After SushiStop, Sushi Chitose is exactly what I need. So on a random Thursday lunch, while someone was sniffing my car for fumes at the 76, I was sniffing all the sushi smells at Chitose's bar.
My car passed its smog check, and Chitose passed its palate check. The Omakase is still on point, but the selections haven't changed too much so I'll try to keep my recap brief.
The Monkfish Liver starts things off, a creamy pat of liver-butter with a dash of acid-ponzu.
Maguro is a dense slice of sophistication - can't fight the bluefin!
The Yellowtail comes next, a whiter, lighter contrast.
Scottish Salmon is creamy and smooth,
And Halibut is a reliable palate-reset with the aftertaste of a crisp shiso leaf.
Amberjack is gooey and sticky in all the right ways,
and the lighter Snapper is dwarfed by the more-robust Albacore.
The Shima-aji, or striped horse mackerel, has a hint of the fishy mackerel I despise, but the chunky texture cuts down on the sting.
The Sweet Shrimp is so soft,
and the Japanese Scallop is tender and sweet.
To help you digest before the rest, there is a Miso Soup with your sweet shrimp's head. Do what the chef says and scrape out the shell. Mix those bits of mini-meat into the soup, and taste the texture-change. A little shrimp adds a lot of seafood-savor.
Ikura is still not my favorite, but their preparation is very good; fresh and minimally fishy.
The Blue Crab Hand Roll is still my fave, and it's crafted with a high-grade, crackly nori. The quality shows.
Always a happy ending with soft, sweet Eel,
And a taste of shrimp-egg Tamago.
The omakase hasn't changed much - why mess with a good thing? Nothing needs to change at Chitose, and I hope this sweet, family-run restaurant sticks around.
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