroughly enjoyed the company- the evening flew by- and over all the meal itself...but, I found the price tag steep overall. I, for one, would not even think of going to Ginza Sushi-Ko when it opens in NYC (unless it was on an expense account---and not mine )-$500 per person without tax, tip or alcohol is way out of the realm of my sensibilities!

[schaem]

Sheesh at $350 a head, you'd think you would all get Beluga.

[southern girl]

I'm allergic...perhaps a price break ...but, I've never gotten one anywhere else when caviar has been part of a dish ...

[Jinmyo]

southern girl, an excellent account.

For some reason the toro shabu-shabu is standing out for me.

As to dessert, I would never expect a Japanese or indeed Asian restaurant to have desserts that most Westerners would like. (Which is fine by me.)

[southern girl]

Thank you Jinmyo. All the toro dishes were very good...Masa showed us the "hunk" of toro...it was incredibly marbled. I have never had toro that was so tender...absolutely amazing!

[lizziee]

Southern Girl wrote an excellent review of Ginza. She eloquently and accurately described the evening and the food. I can't embellish much on her post except to echo her sentiments that this was the finest toro, the dessert was iffy, the "truffle surprise" was definitely a surprise but somewhat bland and much like a tempura of a chestnut. The crab with tomalley was absolutely perfect and yes there were too many microgreens with the blowfish although it was decorated with gold leaf. We did have a lot of wine and I do remember a dish resembling risotto done with fish to resemble grains of rice, Southern girl????

Given then that this is the finest ingredients presented in the most exclusive setting, the question becomes "Is it worth it?" Unfortunately, the value is just not there. From southern girl's and my husband's description of Jewel Bako, southern girl's experiences at Matsuhisa, my current meals at Takao, there is nothing to justify the 3 to 4 times price tag at Ginza. Ginza is like a lot of over-priced restaurants where there is a greater likelihood of disappointing than it does of pleasing totally. Would I want to go if I had never been? Probably, yes. Would I go back? No--especially not in New York where the price will now be $500. and there are so many other options.

As to service, we were disappointed by Masa's lack of "personal involvement" in our meal. We have had many meals with him both at Ginza and in his less expensive days on Wilshire.

On this night, Masa seemed distracted by a "writer" who was seated in our normal seats right in front of him. Normally, Masa is very involved in our meal with full descriptions of each dish, lengthy discussions about ingredients and long diatribes about other cuisines and restaurants. On this night, we never got a description of what was set before us. We had to ask what was being served.

My husband loved the spirit and charm of Jewel Bako so much more than the rather pretentious, "you have to be rich to dine here," attitude that Masa seems to have adopted during the past couple of years. We have had some fun evenings with him where he was "into us" and we stayed late and had after dinner wine (ours of course) Cuban Cigars (again ours) and good conversation.

My feeling is that he is very into himself these days, very sure he is going to knock New York on its behind and he is going to be very very rich as a result. I don't wish him bad luck--just a dose of reality!!

As to the food. There is no quibble that the fish itself is the finest and the most extraordinary. No where have I had better toro. Southern Girl's description of the food is right on and I am in complete agreement as to the "dessert."

The wines in Magnum were:

1990 Cuvee Lousie Pommery Champagne --clean , fresh, dry, but not ultra dry...full bodied and absolutely wonderful on the finish...just what champagne should be when it is a super premium champagne.

1995 Clos, Anne Gros...one of our favorite Burgundy vineyards. The wine sparkled with a lovely light raspberry nose. On the palate the Burgundy "velvet glove" was quite apparent...someone described fine burgundy as feeling like someone was rubbing your throat very gently with a velvet glove...it was perfect burgundy--Anne Gros is one of the young wine makers in Burgundy who is really showing skill and style.

1942 Madeira Reserva Velha Barbeito, Malvasia, 1942 Quinta Mae dos Homens. For more than half a century since its founding in 1946, Vinhos Barbeito has been known for the elegant Madeiras it produces from some of the islands' finest vineyards. The company is also legendary for its rare Madeiras from the 19th and early 20th century.

This bottle was put in bottle in 2000 from a cask of 1942. It is rich, rich, rich...if you like old Madeira--this is a real winner...the wine is clear, deep brown in color with a full, rich nose...it is not so old as to have any wear and tear on it...there is little or no sediment...just wine that tastes young, but at the same time has the sophistication of 60 years.

All in all, the evening for us was perfect because of the company, Southern girl is a pleasure to be with and I would enjoy having a hot dog as much as an exclusive dinner with her.

[Beachfan]

I'd be interested in a comparison with Sushi Yasuda (in NYC) if you've been (or next time you go).

Best sushi I've had, price is steep (but $225 will cover a lot of sushi and some great sake).

Best bang for the buck for me is Sushi Nozowa (LA). Any other favorites?

[lizziee]

I'd be interested in a comparison with Sushi Yasuda (in NYC) if you've been (or next time you go).

Best sushi I've had, price is steep (but $225 will cover a lot of sushi and some great sake).

Best bang for the buck for me is Sushi Nozowa (LA).  Any other favorites?

Beachfan,

I have never been to Sushi Yasuda so I can't comment. Perhaps, another member could do the comparison.

As for our current favorite sushi bar in LA, we revisited Takao in Brentwood and it was wonderful.

The chef is Takao Izumida who used to be the head sushi chef at Matsuhisa in the private dining area. There are daily "specials" as well as 3 options for an omikase "tasting." One third the price of Ginza yet inventive, using the freshest ingredients.

[mixmaster b]

Wow! Thanks for this great post.

The wines sound really memorable!

Reading about the meal and the experience was very enjoyable. I think this might be as close to a meal at Ginza Shushi-ko as I get, as I prefer not to have to take out a personal loan to cover dinner.

As for other sushi restaurants, I am still very much enamored of Mori Sushi on Pico. I love Takao, also, especially the sashimi salad type dishes. Nozawa is good but I like a firmer style of rice. Can't comment on Sushi Yasuda, but Jewel Bako (one dinner last April) was outstanding!

[mikeczyz]

after much deliberation, i've decided to make a reservation for ginza sushiko. march 5. will let you know how it was...

mike

[carpet bagger]

Good morning !Lizziee I have often wondered what Ginza would be like. I thank you and your friend Southern Girl for sharing your experience. Southern Girl you were so descriptive that my taste buds are satiated at a very affordable price. It really sounds great and my experience is only one step below going on someone else's expense account. Going on your perfect description. Based on your words I would suggest that you try a little known sushi bar on Sunset Blvd in Hollywood "Take Sushi" 1/2 block East of San Vicente on the south side of Sunset. Nobu has been the sushi chef 20 years and his quality rivals and often exceeds Sushi Nozawa which I really love. Go there with the expectation of being totally surprised and you will by how great it really is. Tell Nobu that you want everything he has.Tell him you are a friend of George. The bill should be approximately $100.00 plus tax tip and you can bring wine. He loves both wine and beer. Be generous and you will have a meal you will not forget. I hope I have built up your expectations but not beyond his capabilities. Please let me know how much you like.

[southern girl]

Thank you Carpet bagger for the recommendation...I will definitely put "Take Sushi" on my list for one of future visits to LA!

Edited February 13, 2003 by southern girl (log)

[lizziee]

carpet bagger,

Another wonderful sushi place to try is Takao in Brentwood.

You can find posts on Takao at:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...=15273&hl=takao