 |
|
|
|
(October 29, 2004)
Musashino, a Japanese restaurant and sushi bar at 3407 Greystone, recently
celebrated its tenth anniversary. In this sushi crazed town of Austin,
Texas that is no small accomplishment. Musashino serves Tokyo style sushi
and they buy fish from all over the world including the famous Tsukiji
market in Tokyo, the planet's largest fish market. Musashino reins as
the pantheon of sushi in Austin mainly because of the passion, consummate
skill, and vision of proprietor Daketakehiko Fuse. Luckily, however, his
friends call him Smokey.
Musashino has some really interesting appetizers
to start with. Some of my favorites include the luscious Avocada Kama,
an avocado stuffed with shrimp, crab, and a special spicy sauce. And
Kazoo, Smokey's right hand man, has a special, a tempura smoked mussel
roll that is absolutely a blast.
Another recommendation, one that will blow you away, is the Lobster
and Snow Crab Kinuta Maki. They roll the lobster and shrimp into rice
paper with a black tobiko caviar. This is off the charts for original
and compelling flavors. And the Tuna Tataki, seared tuna cut into cubes
and served with a hybrid spicy sauce is stellar. And try the U Zaku,
which is unagi grilled and presented on skewers. Absolutely delicious.
There are entrees galore at Musashino and let me
tell about some of them. You must sample the Mutso No Kasuzuke which
is a lovely gilled Chilean sea bass that's been marinated in sake. Incredible
flavor and texture here. The Grilled Salmon with a lemon and rosemary
sauce is also most tempting. And when's the last time you tried Tori
Katsu, or Japanese style fried chicken. Wonderfully moist and oozing
with flavor, this is a good dish for the Bubba in your group.
And then, the pies de resistance, the sushi. Musashino
is one of the few restaurants around where one can get great blue fin
toro. I'm talking chu toro, o toro, and kama toro, the most desired
and fattiest sections of the tuna. They are expensive, but the taste
is unlike almost anything in the sushi world. It is truly a dining experience.
I have also tried the unagi, the hamachi, the ebi, and they are all
consistently excellent. Smokey is a sushi man par excellence.
The rolls are also delightful. The Toro Taku, a
fatty tuna roll with pickled radish, is to die for. Likewise for the
Beni Toro roll, a salmon roll with scallions. And you have to try the
Marilyn Mon Roll, which features unagi and avocado smelt caviar and
sesame seeds adorning the outer layer. Love it.
This is the real deal folks. Musashino at 3407 Greystone,
off Mopac near Anderson. Open for lunch and dinner. All you have to
do is walk in and say, "Konichiwa, Rob Balon sent me" and
you will be off on an exemplary culinary journey.
|
