Urasawa & Its Omakase

Hiro Urasawa was an apprentice of Masayoshi Takayama.  Masayoshi Takayama is the chef behind Masa in New York.  It’s the only sushi restaurant in the US with 3 Michelin stars. 

However, Urasawa was awarded 2 Michelin stars back in 2009 and Michelin has failed to come back since.  Why?   Well, because their tires suck and can’t handle the mean streets of Beverly Hills.  It takes some tough tires to maneuver through Beverly Hills.  Trust me.

When it comes to fine dining, there are only a few of my friend’s opinion I hold to a high regard and I totally trust their critique.  There are simply 5 individuals and those individuals are as follows:

1. Me
2. Myself
3. I
4. Me
5. Me

However, I decided to find out whether Urasawa was worth the price tag cause I didn’t want to be one of those people who say ‘I heard… I read.. Google said.. blah blah blah…”  In other words, a worthless, un-validated and regurgitated opinion.

Anyway, I had the opportunity to dine here.  In celebration of my new job, I decided to take out 3 of my best/closest friends cause two of them helped me land the job and the other I said I would if I got the job.  It included taking them there and them paying for their own damn meal.  I wished I didn’t say I would with the other friend and was hoping he would have gotten lost on his way to Beverly Hills.  Unfortunately, he found his way.

Okay.  Urasawa definitely doesn’t have anything on authentic Japanese establishments like Kabuki or Todai.  They don’t even serve rolls AND you have to eat the nigiri with no soy sauce!!!  What the f*ck?!?  What is this omakase cr*p?!?  I want my California roll drenched in soy sauce!

Now, the food.  Urasawa is omakase only and that’s the way I like it.  I’m only going to touch on my favorites:

1. Egg Custard – The egg custard was garnished with truffles and 24 kt gold.  It was a perfect blend and provided harmony to the dish.  The texture of the custard was very delicate and smooth.  The aroma had me sniffing it like a celebrity who just picked up some coke.  For the record, I was sh*tting gold for a week.

   

2. Wagyu Beef – This wasn’t Kobe Style or American Kobe.  It was legit, authentic and from Japan cause it came with a certificate with a tracking number.  High quality Japanese Wagyu and Kobe beef has a tracking number and could be used to trace the origin of the cow. It was served with the Shabu Shabu and was amazing.  The marbling was at least at a 10 out of 12 and it was rated A5.  The buttery texture was amazing and it melted away in my mouth.  It’s recommended to only eat in small portions due to the richness of the beef.

   

3. Nigiri – The nigiri was melt in your mouth good and it was extremely buttery.  The temperature of the rice and the balance of the vinegar was on point.  I would have to say it’s one of the best I’ve had as of today.  It’s pretty on par with high-end Japan sushi restaurants, but no where near Todai.

   

I enjoyed everything I had here and couldn’t think of anything I did not.  The flavors of each dish is very subtle and it takes a pretty sophisticated palate to distinguish the details.  It’s definitely not a restaurant where the flavors smack you on your face like your mom when you talk back.  You won’t see Jesus show up and turn water into wine.

The service is on point as expected from a high end sushi restaurant.  The waitresses wipe your area clean after every dish and readjust your utensils for you.  Your sake glasses and water are always filled without being asked.  Unfortunately, there are no free refills on sake.  I know.  The audacity.

Another thing…The wood is the same wood at Masa and design of the sushi bar is very similar to Masa.

As of this review, Urasawa is definitely on the top of my list for omakase.  Would I come back to Urasawa?  Absolutely.  However, it won’t be until I check off other top restaurants on my list, so it won’t be long until I’m back.  It’s a dining journey that everyone should experience once with an open mind and really pay attention to the details of the dish.

Unfortunately, after two weeks, I stop sh*tting gold.

Expedia, Inc = Link Daily Deals! Score up to 40% Off Hotels and Flight + Hotel Packages with Expedia!