Contemporary Japanese Cuisine
By
Carol & Joe Davis
Dining Detectives
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It's
hard to believe that Ozumo in San Francisco has
been open for ten years. We have dined there numerous times enjoying
the Japanese cuisine and were interested to see what changes may
have occurred as they recently appointed a new chef. Executive
Chef Alex Morgan is a graduate of The California
Culinary Academy's Le Cordon Bleu program and brings a wealth
of experience from around the world including restaurants in Tokyo
, Costa Rica , Spain and the U.S.A. Ozumo has
an exciting active Bar area, Sushi Bar, Sake
Lounge and Robata Grill. The stylish
décor features Sake Hangings, steel screens, walls of Sake
bottles and Ochre wallpaper.
We
were seated in the main dining area where we could see the active
Sushi bar. We also had fabulous views of the Bay and Bay Bridge,
as well as the Embarcadero lined with huge palm trees. We ordered
a bottle of Voss sparkling water then chose the Chef's Osusume
seven course Dinner with Wine and Sake Pairings which allowed
us to be able to taste multiple menu items.
Our
first course was the Chawan Dofu which was delicious
tofu soup made with wild mushrooms and truffle oil. The soup was
very unique and the flavors were rich and the texture was perfect.
The 2008 Monterey Chalone Chardonnay which was light
and more like Sauvignon Blanc and Masumi "okuden kantsukuri"
junmai Sake paired perfectly.
Our
second course was the Hanabi which was a luscious sliced
hamachi with avocado, ginger and jalepeno ponzu. This is the most
popular dish on the menu! It is quite beautiful and the flavors
are dynamite together. The 2008 Napa Valley Sterling Sauvignon
Blanc which was light and crisp and the Dewazakura "dewasansan"
junmai ginjo Sake also paired perfectly.
Next,
we enjoyed delicious Yaki Tako which is grilled baby
octopus with radicchio, endive and shungiku pesto. The 2008
Paso Robles Tablas Creek Rhone Blend and Koshi no kanbai
"muku" tokubetsu junmai Sake, were enjoyable as
well. The Tontoro which is Berkshire braised pork in
shoyu dashi was very sweet and exceptionally tender. It came with
fried Brussels sprouts and mustard vinaigrette which perfectly
complimented the sweetness of the pork. The 2007 Lodi Cosentino
"The Zin" Zinfandel and the tedorigawa yamahai
junmai Sake again paired perfectly.
Our
next course was Sushi. The Sushi Osusume selection of
nigirizushi and akebono maki was fresh, amazing and truly fantastic!
It came with the best pickled ginger we had ever tasted. The 2007
Loire Valley Chateau de Sancerre and the Ozumo "Seitoku"
junmai ginjo Sake were the perfect compliments.
Our
next course was the Gindara saikyo miso and sake kasu
marinated Black Cod which was incredible, perfectly browned and
a wow! The 2008 Burgundy Olivier Leflaive Chablis and
nishida "dentshu" tokubetsu junmai Sake paired
nicely. We ended our fabulous meal with a Tea Service and a delicious
Amaimono dessert with lemon, pomegranate and grapefruit.
Restaurateur
Jeremy Umland has created a sophisticated environment
at Ozumo that appeals to both locals and tourists alike. You can
enjoy over 100 brands of Sake, a cocktail from their full bar,
the Izakaya small plate menu, Sushi, Entrees or as we happily
did their Chef's menu. We truly enjoyed all the Sake pairings
and we look forward to learning more about all the amazing varieties
of Sake.The cuisine is better than ever and we look forward to
returning soon!
Ozumo-San
Francisco
161 Steuart Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
415-882-1333
www.Ozumo.com
