Sushi in Sausalito
There is good sushi and there is great sushi–Sushi Ran in Sausalito has the latter version.
Daughter Kate, who doesn’t like sushi, is out of town this weekend, so her two daughters thought it would be a great idea to con the Gran into taking them to Sushi Ran tonight. They were right, it was a great idea.
Sushi Ran is a block off the main drag, in two adjoining buildings. The sushi bar is in one, the liquor bar is in the other, there are tables in both and the waitstaff runs back and forth like crazy.
This is big time upscale. I think they may be the only sushi place in the Bay Area that merits a mention in the Michelin Guide–not a star, yet, but mentioned in the list of good places to eat. Prices are steep, but you get what you pay for.
We started, as always, with the edamame, boiled soybean pods. You have to pop the seeds out, like peas, and not eat the pod, which is inedibly stringy. I know that now.
Edamame.
The girls had the seaweed salad. Not exactly my taste, but it was pretty:
Seaweed, cucumber and avocado.
Gail loves pot stickers, and the Japanese equivalent, gyoza. Sushi Ran doesn’t offer the gyoza, which are pan fried after they are boiled, but the do have these spectacular dumplings, which are not fried:
Scallop-Chive Dumplings
Gail would have been happy with two or three orders of the dumplings, but there was much more to come.
Wagyu Beef carpaccio
I guess the Japanese just don’t like to cook much. The fish is raw, and so is the beef. We love carpaccio, and this was wonderful. Gail is no fan of wasabi, but the wasabi oil the beef was dressed with was just the right amount of spice. We tried not to fight over it.
Spiced roasted cauliflower
So I’m accustomed to wine flights and cheese plates, Sushi Ran offers a vegetable tasting–this roasted cauliflower, kale with dates and puffed rice, and kimchi brussels sprouts. They were all interesting and different, but I just want an endless bowl of this cauliflower. We ordered another portion.
Tempura spring roll
Sushi rolls are often wrapped in nori, sheets of seaweed. The tempura shrimp roll came wrapped in something white, I have no idea what, but the roll was great.
Demi and Chloe, the adored granddaughters, are not eating wheat or sugar, and they found out that Sushi Ran adds sugar to their sushi rice, so they ordered sashimi instead. Here is why sushi is often called “edible art”.
Maguro, albacore tuna sashimi.
Dessert was not required.
Sushi Ran is by far the best sushi I’ve ever had. Everything is both beautiful and delicious, and I’m not the only one who thinks so–the place is jammed, every seat is full. Don’t even think about going without a reservation. Bring money. Bring your appetitie. Bring your camera–you’ll want to remember this meal.
Totally Unauthorized 