Hamono Sushi

While trying to decide on which Omakase we were going to try while in Portland, I briefly considered Nimblefish and Nodoguro, however after reading up on Reddit, we narrowed in on Hamono Sushi in Downtown Portland.  Besides the Omakase course, the one thing that makes Hamono unique is that they offer an AYCE menu once the Omakase has been served.  Yes, that is a strange concept, but something we were willing to try especially for their reasonable $110.00 price tag.  The place is pretty intimate with only 4 bar seats and around 7/8 tables.

We started with some small side dishes including a Potato Salad, Imitation Crab Salad and a Cucumber Salad.  As much as these were pretty simple and basic, I enjoyed them.  Potato salad was creamy and sweet with chunks of tender potato and shredded imitation crab.  The crab salad had a great bounce texture and the savoriness was tasty.  Cucumbers were crunchy, sweet and a bit tangy.  Appetizing.  As for the Miso Soup, it was mild and had a rich saltiness.  Loved the fresh snow crab hidden on the bottom.  It was fluffy and briny.

So our Omakase featured a large wooden board with 15 pieces of Nigiri and a fried shrimp head.  By looks alone, all of the fish had a nice sheen and things smelled right.  As much as the uni looked a bit dark in color (could be a male), it tasted fine.  My favorite bites from this was the A5 Wagyu, Bluefin Otoro, Hotate and King Salmon (with delicious chili crunch).  This was a nice plate of nigiri but they were a little overzealous with the scallions.  Maybe change it up with the condiments instead of using it 9 times.

Our last course before the AYCE portion of the meal was the Seafood Chawamushi.  This was very delicate and maybe a touch too watery.  However, it ate with a silky texture and mild dashi notes.  The prawn hidden underneath was still buttery with a meaty texture.  It was briny and sweet.  The piece of snow crab was fluffy, briny and also sweet.

Now that we were at the AYCE portion of the meal, we got some more Nigiri in the form of King Salmon and Hotate.  We asked that the salmon be served plain without the garlic crunch on top.  Turns out that it actually needed it as the salmon wasn't that flavorful on its own.  It was buttery soft though.  The hotate was large and soft with natural briny sweetness.  Just like I said before, it didn't need any of the green onions on top.

We got a few smaller bites in the Yellowtail Jalapeno and the Uni Toro Tartare.  Although not the most attractive thing, the hamachi was fresh, buttery and sweet.  Nice kick from the jalapeno.  As for the tartare, it featured buttery tuna belly that had a nice tinge of the sea along with pops of brininess from the ikura.  Once again, the color of the uni wasn't the best, but it did eat well adding a creamy sweetness.  It sat atop a fried tortilla chip that added crunch.

Even though I knew it would put me over the edge, I had to get one of their specialty rolls.  I went for the Bluefin Tuna Roll that had a tempura ebi in the middle with imitation crab and cucumber.  On top, there was bluefin akami, scallion, fried onion, eel and ponzu.  Yes, this was quite the hefty roll with warm sushi rice that was a touch soft but still had a chew.  I though this roll was good but was a bit too big.  Also, they overused scallions quite a bit here.

One of the best things we ate was their Grilled Beef Shortrib.  Unlike other AYCE spots, these were good quality (as in more meat than fat) being tender and meaty.  The marinade was great being sweet and savory while the char on them was on point.  Although the batter on the Tempura was a bit thick, it ate crispy and fairly light.  Things were cooked right including the buttery ebi, sweet potato and zucchini.  Surprisingly, there was a piece of snow crab leg (not imitation crab) in the mix.

There were a few options for dessert, but we were stuffed at this point, so we opted for the Mochi Ice Cream in the form of matcha, passionfruit and mango.  We particularly enjoyed the passionfruit as it was flavorful with a soft mochi exterior.  Overall, we rather enjoyed this meal.  However, we thought this would be better named "higher-end AYCE" rather than Omakase.  Sure, the nigiri portion was good quality and reasonably-priced for $110.00.  Yet, it didn't feel like most other Omakase meals we've had elsewhere (as in not in Portland).

