Tataki

When we were rejected by Eliza's on California at 9pm (what restaurant closes at 9?) after my basketball game on Tuesday, we moved on down the block to Tataki on California and Divisadero. Now, for those of you who know me (ironic because if you don't know me, I have no idea how or why you're reading this), you probably know that I don't really do seafood. So, the thing is, I'm trying to give the whole seafood thing a chance. And this is just another step in that direction.

Tataki is a cute little restaurant which was pretty much full, even at 9pm on a Tuesday. They bill themselves as "sustainable sushi," and while I don't know the details behind their sustainability, I'll take their claims at face value and applaud them for their efforts. We ordered a bunch of food, most of which I tried (I'm still a little scared of Sashimi, so I skipped that). We had a Tataki Roll, an Extinguisher Roll, an Early Bird Roll, a Spicy Tempura Roll, and a couple other random nigiri/sashimi selections.

The Extinguisher comes out with a pile of flaming sugar. Nice presentation. I ordered the Early Bird as a safe option (it has beef, not seafood). Everything was delicious. I particularly liked the Spicy Tempura and Early Bird rolls. I decided that one of the best things about sushi, especially at Tataki, is the combination of textures. The sticky rice, the chewy fish, and a little crunch from either a vegetable, tempura skin, fish eggs, etc, make for a great texture combination. The other thing I love about sushi in general is that it is the best excuse to eat soy sauce. And wasabi. I love both.

While my sushi eating experience is relatively limited (I usually order Terriyaki or noodles when I go to Japanese food), Tataki was delicious and I'd definitely go back. Both of my dining companions liked it a lot, so it must be at least decent. Not horribly overpriced either- not cheap, but what sushi is?