Buckle your seatbelts, because you’ve never had sushi like this before. Every dish was the perfect example of culinary art.
Seriously, this place has ruined sushi for us.
I never knew sushi could have such an amazing variety of flavors.
If you’ve never been here, put it on your calendar for your next night out. For real, if you’ve been missing out this long, you can’t stand to wait any longer.
Until then, allow me to walk you through our meal and provide you with some recommendations for your visit.
Appetizers
Eggs Benedict
Description: Bed of rice, spicy tuna, shiso leaf, sunny side up quail egg
Listed on their “Bucketlist,” the eggs benedict is a MUST. I am game for anything with quail eggs and this did not disappoint. The name was a little off-putting for me because I of course had the breakfast entree in mind.
However, these made the perfect appetizer, name aside. Our waitress described them as “heavier, and more filling” than some of the other options, like the salmon or sashimi, and I think that’s a good point to keep in mind when trying to decide how many rolls to order.
Also, the pieces were fixed atop some type of spicy sauce that really put a nice little punch to the end of each bite. If we had ordered four of these and nothing else the trip would have been totally worth it, lol
Orange is the new black (or salmon tataki)
Orange is the New Black Description: Salmon, truffle salt, jalapeno sauce, cilantro oil
Salmon Tataki: Description: Slightly seared king salmon, miso glaze, serrano pepper, black caviar
I thought we ordered the Orange is the New Back, but we may have gotten the Salmon Tataki. Whatever it was, we loved the lightness of this appetizer. The salmon is lightly seared and had zero fishy taste.
Each piece is topped with black caviar for a nice bit of saltiness. Looking back at the menu, I think this was the Salmon Tatki.
So, keep this in mind when you order if you were wanting to try this one. Maybe ask what the major difference is because the descriptions are very similar
Rolls
Casanova Roll
Description: Shrimp tempura and crab salad inside, topped with seared scallops in butter garlic sauce, yuzu wasabi, serrano pepper, arare
This got runner up for best roll for me. The seared scallops gave this roll an overall smokey flavor that was a new experience for me in the world of sushi.
Usually, rolls have a coolness about them, but this, almost charred flavor was new and amazing. Each bite is topped with a thin slice of pepper that added a welcomed bit of heat
Hashtags Roll
Description: spicy toro, shrimp tempura, topped with seared crabstick and smoked salmon, sesame dressing, tobiko, scallions
Ok, so, if I had to opt to leave one roll off next time it would probably be this one.
That being said, Mitchell loved this roll. I felt like it had an ever-so-slight fishiness to it, and, out of personal preference, I will always steer away from that flavor in sushi, oysters, fish, etc.
But let me just say, it was such a faint flavor that I could have eaten it without any issue, so I don’t mean to imply that it was overpowering.
However, we had SO much to eat, I could skip the majority of this one and still be content.
Manhattan Roll
Description: Fried sweet cream cheese filling rolled with spicy tuna, drizzled with wasabi infused mayo and sweet soy reduction
This was our favorite roll. We always lean towards any roll with cream cheese.
I like the soft texture it adds to the sushi. This one was a little surprising because the cream cheese was warm at first–it being fried and all. But the flavor was perfect.
Shinobi Roll
Description: Crab salad and tempura crunch rolled in marinated seared filet mignon
The filet mignon portion of this piqued our interest and did not disappoint. I also really like crab salad in sushi, however boring that is lol.
So, this turned out to be a great balance between a more traditional roll and a new, added twist with the steak.
Drinks
Eclipse
Description: Bourbon, Thai chili-infused sake, lemon, honey, maraschino cherries, bitters, thyme, with a “spicy” finish
If your go-to drink is of the whisky-ginger variety, this cocktail is for you. It is perfectly balanced between the stronger bourbon flavors and the sweetness of the other ingredients.
They garnish the drink with a sprig of toasted thyme that adds an amazing smokey aroma as you sip this drink.
I loved this cocktail and found that it went down a liiitle too easily 😛
Wake Up Call
Description: Jameson cold brew, Nicino, cream, egg white, vanilla demerera, ground coffee
In a nutshell, this cocktail is a coffee-flavored White Russian. Our waitress described it as one of their more “boozy” cocktails. It was equally dangerous as it was delicious.
Dessert
Bread Pudding w/ Butter Pecan Ice Cream
We were interested in the green tea cheesecake, but our waitress recommended this and, since she had not been wrong about a single recommendation all night, we followed her suggestion.
And, just wow.
I have been pleasantly surprised by bread pudding lately. I would have literally never ordered it before. But twice now, two different servers have recommended this dessert and it has been to. die. for.
I love the light, sponginess of the cake. Also, butter pecan ice cream can be too sweet sometimes, in my personal opinion.
I don’t know if this was made in-house, but it was absolutely perfect. The ice cream was the exact complement this cake needed. Definitely another must at this restaurant.
Take-Aways / Pro Tips
Overall, I think two appetizers, three rolls, and a dessert might have been the perfect amount of food.
We opted for four rolls and came away feeling a bit stuffed, lol.
Luckily we had a nice walk in the Botanical Garden afterward to help alleviate some of the discomforts of our overindulgence 😛
We sat on the front patio and were a little worried we would get cold.
However, the hostess said that often the patio is a bit warmer than inside the restaurant, especially with the heaters on.
She was right.
We were perfectly comfortable sitting outside. So, something to consider if you’re like me and are always freezing 🙂
Date Night Outfit
Several pieces of my outfit actually came from Stitch Fix, but I’ve linked similar items below to help you get the same look 🙂
Top (Amazon Link): Long Sleeved Striped Tee Shirt
Cardigan (Amazon Link): Lightweight Cardigan
Jeans: Abercrombie Curve Love High Rise Super Skinny Jeans
Boots (Amazon Link): Sorel Cate Chelsea Bootie
Purse (Amazon Link): Longchamp Le Pliage Shoulder Bag
Bracelets: Allie + Bess Alexa Fall Stack
In the mood to shop some more or need some holiday gift ideas? Be sure to check out my holiday gift guides HERE.
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