Something other than sushi

With a $50 gift card in tow and and a craving for japanese, my roommate and I headed to my perennial favorite sushi den.  We decided we could go a little bit crazy, so apart from ordering a a few rolls (shrimp tempura, kobe beef and rainbow roll), sashimi and a side salad which were all exquisite as usual, I decided to venture away from the sushi menu for the alaskan halibut pictured below.

Though the halibut was overcooked, the sear left a nice crust and the accompanying sides were fantastically fresh.  The miso beurre blanc was perfect with the spears of asparagus, mushroom medley, spinach and the sweet potato gnocchi.  When the plate first arrived, i was looking for the orange variety of sweet potato gnocchi but was surprised to find the asian purple version which was pan fried but remained remarkably light.

Plate score of the halibut entree alone: 7.5

Ototo Den

When Den Deli put up their sign saying they were closed for remodeling, more than a few people were worried of what would be become of this upscale fast casual spot in the trifecta of sushi den and Izakaya.  Luckily on my first visit to Ototo which focuses on spanish influenced japanese tapas (thats my take at least), I left impressed and was no longer depressed about the demise of Den Deli.  It was a slow sunday evening,  and we decided to sit at the "sushi bar"  in front of a cold case of cheeses and rounds of cured meats.  Now to the meal.....

The Waygu beef carpaccio lay over roasted hen mushrooms and drizzled with a truffle soy sauce was certainly fresh and tender.

The Egg in a Jar has been the source of all blog discussions since Ototo opened.  This creamy mixture of truffled mashed potatoes, diced serrano ham, caviar, steamed egg in a mason jar is served with diced red onion and tarragon mixture and delicious delicious grilled ciabatta.  I had conflicting feelings about this dish with so many flavors and the mashed potatoes added an odd texture to the dish.  In terms of dipping toast points into a creamy sauce, i prefer Cholon's Kaya Toast (check out that review from Dec).

The star of the dinner was the warm lobster salad, which was incredibly fresh and poached to perfection.  The lobster was sitting atop of a small thin layer of mashed potatoes (both hidden) garnished with grapefruit, tossed mache salad, pistachios and some sort of aioli.  An interesting garnish of thinly fried potato strips hit my tongue with a suprisingly sweet note and really pulled together this amazing dish!

We ended our meal with the tonkatsu ramen, the only remnants from the former den deli to make the new menu.  With sliced pork shoulder, bok choy, bean sprouts and soft hard boiled egg. the ramen was sitting in a steaming bowl of flavorful soy broth which helped round out this excellent meal.  We skipped the dessert and I settled for a half scoop each of pumpkin cheesecake and chocolate ice cream at Pajama Baking Company.

Plate Score: 9