Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Eating Out: Ozumo


A few weeks ago, I went to Ozumo in SF twice in 3 days. The first time was for drinks after the L'Bel event. I ordered the Togatta, aka the Stiletto, and just loved it. Lychee-infused sake with passion fruit puree and Chandon, and a lychee garnish. Any cocktail with fruit in it is fine by me! This was my first time at the SF location; I've only been to the Oakland Ozumo and always ordered a certain roll there. I can't remember the name, but when I described it to the bartender, he told me that the 2 locations have different menus. Darn.

The second time, I had a dinner meeting with the lovely Michelle of Women Enough. We sat in the bar area, had some drinks (Stiletto again for me), and ordered some garlic-soy sauce edamame. It's quite tasty, but also rather messy, so be careful if wearing something light or delicate. The way I eat I'm damned to spill something.  When the Hanabi arrived, I immediately recognized its presentation, as I had ordered it before in Oakland. The hamachi and avocados were arranged to look like a beautiful flower. Almost too pretty to eat, but we will not let that stop us from digging in! Soooooo good! Yes, it's not a seasonal dish, but nonetheless the dish packed full flavors.

My favorite part of the meal was the roasted brussel sprouts. I would have rather ordered that again than the rather pricey and unmemorable roll. When I think of brussel sprouts, I think of children complaining about having to finish their veggies. But if these kids had these brussel sprouts, they would beg for more. The caramelized, roasted flavors mixed well with the mustard marinade. I want to recreate this dish.

I love the ambiance at both locations, and I'll have to go back to the Oakland spot to see if my favorite roll is still there. Costco also sells Ozumo gift cards for a deal, so I will need to stop by there beforehand to get the most bang for my buck.

P.S. I was totally crushing on this sushi chef there in SF.