There are a few things that stand out to me about the process here. Nor are there chopsticks the rule is to plop each piece of sushi in your mouth as soon as it hits the deck.Ī side of cubed pickled radishes is provided for palate cleansing between bites. As per the custom, there's no soy sauce, ginger, or wasabi served here. Fish from the local market Newport aren't uncommon. Reserve your one-hour time slot for the Kaito Omakase, a set $55 menu where the itamae serves you 11 courses of nigiri sushi and a single hand roll. It's advised you get there 10 minutes early.Įxpect seafood like Hokkaido scallops, blowfish tuna, and horse mackerel from all over, including Japan, Europe, and South America. The spaciousness is almost jarring-I'm much more used to omakases being sleek, usually tiny, affairs-but I do like Chef Jang's style. Kaito is unexpectedly big, given the six-person limit at the bar, and it turns out that the larger lounging area in front is available for patrons after their omakase experience, where they can sip on pots of loose leaf teas post-sushi. It's a different story than more stringent omakase, where fish shipped all the way from Japan is favoured over other types brought direct from Canadian harbours. Unlike other omakase in the city, Kaito focuses on using seasonal saltwater fish for their sushi-the closer the better, when it comes to sourcing. The restaurant is headed by Chef Donghwi Jang, who has trained under Chef Yoshinaga Tsuyoshi of Kasa Moto and Shoushin repute. Instead, as is the custom when you're happy with your meal, I bought him a sake.Kaito Sushi is a restaurant offering a single traditional set menu of refined Japanese sushi. No fun to eat.”) And a night in the care of the cheery fish expert chef Iwata (also of Tomiko and Ichiban) made me want to give him an honorary ichthyology degree. Chef Morita (with 25 years of filleting under his knife, formerly of Nobu and Tomiko) won't scold you for sushi sins like drowning his creations in soy sauce or not eating sushi in one bite. The Pork Miso soup was chunky and piping-hot good.īesides its seafood, what makes for a good sushi bar?Ī freewheeling, friendly chef. The sea urchin squid was wet and chewy, like the wood planks on a wharf. Say “yes” even when chef Iwata offers you abalone liver, or, as he announced, “abalone guts.” It's a gritty, earthy paste for someone who likes oysters. The tuna sashimi (also Canadian) tasted like berries.įor a more interesting experience, try the abalone. The toro – from the cold and choppy Atlantic side of Canada – was oily and smooth, clearing the palate like a helping of icicle radish. It was out-traveled by the creamy and slightly seared red snapper from New Zealand (6,500 miles). The recent winter offerings included the brightly flavored Spanish mackerel, flown in 5,500 miles from Japan. This attention to offering fish at its prime – it hasn't been frozen or dressed in a mayonnaise disguise, I should add – makes Kaito a safe place to explore. Go with what the sushi chef recommends, a request made simply by saying, “omakase.” Even water temperature affects its taste. Because just as with the oranges that grow in your yard, there is a window of time when a fish should be eaten. Different places, we can get,” said chef Morita from behind the long display case of seafood glistening under plastic wrap. The global and hard-to-get selection, ordered by the chefs, focuses on fish that are in season. He and his wife, Hiromi Kimura, round out the cast of characters who own and staff Kaito.īertsch said the intimate, smaller operation allows for a fresher variety of fish purchased from vendors in Los Angeles. “It's a work in progress,” said Ryan Bertsch. Yet, the lasting impression created by head sushi chef Kazuo Morita and Ryoichi “Joe” Iwata's approach to making Tokyo-style sushi (called Edomae sushi) make Kaito a worthy ocean find. On a Saturday around 8 p.m., as American rock music played behind curtains leading into the kitchen (tres authentic Japan), I was informed that two large birthday parties had just made a run on the fish inventory. I cannot praise the strip-mall restaurant for its first impression – it's narrow, with fluorescent lighting better suited to an office. I'll admit I'm the raw-fish type, and I made the trip to Encinitas in search of a reason to believe that prepackaged grocery store sushi wasn't worth the digestive trouble. That's the little bit of sushi wisdom I got after visiting Kaito Sushi, which has a new location (since April 2008) and new menu (the owners dropped the Italian and are now strictly Japanese).
Stripping a sushi bar down to its basics (no koi pond, no funky East-meets-West fusion rolls) can make for a streamlined dining experience, a chance to commune with the succulent and salty gifts of the sea.
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