Ebisu

My husband and I tried Ebisu after our favorite spot, Kabuto, closed several years ago. We sat at the sushi bar and ordered a bunch of our favorites plus some new items. We were disappointed at the quality and flavor of the fish and agreed that we would continue searching for a good sushi place. Now, other restaurants have filled that void, e.g., Koo and Oyaji. But when Ebisu reopened a few weeks ago with a new look and new menu, we decided to give it another shot.

We just had dinner there and were pleasantly surprised. The food was well prepared and tasty. They’re still doing great business, we had to wait for about 25 minutes even though the person who answered the phone when I called said there was no wait. I wish small places like this would take reservations, I would go back more often if I knew that my kids would get fed in a timely fashion and we could avoid meltdowns.

The interior looks more modern, clean and simple with wooden flooring and wall panels, and Japanese accents throughout. Tables are tightly packed, another thing I don’t like, but we weren’t uncomfortable.

I think we’ll go back again since the food was good, albeit a tad pricey, and hopefully we’ll catch them at an off peak time, like early on a weekday.

Let the sushi chefs flex their muscles.

I told the chef we’d like an omakase and that we eat everything. What came forth was a wonderful mix of cooked, vaguely-cooked, and raw preparations.

The kitchen produced a moist, flavorful black cod appetizer and fluffy, clean tempura as Masa worked away, cranking out properly-seasoned nigiri from the usual suspects (hamachi, aji, etc.). He also did a solid job of taking the blowtorch to some chu-toro. His best work came in using the flavors of condiments like bonito flakes and roe to enhance that of the underlying fish.

Quality work, gentlemen.

Very good. liked the 49er and the poky. yummy. funny sushi chefs, very interative.

I go there (or used to go there when my rent was cheaper at a few blocks away from the restaurant) for the guarantee on certain items I love so much. Black cod. Live scallops. The entire Aji prepared from head to tail. Incomparably fresh Uni (or live Uni from time to time, if you’re lucky ). And once in a while I throw in Kobe beef sashmi and some salmon belly. Or any other interesting fish that is on the special board that day. I have not been disappointed.

To be able to indulge ridiculously fresh fish that many other restaurants will just outrightly tell you that they don’t have it because people don’t eat that here… I don’t consider the price at Ebisu ridiculously high.