At $110 per person — and with BYOB — Sushi You boasts one of the most affordable omakase experiences in town. The eatery is usually closed on Sundays, but will be open specially on Father’s Day (hint, hint, great idea if dad loves sushi).
Dinner is from 5 to 9 p.m., and there’s no set time for the omakase. There are about 13 courses in the omakase experience (if you count the nigiri pieces as one course).
The omakase starts with salad with sesame dressing, marinated aji with pickled onions and carrots, and chutoro ‘ahi nachos with “Yum Yum sauce.” The salad is a refreshing starter — I couldn’t get enough of the creamy sesame dressing — and the chutoro ‘ahi nachos are an explosion of flavor. The creamy, fatty chutoro is a nice contrast to the crispy chip.
Next comes one of chef’s signature dishes — unagi with avocado, cream cheese, uni and caviar. The cream cheese sounds like an unexpected ingredient, but the combination works well. The indulgent uni and caviar take this piece to the next level.
Next come steamed clams and octopus carpaccio. Ii explains that the fresh octopus is from Hokkaido, and it’s served with tomatoes and garlic. It’s refreshing and flavorful, and garlic lovers will especially be a huge fan of it.
Chawamushi — a steamed egg custard — is served before the sashimi and sushi courses. This version boasts a generous amount of seafood with scallop, shrimp and crab.
Every diner gets a petite sashimi platter with pieces of chutoro, kampachi, salmon and snow crab. Chutoro is always my favorite, but the snow crab is a unique offering.
The salmon dish features a smoking presentation that’s social media-worthy. I enjoyed the smoky flavor, and the salmon itself was buttery and moist.
The highlight of the course is the nigiri — kinmedai, maguro, shima aji with yuzu kosho, Hokkaido uni and ikura and anago (sea eel). While all the pieces were tasty, the Hokkaido uni with ikura was my favorite.
The meal concludes with miso soup and yuzu sherbet for dessert. The restaurant is currently accepting reservations for Father’s Day.
CONTACT
Sushi You
1296 Beretania St. Ste. 103, Honolulu
808-593-8464
Sushiyouhawaii.com
Instagram: @sushiyou.hi
Open for dinner from 5-9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, closed Sundays (except for Father’s Day)
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
