New This Month

The end of fall truly ushers in the most wonderful time of year. Winter’s cool weather and dark days make the time spent with loved ones so valuable. This month enjoy our nine-course holiday menu, available December 21-24, or celebrate with a special New Year’s menu that’s sure to bring you luck and joy in 2019. We have plenty of seasonal fish, sake and more all month long!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Fresh Catch

Bafun Uni (Green Sea Urchin) – Local green sea urchin, also known as bafun uni, is now available at Shiro’s! The urchin is delivered in its shell, straight from waters in the San Juan Islands. Free of additives, they are able to retain their shape and maintain the pure and delicious flavor of the uni!

Bafun Uni (Green Sea Urchin)

Frequent Fish

Kinmedai (Golden Eye Snapper) – Kinmedai, or golden eye snapper, is a delicious fish enjoyed during the colder months. Kinmedai is a deep-water fish that offers a unique texture that is not too soft or too crunchy, with a white to pink flesh. At Shiro’s, we lightly boil the skin, which enhances the rich, subtle flavor of the meat, and brings out the best part of the fresh fish.

Kinmedai (Golden Eye Snapper)

Seasonal Sake

Hire-Sake (ひれ酒), Japanese traditional winter sake

Hire-Sake, a very traditional winter item in Japan, is heated sake with a blowfish fin added to it. The fins of the blowfish are grilled and then added to atsu-kan (piping hot sake) and is served in a cup. Heating is the key, because the fin itself needs to really steep in the sake. The result is a luscious, savory flavor that is extremely addictive!

Hire-Sake

Rice for Sake Brewing

Ever wonder what separates the rice we drink from the rice we eat? It comes down to the polishing rates, which is essentially the amount of rice bran, protein and fat on the rice. The rice we eat has a polishing rate of 10%. The rice we drink, sake, can be polished upwards of 30%; when combined with the brewing process, generates the pure taste and aroma of sake.

Sake itself varies on many levels. Regular sake is called “futsu-shu” and is polished at 30%+. Premium sake has a polishing rate of 40%+ and is called “ginjo-shu”. Super premium sake, or “daiginjo-shu,” has a polishing rate of 50%+. Lastly, there are two types of sake. One kind of sake is called “junmai,” which is made from 100% rice. The other type of sake is “hon-jozo,” which is sake that has a small volume of distilled alcohol added during the brewing process. Junmai, in general, is richer with a rice aroma and a mild taste, while hon-jozo is usually lighter with a crisp flavor.

Rice Polishing Rates

Nine-Course Holiday Sushi Dinner December 21 – 24

From December 21-24 we will offer a delicious nine-course holiday menu, perfect for this celebratory time of year! Menu items include Filefish Sashimi, Hokkaido Scallop Hand Rolls, Wild Yellowtail, Chef’s selection of nigiri, Tofu Smoothies and more! This special, nine-course holiday dinner is $100 per person, by reservation only. Reservations can be made online or by phone at 206.443.9844 by December 20. We look forward to celebrating the holidays with you at Shiro’s!

* Cancellations within 72 hours will result in a $50 fee per order.

Holiday Dessert Special December 21 – 31

End your meal with our seasonal holiday dessert! Available December 21-31, we are offering a delicious Washington apple compote with your choice of green tea or vanilla bean ice cream, $10. Enjoy this sweet holiday treat this December.

Shiro’s Washington Apple Compote

New Year’s Menu Specials January 2 – 15

This upcoming New Year we will offer traditional Japanese dishes for luck and abundance in 2019! From January 2-15 we will have Osechi-ryōri, a traditional assortment of appetizers that are associated with joy, luck and tradition. The assortment will offer a variety of dishes, such as Daidai, or Japanese bitter orange, which represents wishes in the New Year; Kamaboko, or broiled fish cake, which symbolizes festivities and celebration; and Kuro-mame, or black soybeans, representing health in the upcoming year. Enjoy these appetizers and more served in traditional lacquered boxes called jūbako.

We will also be serving traditional Japanese clear soup with grilled rice cake called ozouni. The main idea of ozouni is that it’s easy to cook and allows one to rest on New Year’s Day. Instead of cooking rice, which is the traditional morning Japanese food, ozouni is made with dried mochi cakes. To make things even easier, the additional ingredients, such as vegetables or chicken, are often prepared in advance and stored in the fridge. Rest and refuel for the new year with this traditional Japanese soup!

Osechi Ryori & Ozouni

Chef’s Tips

Each month our chefs bring us interesting and educational tips of the centuries-old customs related to sushi. We feature these favorite tips each month to help keep your sushi knowledge sharp!

This month’s Chef’s Tip concerns tea, in particular, green tea:
The green tea served at most sushi restaurants is called Konacha. Another common style is called Matcha. Each of these green teas come from different leaves. Matcha is made from finely ground Tencha leaves. Konacha is a combination of Gyokuro and Sencha leaves. Although these teas come from different leaves, each are rich with an antioxidant called catechin. Catechin has many health benefits including helping blood sugar levels and reducing bad cholesterol, while increasing good cholesterol.

Both Konacha and Matcha green teas are a soothing and tasty complement to any sushi dinner, but the health benefits can’t be beat! Make sure to ask about our tea options next time you visit us for dinner!