A Kiss Goodbye
What a lovely kiss from my good friends last night to send me off on my journey. Six of us were at Kiss Sushi, my ultimate comfort food place, to have Naka-san cooked a wonderfully grounded meal for me before I am off on a crazy If It's Saturday It Must Be El Bulli tour.
If you've never been to Kiss yet, and you live within a reasonable distance -what means reasonable I shall let you figure out- you should definitely try. I simply adore the place. The ingredients are always pristine, and the cooking skillful. It's always mesmerizing to see Naka-san quietly goes about his business behind that impeccable counter, sending piece after piece, and plate after plate, of deceptively simple deliciousness.
What a way to send me off. The highlight last night were two things,
Kohada sushi and Sakura soup. Kohada, in the picture above, is Shad,
actually. Yes, the same type of Shad whose roes are so sought after,
and currently in season on the East Coast. This was a tiny specimen of
the specie, and came from Japan not the East Coast. It was
ever-so-slightly marinaded in rice vinegar before serving atop a
perfectly made morsel of sushi rice. Simply amazing.
The other favorite of the night was the soup made of Sakura, or cherry blossoms. What a marvelous expression of Spring, gorgeous blossoms swaying as if blown gently by the Spring breeze in a bowl of clear dashi. Just perfect.
I'm off now, my flight is boarding, time for the journey to begin. See you on the road, soon.
(Kiss Sushi is at the corner of Laguna and Sutter. The place is tiny, 5 seats around the bar and three small tables, call first: (415) 474-2866)
