Thoughts on Sushi, and reviews of two of my favorite Seattle spots...

Ok, so my shows over (Thanks to everyone who came!) and I've been being told by everyone "WRITE MORE!". Ok! I hear you!

So today I will talk about one of my #1 favorite food - Sushi. Sushi is sexy, it is, despite the fact that some rolls are so big you end up looking like a chipmunk once you get them in your mouth. It's still sexy

My #1 Sushi rule (when dining in a nice sushi restaurant) always (if budget allows) order Omakase (Japanese for "Its up to you"). Now I will warn you I have on multiple occasions spent upwards of $70 on myself in this manner (life is short, its just money... the memory lasts forever). It's worth it. You will get what the sushi chef considers is best and what he loves to make.  I have been introduced to some delicious things I never would have dreamt of (ex. last week I was introduced to fish liver... I think it was salmon... it was like salmon butter... so yummy) of course sometimes I've been introduced to things that I'm somewhat less enthusiastic about ( fried Shrimp heads.. while I'm told are a delicacy and lots of people like them were just not for me). The experience is always is worthwhile and I've found automatically endears you to the chef. Honestly if I could do this at every restaurant I went to, I'd be a happy camper.(probably a reason why Elemental at Gasworks is one of my favorite restaurants, this is how they function.)

I am not a sushi snob ...OK, that's totally a lie... I am.. but, I'm also a sushi addict and as sadly I can't afford to go and spend $70 on myself every week for an exquisite sushi meal (and yes I would eat sushi every week if I had the means) sometimes I wind up at places like Blue C sushi and Sushi land... the McDonalds of sushi. What is sad to me is that for a great many people, this is what they consider good sushi. It's not awful, it will do in a pinch, when you have to get a sushi fix for cheap,  but its not the: make you cry its so good, orgasmically make you dance in your chair good, that I've experienced at places like J Sushi or Mori Japanese Restaurant  (my current top 2 favorite Sushi bars in the greater Seattle area).

So Let me tell you about these two jewels of sushi heaven:

J Sushi:

Located : 674 South Weller Street, Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 287-9000 ‎ 

I stumbled upon J sushi before doing a staged reading one evening last fall at Theatre off Jackson. A cozy little establishment with a well stocked sushi case and beautiful murals on the wall. Sitting myself down along the bar I let J take care of me in . Scallops are my long standing favorite and I love a good Spicy Scallop roll, J informed me I'm highly uncouth (ok he didn't say uncouth... but he did argue with me) for wanting such a thing, as the spicy overwhelms the scallop and proceeded to make me something better. The scallop he seasoned with lemon and salt and who knows what else, delicately placed on a bit of rice, I'm not going to lie, I cried a little it was so good. I've gone back a couple of times and each time it has been consistently delicious. The "Dessert" which contains eel "unagi" also deserves mentioning.

I just stumbled upon Mori Japanese Restaurant : 101 N. 85th St. Seattle, WA 98103 206-783-7708

last week, escaping from a sudden hail storm I pulled into the little parking lot and entered. Now I have driven by this place hundreds of times and thought very little of it, the yelp reviews were all favorable, it was time to stop in. I had the place entirely to myself. This caused me some concern, it was about 1pm and I would have expected a few others for a late lunch. It was needless concern, Mori is my new favorite. What I had intended as a little splurge simple lunch turned into a huge splurge but I don't regret a second of it. My Omakase adventure started with being asked "Do you like the scary things?"... me "I like pretty much everything" the afore mentioned fish liver appeared before me... I like foie gras after all (a different liver) so why not? it was delicious, smooth and creamy with a light fish taste. Next followed a plate of Sashimi, beautiful ahi tuna, white tuna, octopus, and something else (maybe mackerel?)... then a stunning plate of Nagiri, I don't even know what all was on it, just that it was mind blowingly delicious. Dessert was an Avocado stuffed with spicy scallop (my uncouth self was in heaven) and some squid in what tasted like a spicy plum sauce. It was a rapturous meal that left me in a state of bliss. The sushi chef and waitress were pleasant and I can hardly wait to go back, I just need another $70...

I encourage you to eat good sushi, I encourage you to order Omakase, I encourage you to take me with you.