Murasaki

211 Clement St. between 3rd & 4th (Inner Richmond)

Omakase. The literal translation of this Japanese culinary term means "in the chef's hands" where the head chef creates a multi-course meal (usually between 6-12 courses) using the freshest ingredients available that day. At Murasaki, this pre-fixe meal did not disappoint. The menu of the day included ten great dishes at a premium cost of $70.

The meal started off with a simple dungeness crab salad with romaine lettuce and dressed with a tangy peanut dressing. This was a great starting dish that whet our appetites, but the task of cracking through crab legs in a salad proved to be a little troublesome.

The next course of the evening was a sashimi boat that showcased eight different types of raw seafood. The highlights were the amaebi (sweet raw shrimp) and the butterfish which were both impeccably fresh and tasty. This was closely followed by a platter of maki-sushi (sushi rolls). The maki-sushi course included a dragon roll (cucumber, unagi - freshwater eel, and avocado), tempura roll (shrimp tempura and cucumber), and tekka-maki (tuna roll). The rolls were good but nothing to write home about. And because the sashimi boat took almost twenty minutes to finish, by the time we got to the maki-sushi rolls, they had become soggy.

The next dish was a baked black bass in a cream sauce, very non-traditional Japanese. The only hint of Japanese influence was the nameko mushrooms that accompanied the fish. The dish was rich and delicious, but also a bit awkward considering the progression of the courses.

Fried shrimp heads of the amaebi sashimi came next. Though packed with flavor, we felt that the heads weren't coated with enough corn starch making the shell a too tough to eat whole. My favorite Japanese home-style dish followed - chawanmushi. This egg custard blended with dashi broth, mushrooms, seafood, and topped with tobiko (flying fish roe) was a great family style dish and was a first for many members of EFB.

The home stretch of dishes were by far the highlight of the entire meal. Starting with the Blue-Fin Toro (tuna) nigiri sush, the texture of the fatty fish was buttery and extremely tender. The entire group fell silent to savor the delicate nature of the fish. It was, by far, one of the best pieces of sushi we have eaten. This was soon followed by unagi-nigiri sushi (freshwater eel) which embodied a sweeter taste and a firmer texture than the unagi typically consumed at other sushi restaurants, a clear indicator of its quality.

The savory portion of the meal concluded with tea kettles of clear seafood soup. We were all surprised at the subtle taste of the broth and the discovery of an array of the tasty crustaceans hidden in the tea kettle itself. Although the shellfish in the kettle was a little tough, the imaculate broth more than made up for it.

Finally, a simple green tea custard capped off the evening. The custard was not sweet at all, but the bitterness of the green tea was really refreshing and a splendid way to finish the meal.

Food: Three and a half beltloops
Service: Check
Ambiance: Check Minus (a little too quiet inside)
Price: Hot date to Birthdays/Anniversaries only