The Good:
- Ingredients are high-quality
- Preparation is quite good
- Price is reasonable for what you get

The Bad:
- Not really Omakase, but rather high-end AYCE
- Overuse of scallions on almost everything

Sushi Mahana

Remember from my last post where I mentioned that most Omakase experiences run you $250+ per person in the Lower Mainland?  Let's talk about one of those shall we?  Viv and I recently visited Sushi Mahana out in North Vancouver where they have been receiving quite the accolades.  Chef Hiroshi Hoshiko presents a Kyushu-style sushi Omakase that focuses on mainly whitefish and shellfish.  When we arrived, we were greeted warmly by owner Yuki Aida.  We sampled some Sake and ultimately, I went for the Sake paring with my meal.

Now about that meal...  We began with the Surinagashi which is a fish soup that features seasonal vegetables.  This was full of umaminess and a sweet fishiness.  Definitely impactful but still subtle at the same time.  From there we moved onto the Ainame (Ling Cod) with Sudachi.  Not that I would be surprised, but the fish was beautifully cut and displayed a nice sheen.  It was lightly sweet with a semi-firm, yet buttery texture.  The sudachi provided citrus to compliment while a bit of salt really elevated the nigiri.

Striking in presentation, the Tenshi No Ebi (Paradise Prawn) featured both cooked and raw components hence the contrast in colour.  I found the prawn to be super sweet while having both a soft texture (raw) and firm texture (cooked).  On top, we found some aromatic egg yolk powder.  With uni and multicoloured sesame seeds on top, the Aka Ika (Squid) was bright and fresh with natural sweetness.  We found some lime and a touch of spice giving way to the nuttiness of the sesame seeds.

We moved onto a more robust fish after the aka ika with the Aji (Horse Mackerel).  Showing off the knife skills of the chef, the aji was beautifully presented.  It was sweet and fishy (in a good way).  There was a light brush of soy which was complimented by the aromatic and sweet basil on top. Ending this portion of the menu, we were served the Gindara (Sablefish).  The warm sablefish was flaky and buttery.  Nice contrast of textures with the chewy rice and the crispy nori.  The sharpness of the onions was balanced by sweetness and saltiness.

To start our next portion of the menu, we were served the Hotate & Zuwai Gani with local vegetables.  Presented in a crispy shell (figuratively and literally), we found little bites of scallop and snow crab mixed with yuzu, sesame paste and maple syrup.  There was plenty of sweetness going around as well as acidity.  The crispy shell provided textural contrast.  On the side, we had baby corn, fig, grape and mushroom. 

Topped with the same multicoloured sesame seeds as the Ika, we had the Suzuki (Sea Bass) nigiri.  There was some chew to this with a fresh taste of the sea.  This was complimented by the nuttiness of the sesame.  With beautiful sea grapes on top, the Shima-Aji (Stripe Jack) was buttery with a snap.  It was sweet with elements of the sea.  Loved the crunch from the sea grape as well as the salty sea-tasting elements to it.

Continuing on with the whitefish, we had the Kijihata (Grouper), topped with pickled kiku flower.  With a firmer and chewier texture, the grouper was lightly sweet and had definite subtly.  The pickled flower did provide some impact to the nigiri.  The Tachiuo (Swordfish) was comparatively more impactful where the sweetness and appealing fishiness came through.  It was slightly smoky from the torching (of the skin).  This was further enhanced by the sweet tang of the ume plum and tanginess of the myoga.

From here, we transitioned into the 3rd part of the meal starting with the Tako (Octopus).  This was cooked perfectly where it was tender with a wonderful chewiness.  It was naturally sweet and was accompanied by a mountain yam puree with spice.  Then we went onto 3 types of bluefin tuna beginning with the Akami.  Being the leanest part of the fish, this was predictably more meaty.  However, by virtue of being bluefin tuna, it was still buttery soft and sweet.  Nice fishiness and just enough brush of soy.  There was some crunch from the shiso seeds too.

Heading up the spectrum of butteriness, we moved onto the Chutoro (getting closer to fatty part of the fish).  Naturally, this was more buttery and flavourful.  Remember, most of the flavour in any meat is from the fat!  With black garlic on top, there was some fermented umaminess going on.  So we then had the fattiest part of the bluefin (the belly) being the Ohtoro topped with nori and yuzu peel. This was literally melting at room temperature.  Super buttery and lots of tasty fishiness.  We got some bitter tanginess from the yuzu peel and umami from the nori.

