Late summer in Seattle is such a memorable season with food, festivals, events and weather! At Shiro’s, we are so impressed with the late summer fish we see coming into Shiro’s that our chefs weigh in and share their favorites in this month’s newsletter! The chef team is also busy changing up our Omakase menu with the four-appetizer set served at our sushi bar. Finally, we pause once again to explore the evolution of Washoku – Japanese food.
Dine-In Reservations Takeout Orders
Shiro’s Sushi Bar Menu in August
This month we are changing up our appetizer menu that is served as part of our Omakase at the Sushi Bar. Alongside 15 pieces of chefs choice sushi, we start the dinner with four appetizers – Starter, Soup, Sashimi and a dish from the Kitchen. Here is what our chefs are preparing this month to capture the season:
・Starter
Japanese Somen Noodle
Somen Noodle, Snow Crab Leg Tempura, Soybean Curd, Yuzu Gelee, Hanaho Shiso Flowers
・Soup
Beltfish with Cashew Tofu and Fresh Aosa Seaweed Soup
Salt Grilled Beltfish, Fried Cashew Tofu, Fresh Aosa Seaweed, Okura, Fresh Wasabi
・Seasonal Sashimi
Our Chef’s Choice of the best that comes into Shiro’s
・From Kitchen
Plum Paste and Shiso Stuffed Kisu with Chinese Yam
Fried Kisu, Plum Paste, Shiso, Chinese Yam Fry
Chef’s Favorite Fish in August Fuji Salmon and Aji
August brings a bounty of fresh, late-summer fish. Our chefs are particularly excited about the Fuji Salmon and Aji! Both are served as part of the Sushi Bar Omakase and may be ordered a la carte in the Dining Room and at the Sushi Bar.
1. Fuji Salmon
Fuji Salmon is a brand of rainbow trout farmed around Mt. Fuji. It is delicately and slowly raised in the abundant spring water of Mt. Fuji, famous for its vanadium water. The result is meat that is sweet and rich in flavor with a light taste and little excess fat.
2. Aji from Oita, Japan
At Shiro’s, we use Oita Prefecture’s Seki horse mackerel (brand name horse mackerel), which is caught by a single hook and line. Compared to horse mackerel caught in nets, single-hooked horse mackerel are fresher, with a more desirably translucent meat and overall better quality.
Seki horse mackerel refers to horse mackerel and mackerel caught in the Bungo Channel – the waters between Oita and Ehime Prefectures. In the Bungo Channel, where the fast currents of the Seto Inland Sea and the Pacific Ocean collide, there are many fish with firm flesh, and it is said that the abundance of plankton brought about by these tidal currents make the fish exceptionally fatty.
Washoku Adaptation & Evolution
Washoku has evolved over time by adopting cuisines from abroad, and this continues to this day. However, adaptations that occurred in the past 150 years are often categorized as outside Washoku’s strict definition. They are considered Washoku in a broader sense, encompassing such items as Ramen, Tonkatsu, and Curry Rice.
These foods are not served at Shiro’s, but we do offer a similar item for takeout – Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken). The idea of deep-frying originally came from China to Japan in the early 17th century. In 1932, a restaurant in Tokyo came up with an idea of deep-frying chicken and sold it as Karaage (“Kara” means “ancient China”, and “age” means “deep-fry”). It caught on quickly and its popularity spread all over Japan. Today, while Karaage is not considered a traditional Washoku food, Japanese do perceive it as Japanese food.
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