December visit to Sushi Yoshizumi in San Mateo
December is a great month for sushi. The fish are often at the peak of their fattiness, and the variety of neta in season is very good. I visited Yoshizumi last Thursday for my December session. Yoshi-san took a trip to Tokyo last month for "research" as he likes to say, and came back inspired and motivated. He's further increased the amount of akasu (red vinegar) used in his shari recipe; his rice is now very strongly flavored (Tokami levels!) and light brown in color. Personally, I absolutely love it, although I can't help but think he might find resistance from customers not accustomed to Edo-style preparation methods. He's also decided, starting in February 2016, to increase the base price for his omakase from $85 to $120. This will allow him to serve a couple of additional courses, and to source even better quality ingredients. A good move that I personally welcome.
The meal, as always, was stellar. Below you will find a few snapshots of my favorite pieces of the evening.
