sawa sushi in sunnyvale.
the sushi was amazing. but if you research online, sawa gets very mixed reviews for service. its lOve, or hate.
its better to know how sawa works, and read up on this place before you come.. or else suffer the wrath of the chefs attitude and rejection. in my opinion, he does not warm up to strangers easily. i feel that he appreciates those who pay attention and enjoy the fish, and is not afraid to berate picky diners , or those who have no idea what kind of establishment they have walked into.
located at a strip mall in sunnyvale, chef steve prepares fresh omakase sushi, and clearly caters to regulars. being a first timer, we were lucky that our fellow diners knew some regulars that also happened to be there.. i can say that when i first walked in, i got a weird look from steve and his wife.. a sort of ” do i know you?” i can see how some first timers negative reviews on “service” are not unfounded.. but, lucky for us, we got excellent service, with a bit of steves cold yet funny ‘tude.
i guess there are a few unspoken rules.
make reservations. then double confirm them.
don’t expect to order.
expect to pay about $125 and up for your meal.
no hot tea.
if you can deal with that, then the experience is excellent. i truly enjoyed it.. the pictures speak for themselves.
UNI atop toro, was tO die for. the fruity sauce on the side seemed to be based of asian pear, and was a bit spicy. at this point i gave my compliments to the chef- great fish takes long practiced skill to find.
scallop, fresh and sweet. simple light ponzu complements the natural flavor.
this- ok. so. i made the “mistake” of asking if there was ankimo- (i mean, the uni was so good, that i wondered how the ankimo would be here,) and got a weird look and a “eh!!huffpuff” sound from the chef.. eek. i was worried that i had offended. but, he came back a few minutes later, and in a conspiring tone, let me know that he indeed did have a bit, that he was preparing for tomorrows vip guest.. and he was willing to share since i asked! it was amazing as well. creamy…
hamachi kama. baked to melty fatty perfection.
a complimentary treat for us, some side cuts of a super grade toro that another baller table had pre-requested.
salmon + ikura with a creamy sauce. one of my favorite dishes of the night.
if you love and appreciate sushi, go to sawa.. but try to go with someone thats dined here before and understands how it works. i will def be visiting again.
xx
just weekends 