I am an Australian who has been lucky enough to live in Mishima and Numazu for nearly 4 years.I was given the chance to sample some of the areas first restaurants and would like to share my experiences with you. I went to only Japanese style restaurants in the hope to introduce this unique, traditional and delicious style of restaurant to people from all over the world.
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It was on a fine Sunday afternoon when it seemed that just about everyone was in their rice field planting this year’s crop that we ventured to Numazu Port and entered the world of ‘Sushi Bun’.
Being right next to a fish market, you would expect very good sushi, and I have enjoyed some great sushi in Tokyo’s Tsukiji area, but Sushi Bun is truly in a class of its own. What makes great sushi is hard to say. Obviously fresh quality fish, nicely cooked and vinegared rice, subtle touches of flavour from wasabi or soy sauce and excellent presentation are the key to good sushi – but the secret to great sushi is probably intangible and adds to the mystery of this famous Japanese dish.
We decided against ordering one of the set menus as we had a pretty good idea of what we wanted to try.
Our first dish was ‘chutoro’, or medium fat level tuna belly. To say it was excellent is an understatement and it took the meaning of the phrase ‘melt in your mouth’ to new heights. One minute you have this light, almost creamy fish in your mouth and then it vanishes – leaving a sweet richness and subtle taste of the sea.
Next we ordered the ‘tamagoyaki’ which again was like nothing I have ever eaten before. It was fluffy yet juicy with a delicate flavour that my companion described as ‘Asian scrambled eggs’.
Our next sushi was ‘suzuki’, or sea bass, and was served in two ways; one with sea salt and the other with soy sauce. After the chutoro it seemed a little chewy but was still excellent, and I preferred it with soy sauce rather than with the salt. In between dishes we enjoyed the delicious pickled ginger and wakame (sea kelp) dipped in a red looking sauce that was probably miso.The chef was very friendly and spoke a little English, and when we asked him for his recommendation he suggested ‘aji’, or horse mackeral. When we had it we realised why he did so as it had a soft buttery texture and delicious and delicate taste.
Sea urchin and raw shrimp are often described as the ‘final frontier’ for foreign sushi eaters, and I was determined to try them both at Sushi Bun. The sea urchin (uni) was quite mild in flavour and could best be described as ‘seafood butter’. The after taste was the big surprise, with an intense taste of ‘a day at the beach’, so much so that I could almost hear the waves and seagulls and feel the sand between my toes!
The raw shrimp sushi was incredibly sweet and not at all mushy or gooey like other times I have tried it. I dipped the second piece in soy sauce before eating it, but found it was a little overpowering and masked the subtle flavour of the shrimp. Our last dish was raw scallop sushi. I would have to say that it was the best scallop I have ever eaten. I don’t say that lightly as I am a big fan of scallops cooked in many ways, but the delicate flavour and texture of the scallop sushi surpassed anything I have had before.In conclusion, Sushi Bun is a definite must for anyone who is interested in sushi. But beware that if you go there with an empty stomach you will leave with an empty wallet as high class sushi as good as this does not come cheaply.
Sushi Bun
Address:109,Senbon-minato-cho,Numazu
Tel:+81-55-962-5651
http://www.at-s.com/bin/GURU/GURU0040.asp?yid=B291279136
Budget:5,000 yen
Open:11:30am～9:00pm
Closed:Wed.
Tim and Karen's review
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