The final dish in this 3rd portion of the menu was the Kegani (Hairy Crab) served in a covered bowl that revealed warm, fluffy and bouncy crab.  There was chewy rice to go with the ample amount of crab while all of it sat in a sweet buttery broth.  Not only did the broth flavour the crab, the rice happily soaked it up.  Loved the pops of subtle tanginess from the berries strewn around.  This was topped with a crispy zucchini blossom.

The 4th portion of the menu began with the Renkon (Lotus Root) where the beautiful green colour of the shiso leaf peaked through the thinly sliced lotus root. The lotus root had a delicate crunch that was also a bit tangy.  The herbaceousness of the shiso leaf came through after the initial tang.  Next, we had the Tekkamaki featuring a big piece of tuna inside while the whole thing was topped with uni and ikura.  With the first bite, the creamy sweetness of the uni came through while the tuna was soft and sweet.  Rice was perfectly chewy.

Colourful and vibrant, the Kinmedai (Golden Eye Snapper) featured torched skin.  Therefore, we had immediate smokiness that gave way to a buttery texture with a slight bite.  I found the fish mildly sweet while amped by the watermelon radish with tanginess.  Next up, the Anago (Seawater Eel) was lightly brushed with sauce and then garnished with sudachi zest.  It was buttery soft and sweet due to the glaze.  Although there was zest on top, it was rather subtle.

Ending off this portion of the menu, we had the Miso Soup and a piece of Tamago.  So you might be wondering why we were having miso soup at the end of our meal...  Well, it actually helps in the digestion, so after eating sushi is a good plan.  This particular miso soup was rich with fermented flavours.  It was salty but sweet at the same time.  As for the Tamago, it was brûléed on top.  Therefore, we had a hit of smoky and sweet to go with the custardy texture of the egg.

For dessert and the final part of our Omakase experience, we had the Hojicha Ice Cream with Purple Yam Mont Blanc.  Loved the gorgeous puple colour of the yam, but also sweetness it imparted.  The creamy ice cream was nutty and sweet while the crunch from the rice crackers was welcomed.  Overall, the Omakase at Sushi Mahana is excellent with expertly-prepared bites that were respected by the chef.  Definitely worth the $250.00 and belongs in the higher-end of Omakase experiences in the Lower Mainland.

The Good:
- Passionate staff from the Owner to the chef
- Quality ingredients
- Expertly-prepared

The Bad:
- Not really anything here other than the fact you need to have that kind of money to enjoy it?

Tekkaba

It seems to me that there are places that offer Premium Omakase experiences in Vancouver more than ever.  Maybe our palates and experience has levelled up to the point where we can appreciate these meals for what they are (which is a combination of the freshest ingredients, prepared expertly and artfully).  However, these meals come at a price and usually $250+ per person.  That is not really an affordable option considering the economy as it stands.  Yet, there is one place that charges only $118.00 a person and it's located in Downtown.  Sure, Tekkaba will never be confused with Okeya Kyujiro, but at 1/3rd the price and reasonable expectations, it is truly a steal.

In fact, you can even go with the $78.00 Dinner Omakase that has just as many courses, but just with different items.  Now that is an even bigger steal.  For our Omakase, we started with the Chawanmushi with some ground pistachio & pumpkin seeds and Ichiban sauce.  This was purely just egg without other components hidden within.  As you can see, the steamed egg was not watery nor bubbly.  Hence, it was silky and smooth with some background sweetness.

For our next course, we had the Beef Tartar Salad made with AAA beef tenderloin.  On the side, there was a organic spring mix tossed with a Japanese fruit dressing (made with 12 types of fruit) and drizzled with balsamic.  As you can imagine, the dressing was naturally sweet and needed the balsamic to balance it out.  As for the beef tartar, it was buttery soft with a definite spiciness.  There was a cracker and chip to use as a vessel for the tartar.  Good crunch on both.

We had the Sweet Prawn Tempura for our next course and it came with dendashi sauce.  It came in two pieces with one being the tail (without shell, except the very tip of the tail) and the other being the head.  Since the head was fried with a tempura batter, the shell wasn't able to fully cook until it was crunchy.  Hence, I couldn't actually eat it.  Rather, I ate the antenna and the insides.  For the tail, it was buttery and sweet.  The batter was super crispy and light.

