Ed Brill
Picked this sushi bar based on Google maps reviews and their website claims about being authentic Japanese. Good choice. Delivered as advertised. 25+ years of visiting Japan so my sushi criteria is pretty serious. Sure there were some Americanized things like the hamachi chili lime crudo, but that dish was delicious. I don't normally eat anything with jalapeno and expected it to overwhelm, but in fact it was spiced with just the right amount of heat. We also really enjoyed the salmon cornet, a two-bite starter with the richness of salmon and the creaminess of the scrambled egg. The pork belly skewers, a special from the daily board, wasn't anything particularly special, but it was fine. The nigiri and rolls were all perfectly on point. My wife will order chu toro anytime she can, and it took her back to Tokyo. The tamago was a worthy contender as well. The shimogamo roll was the one creative roll we ordered, without cabbage, and it was really good. The second bite was better than the first as we got used to the texture. And the negi toro roll was so good, that I ordered it again as a hand roll for "dessert." Some of the items were priced out of being considered - just couldn't get my head around $29 gyoza even if it was wagyu beef. The acoustics are a little off, we felt like we were on a date with the next table at times, though that guy was really very loud. We only spend a month a year in Scottsdale so I was very happy to discover a worthy sushi bar.
