Asanebo stands alone, unchallenged at the top of the list of sushi restaurants at which I have eaten anywhere in the U.S. and I’ve been eating sushi since about 1976.
Asanebo is very, very expensive. But the fish and the preparation are of the highest quality. You’ll find fish here that you won’t see offered anywhere else. Sea pike seasonally – August to November – served as sashimi is something I’ve never seen at any other restaurant. Order it sashimi style and you’ll get a generous strip of fish, half of which is cut into bite sized pieces and served raw, the other half served seared. Japanese wild sea bass is firmer and more flavorful than any other sea bass. Several different varieties of salmon not often found elsewhere, including Japanese diamond salmon and white salmon are served here frequently. When ordering eel, I usually prefer the firmer texture of freshwater eel. But at Asanebo the flavor of the sea eel made me a convert.
In addition to the sushi and sashimi there is a breath-taking array of specialty dishes that I’ve seen nowhere else. My favorite is Momatoro – chopped sweet Japanese tomato topped with a choice of seared kampachi, little neck clams, or scallops and then bathed in a heavenly miso sauce that is made on site. The whole thing is served in a martini glass.
The sushi bar at Asanebo is not large, nor is the restaurant. There is no such thing as a slow night at Asanebo and there are four sushi chefs on hand every night, so service is attentive and personalized.
Order Omakaze – chef’s choice – and these chef’s will take you to some wonderful places. If you opt for a la carte, be sure to ask your sushi chef for the “new dishes” and pay attention to the menu, where you’ll find many daily specials to be treasured.
