New in June 2019

Return to all
New This Month


As we roll into summer, we invite you to enjoy some of our seasonal favorites! Fresh sockeye salmon and Albacore tuna are coming in from local fish purveyors. Walla Walla sweet onions are back in season and appearing in our delicious katsuo tataki sashimi! We’ve also added a brand-new award-winning sake. Read on for all that summer is bringing to Shiro’s this month!

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

Fresh Catch

Benizake (Sockeye Salmon) – The name “sockeye” comes from a poor attempt to translate the word suk-kegh from British Columbia’s native Coast Salish language. Suk-kegh, meaning red fish, are born in fresh water like all other Pacific salmon, however, sockeye require a lake nearby to rear in. Once hatched, juvenile sockeyes will stay in their natal habitat for up to three years, more than any other type of salmon. The sockeye, also called red or blueback salmon, is among the smaller of the seven Pacific salmon species, but their succulent, bright-orange meat is prized above all others!

Benizake (Sockeye Salmon)

Binchou Maguro (Albacore Tuna) – Albacore tuna is a larger fish with a lighter colored flesh, a firmer texture, and a milder flavor. There are six distinct stocks known globally in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea; we get ours from the Washington and Oregon coasts.
Like all tuna, Albacore is high in protein, selenium and vitamin B-12, but Albacore alone is a better source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids than any other tuna species.

Binchou Maguro (Albacore Tuna)

New Award Winning Sake

– Okunomatsu Adatara Ginjo –

We are proud to announce the addition of Okunomatsu Adatara Ginjo sake to our regular sake list! Okunomatsu Adatara Ginjo is a clean and balanced sake that won the Ginjo Trophy of the International Wine Challenge Champion Sake Award in 2018. It offers pretty floral notes of honeysuckle, jasmine, peach, pear, ripe stone fruits and melon. It has an exceptionally fresh and gentle dry palate combined with a creamy smooth structure for an irresistibly silky mouthfeel. Drink this sake now for $75 a bottle and ask your server for their favorite sushi pairings to go with it!

Seasonal Sake

Tatenokawa Phoenix Junmai Daiginjo
Class: Junmai Daiginjo
Brewery Location: Yamagata

Our June seasonal sake is bold and bright, yet medium-light bodied with a lush fruity nose! Notes of cherry, mango, berry, pear, and apricot make for delicious layers of flavor and a smooth, clean finish. Pair it with sushi, steamed fish, tofu dishes, or fresh vegetables.

Menu Features

– Mizu Shingenmochi –

June brings a special dessert – Japanese Raindrop Cake, or Shingen Mochi. Sure to satisfy your sweet craving, it is very light and refreshing for those warm, sunny days. This delicate cake is made from agar and water and served with the classic kuromitsu (Japanese dark brown sugar syrup) and kinako (roasted soy bean powder). It should be enjoyed within 30 minutes or it will simply melt. Try this unique dessert after your sushi dinner!

Mizu Shingenmochi

– Katsuo Tataki with Sweet Walla Walla Onions –

Local Walla Walla sweet onions are now in season and our chefs are using them with our katsuo tataki sashimi. Very sweet, yet not pungent, the onions pair deliciously with the katsuo fish, accenting the richness of the bonito.

Katsuo Tataki with Sweet Walla Walla oinions

Japanese Traditions

– Kanji Characters for Sushi –

Sushi is well-known throughout the world, but when you visit Japan you will notice there are several different versions of Kanji characters for Sushi – 寿司, 鮨 and 鮓. The most popular one is 寿司 which was a newly created word in the mid-19th century meaning “Presiding Happiness.” 寿司 was a phonetic equivalent of 鮨 or 鮓 which both originated in ancient China thousands of years ago. 鮨 and 鮓, although the same pronunciations as 寿司, mean fermented or salt-marinated preserved raw fishes with steamed rice. In western Japan, 鮓 is still used in some of the sushi restaurants and 鮨 is more popular in eastern Japan. Even though the Kanji characters are different, the quality and type of sushi served in restaurants are almost the same.

Sushi = 寿司・鮨・鮓

Community Events

Share your #sushipics on Instagram + Facebook + Twitter for all #shirossushi fans to see.