From the tempura, we moved onto Traditional Japanese-Style Clam Soup with garlic and green onion.  Although this looked pretty simple, the broth itself was both subtle and impactful at the same time.  The brininess and sweetness of the clam really came through in the broth.  It wasn't a strong flavour, but enough to create impact in our minds (if that makes sense).  The green onion added some brightness to the soup.  As for the clams, they were plump and buttery.

Onto the Sashimi course, we were presented with one piece each of the Madai, Hamachi and Bluefin.  To compliment this, we had matcha salt, ginger and real wasabi.  We were encouraged to use the matcha salt with the madai.  The bitter-saltiness really did compliment the sweetness of the firm fish.  The hamachi was aged for 7 days and it showed in terms of its rich fishiness and the buttery texture.  As for the bluefin, it was aged 5 days and it had its umistakable strong sweet fishiness.  Being the akami, the bluefin was meatier, but still buttery soft.

We had two hand rolls next consisting of Uni and Fuagra (Foie Gras).  Well, it was suffice to say that these were a treat.  Sweet and creamy the uni was lightly torched where it heightened the sweetness while still imparting a smokiness.  The warm rice was still appealingly chewy.  As for the foie gras, it was also torched and topped with some tobiko caviar.  Also fatty and buttery, this was a bit smoky and slightly sweet. As part of the same course as the hand rolls, we were also served two pieces of Atemaki.  From what I can gather, one was chopped hamachi and the other was some type of whitefish, maybe hirame?  Whatever the case, these were nice little bites.

For those keeping track, we moved onto Step 7 of our meal with three nigiri including Hirame, Kinmedai and Saba.  Topped with shiso pesto aged for 3 months, there was definite sweetness.  The hirmae had a halibut-like texture being firm.  As for the kinmedai, it was beautiful and was subtle in flavour with a clear taste of the sea.  With the saba, it came with so lemon juice and it was at its mackerel best with an appealing fishiness.  It was nicely torched on the top.

Our next course consisted of Aburi Nigiri.  The Hotate was served in a shell while doused in lemon butter.  The rice was actually served on the side with some tobiko caviar.  The trick here was to sandwich the rice in betwen the split hotate.  This was absolutely delicious with buttery soft and sweet scallop with chewy rice in the middle.  The other nigiri was more traditional with Baby Squid topped with yuzu and lemon rind.  The squid was lightly torched being smoky while the texture was crunchy and not chewy.  Nice sweetness tempered by the tanginess.

From the aburi, we had another trio of Nigiri including Bluefin with caviar, Hamachi with black truffle sauce and Shima-Aji.  The bluefin akami was still buttery and sweet even though it wasn't the toro.  It was definitely meatier and less melty.  I found the hamachi sweet and pleasantly fishy with black truffle sauce really coming through.  Lots of woodsiness and some tangy-saltiness from the olives.  Lastly, the shima-aji was fishy (in a good way) and had a slight snap before being buttery tender.

The heaviest and last course was the Caviar Truffle Uni Pasta.  Yes, put all of the most luxurious items and put it in a heavy cream pasta right?  Well, it was not just that, the execution was good!  The pasta was al dente but not hard.  There was enough heavy cream to coat each strand without drowning it.  There was just enough truffle for effect and the uni and caviar provided sweetness and umaminess. Some grated parm added even more flavour to the mix.

We ended off the Omakase with some cake and we all had something different.  For me, it was a square of Oreo Cheesecake.  Pretty standard and pleasant enough.  Maybe not very creative, but it did the job.  Next to it, we had some Yuzu Tea that was clean, refreshing (despite being hot) and helped end everything by cleaning my palate.  Overall, this premium omakase is a fabulous deal.  For what you get, the pricing is a steal.  Sure, the meal isn't perfect (but nothing ever is), but the majority of the items are prepared well and are ultimately delicious.  Really, that is all that matters right?

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Fabulous deal
- In general, it was tasty
- Super nice people

The Bad:
- I would prefer they do not pre-cut their sashimi
- Maybe a more creative dessert?