There are only a handful of Michelin Star Restaurants in San Diego. And
When I found out that one of them is a Sushi Restaurant that offers an Omakase
course, I had a date set up and immediately booked a table. Sushi
Tadokoro is about preparing the best of Traditional Japanese (Edo-mae)
Style sushi using home made ingredients and recipes. It has been awarded 1
Michelin star consistently from 2021, 2022, and 2023.
I booked the Omakase Course for the best experience. The dining
experience will be around 2 hours and it costs $160 per person. It also
requires a $25 deposit which will be deducted to your bill after the Omakase
Course.
When you enter the restaurant for the Omakase Course, you can either do a
table sitting or sit by the sushi bar. We opt to sit by the sushi bar as
we wanted the full experience and see how the chef is preparing our
sushi. The Chef will explain and describe everything he is serving
you. We noticed that most of the seafood they are serving come locally
and in different parts of the world.
Here are the different items that were offered during our Omakase Course:
Pacific Oysters from British Columbia, Kinogushi Silken Tofu from Japan,
& Smelt Fish Karaage
Blue Fin Tuna Otoro from Spain, Blue Fin Tuna Akami from Hawaii, Amber
Jack Tuna from Kyushu Japan, & Local Scallops and Shrimp from San
Diego
Chilean Sea Bass
Deep Fried Shrimp Head
Fish Candy
Halibut Cured with Sea Weed Nigiri
Baby Barracuda Nigiri
Trigger Fish with Monk Fish Liver Nigiri
Tadokoro Salmon Roe with Rice
Japanese Unni with Rice Wrapped in Sea Weed
Blue Fin Tuna Akami Marinated in Soy Sauce Nigiri
Hokkaido Monk Fish Nigiri
Chopped Fatty Tuna with Spring Onion Wrapped in Sea Weed
Dashi Fish Stock Soup
Homemade Japanese Flan
Watch this YouTube video of our Omakase Course in Sushi Tadokoro:
Overall, we have a very delightful dining experience. The chefs are very
friendly and informative on what he is serving. Also, the quality of
seafood that was served was top notch. In my opinion, even tough it is
pricey, it is worth the experience due to the quality of food and service they
provide. No wonder they have been retaining their Michelin Star
consecutively for 3 years in a row.
I love Omakase Style dining. I get excited on trying out what the chef
has to offer. And with a guaranteed multi-course ahead, it is always a
treat. We have just watched a show in a performing arts theater near
Korea Town in LA. After the show, we are very hungry and tried to find a
restaurant that would really fill us up. Craving for Japanese food as
well, so we decided to try IKI Ramen's Omakase course.
IKI Ramen is a small restaurant located in Korea Town that specializes in
Japanese cuisine particularly Ramen. But aside from Ramen, they also have
sushi rolls, sashimi, Japanese appetizers, donburi, and Japanese
desserts. But for know we are here for the Omakase Course. Here is
what was served to us:
Fresh Hokkaido Scallop, Sant Barbara Uni, Burrata Cheese, Cucumber,
& Truffle Caviar
Seared Blue Fin Tuna Toro with Fresh Wasabi and White Truffle
A5 Wagyu Donburi with Santa Barbara Uni and Salmon Roe
Shio Koji & Yuzu Ice Cream
I have to say that this Omakase Course was great! All the dishes that was
served was delicious!. My favorite is the Blue Fin Tuna Toro and the
Grilled Shrimp Mazemen Noodles. I am now a fan of Omakase Courses! It is
best if you make reservations ahead of time as this restaurant is gaining
popularity and can be packed at peak hours. IKI Ramen is highly
recommended. If you are in LA, I suggest you visit it. I would
definitely go back and try the other dishes that they offer, specially the
ramen which is what they are known for.
Watch this video of IKI Ramen:
IKI Ramen
740 S Western Ave #115, Los Angeles, CA 90005
My Rating:
Food/Taste: 9/10 (tastes very good, fresh ingresients)
Ambiance: 8/10 (the restaurant has appeal)
Cleanliness: 8/10 (fairly clean)
Service: 8/10 (helpful staff and fast service)
Establishment: 7/10 (good location but with limited parking)
