Kusakabe

if you're at all familiar with Sushi Ran in Sausalito then you must know their chef, Mitsunori Kusakabe. Sushi Ran is known to have some of the best sushi in the Bay Area and you are considered quite the lucky duck if you can snag a seat at the sushi bar for an omakase. but things have changed. for better or worse, who knows. maybe unbeknownst to the general population of eaters but definitely noted by the frequenters of the popular sushi restaurant, Kusakabe has left to open a restaurant with his own name. he serves one omakase kaiseki style menu ($95/ 8 courses) each night with the option to add nigiri, sashimi, simple maki and dessert a la carte to follow. the space is sleek and simple yet inviting once greeted by a host or server. while there are some tables near the front of the restaurant, it provides as a sort of waiting area until your seats at the sushi bar are ready. they don't want anybody to miss out on experiencing watching the chefs at work. 

from Sushi Ran Kusakabe brought with him Chef Ken Ngai, who we were happy to be entertained by. he created our simplistic sushi masterpieces for the evening while also making us feel welcome and playfully bantering with us or our neighbor guests. the sushi was incredible! beautifully simple, fresh and colorful. the hot dishes were also very good and adequately gave us breaks between raw fish dishes. if you truly appreciate good sushi, i absolutely recommend this place. it's only been open for about two months now and has not had very much press or advertising yet has received a lot of buzz. get your reservation sooner rather than later or you'll likely begin to see a month long wait list!

Mitsunori Kusakabe

Ken Ngai

chu toro

halibut

smoked bonito

tuna and scallop

truffle miso with eringi and shimeji mushrooms

unagi with rice cracker and avocado rice

crab with crispy agedashi tofu

mackerel

roe

alaskan king salmon

toro

A5 wagyu

tofu ice cream

matcha creme brulee

we were just trying to get a picture with them while they were making sushi but this is even better! Ken juuuust barely snuck on in there.

passion fruit bars

you guys, these bars are killer! they are reminiscent in look, texture and concept to lemon bars so you'd think they are practically the same but passion fruit has a very distinct flavor and it. is. awesome! they are a little less tart than lemon bars but have a lot more character to them. also, i like that these aren't overly sweet. they're super easy to make and a hit at bbqs. unfortunately i think that i slightly undercooked mine, which wasn't so much a problem in mouth feel texture as it was annoyingly unpretty when i cut through them. even so, these are soooo good! make them!!...orrr you can stalk the next bbq i go to and sneak one for yourself.

*i used Goya brand passion fruit puree found in the frozen aisle at Safeway

Passion Fruit Bars  

(i got the recipe here)

ingredients:

for crust: 

- 2 sticks butter, melted and slightly cooled

- 1/2 c granulated sugar

- 2 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 2 c flour

for filling:

- 8 large eggs

- 2 1/3 c granulated sugar

- 1 1/2 c passion fruit puree

- 1/2 c flour

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. line a 9x13 pan with foil so that the foil extends over the sides. spray with cooking spray

3. in a bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt for the crust

4. once mixed add flour and mix until evenly incorporated

5. scrape into the foil lined pan and press into an even layer

6. bake crust for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown

7. while the crust is baking, in a large bowl whisk together eggs, sugar and passion fruit puree until the consistency is even

8. sift the flour over the filling mixture and whisk together until smooth

9. pour filling mixture over the hot crust

10. reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F

11. bake for approx. 25-30 minutes or until the center barely jiggles when you tap the pan

12. remove pan from oven and allow to cool to room temp

13. refrigerate bars until you are ready to serve

14. when ready, pull the sides of the foil up so that all contents in the pan are removed

15. with a large, sharp knife cut into bars

16. sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving