Words fail me. I’d really like to tell you how I feel about the dinner my friends and I had at Chinatown’s Sushi Kame—how fresh everything was, how artfully the dishes and cocktails were prepared, the wonderful surprises that kept popping up—but somewhere between the Osaka Love (Johnny Walker Black Label, St. George Spiced Pear, lemon, apple and passion fruit, served in a rocks glass with one giant hand-carved ice cube, $15), the miso-marinated black cod served with microgreens ($18) and the Kagoshima-raised A5 Wagyu steak (served with a document verifying its authenticity), I found myself unable to articulate a response to what I was enjoying. It’s like the view from a mountaintop—awe-inspiring, soul-satisfying and just beyond poetry.
Created by Chef Eric Kim—who visited hundreds of restaurants in Japan to perfect the idea of this warm, convivial spot with a very traditional omakase experience at its core—Sushi Kame expands on the five-star reputation of Kim’s original Kame Omakase on the west side (“Wildly memorable,” Jim Begley wrote of it in an August 2017 Weekly review) by bringing star beverage consultant SeongHa Lee to the table (best known for Fremont Street’s late, great speakeasy 365 Tokyo). To be perfectly frank, these two artists—one with a gift for sourcing the freshest fish and preparing it in the most delicious of ways, the other a legitimate, multiple award-winning master of boozy alchemy—served me one of the best meals I’ve ever had in this town. And they’re barely out of soft opening.
Virtually everything is recommended. We ordered some fish (the $21 Kamashida toro, served with aged soy, is a revelation) and trusted the rest of our meal to Chef Kim’s recommendations. He rewarded our faith with a splendid, buttery risotto topped with trout roe; ji-kinmedai, a fresh golden eye snapper that practically melted on the tongue; and a variety of unique desserts, including a lighter-than-air custard served in a “coconut shell” made of chocolate. Add to that Lee’s peerless cocktails, a deep sake list and a generously accommodating waitstaff, and you’ll have a near-peak experience at Sushi Kame. There’s no better way to describe it.
SUSHI KAME 3616 Spring Mountain Road #103, 702-665-5731. Daily, 5 p.m.-2 a.m.