Foodie Digest

It’s Sushi Thursday. This time we combined dinner and a movie (and another comic book movies.. seems the trend for the week). Anyway, picking a destination between work and home brings us to San Mateo. Big used to go to Sushi Sam’s before he ate sushi and never remembered it being that special.

Still, it’s in the top tier category on Sushi Monster’s Big Sushi list and this guy has not steered us wrong. We try to get there early because I’ve read there can be a wait.

Sure enough, we get there and a line has started outside. We put our name in and learn there’s no waiting at the sushi bar. Score! We look at the menu and think “sushi omakase is only 8 pieces? that won’t work”. We ask and they say we can increase so we order 12 piece omakase and a seaweed salad.

and wow. We start out with a martini glass filled with a noodles, eggplant and a cooked shrimp. Was a really tasty combination.

I did not take notes during the omakase or take pictures (shame!). I do remember we had a great spicy lobster. The raw fish was all amazing, including the blue shrimp. The treatments were inventive; shiso leaf, salt, sprouts, almonds, pine nuts and more.  The only downturn was the introduction of cooked fish. But that’s only because we don’t prefer cooked fish not because they weren’t tasty.

Next time we go back we’ll likely order on our own, but I always like to start with omakase.
So lame review, I know, but really good sushi!

Saturday night, or date night, and we’re off to Japantown. The Kabuki theater is the only one we’ll go to on a weekend because they have reserved seating. New Batman movie is out so we thought we’d grab some cheap ramen before the movie.

Except I happen to mention shabu shabu. Even as we’re walking through Japantown mall to our comfort food destination, Big is thinking shabu shabu. When I point out Shabusen and mention it has good reviews, he suggests we see how long the wait is.

10 minutes or so is what we’re told so we tough it out. We end up with a prime table near a window that opens.

Service here is super friendly and efficient. Big orders the seafood combo (shrimp and scallops) and then says AND to which our server says “oh, that’s plenty for 2 people”. He points out that he’s big and eats a lot and we add a dry aged ribeye shabu shabu. We order beverages and barely have time to sip before the hot pot is put on the table to boil. Before the boiling occurs 2 big plates with cabbage, veggies, tofu and udon appear along with a plate of shrimp and scallops, and another plate of thinly sliced beef.

We also get plates for the shrimp shells, and towel to clean our hands after removing said shrimp shells, and a bowl of rice each.

We eat. and eat. the servers keep asking us if we want more rice or need anything else (no). The food is really good. The broth doesn’t even get clogged with fat.

We pay the bill and leave. And notice the review on the way out that says “an order of shabu shabu is x dollars and serves two”. Um, yeah. Unless you’re us.