I lost my notes after dining at Sushi Kimagure; it was a digital file on my phone and now it’s gone.

Considering the extensive backlog of material that I’m currently blogging my way through, I could’ve forgone a write-up, but after some thought, I decided to proceed since my meal here was less about the fishes that were present and more about the fishes that weren’t present.

As an enthusiastic and frequent sushi eater, I’ve been thinking a lot about Bluefin Tuna. It’s delicious, yes, but also an endangered species. My dinner at Sushi Kimagure marked my very first omakase where I explicitly requested that no Bluefin be served. In all honesty, it was really hard to get the words out, especially with the language barrier, but I’m glad that I insisted because it would be a travesty if future generations of food lovers couldn’t indulge in toro. The temporary sacrifice was worth it.

Dining with me this evening was my mother, who didn’t have any special requests when it came to her omakase.  I’m not quite ready to impose my values on her yet, even though she’s been imposing hers on me for the past 31 years.

While Sushi Kimagure serves swoon-worth chirashi at lunchtime, dinner is a strictly omakase affair. Mom and I both selected the “Matsu” ($85), the most extensive and expensive option that includes seven different courses: Seafood Salad, Broiled, Sashimi, Fried, Sushi, Soup, and Dessert. We opted to sit at a cozy table rather than at the bar tonight.

Dinner began with a beautifully arranged and impeccably fresh seafood salad with scallops, shrimp, salmon, and seaweed.

Next came the “Broiled” course, a fantastically fatty fillet of salmon perked up with a pale green sauce whose name and contents might remain forever unknown. Well-balanced pickles were served on the side.

The following “Sashimi” course brought four different types of fish and one impressive King crab leg. Ponzu and soy sauce were on hand for dipping. To make up for the missing cuts of Bluefin, the chefs at Kimagure lavished me with extra cuts of every fish. I wish I had been treated to a greater variety of sustainable fish instead.

The “Fried” course consisted of shrimp and vegetable tempura. The spears of okra were a nice surprise since it’s not too common an ingredient around here.

Mom and I were both pretty stuffed from polishing off a mountain of tempura when the chawanmushi “Soup” course arrived. The gently steamed egg with mushrooms and greens was mild as can be and went down very smoothly.

The final “Sushi” course brought a beautiful array of fishes, sea urchin, and salmon eggs.

We finished with fresh fruit—a prism of colors, nice and ripe.

An omakase without toro is certainly a little sad, but still quite enjoyable nevertheless. I would’ve welcomed a greater variety of fishes served in place of the Bluefin, but I appreciated how Sushi Kimagure’s omakase offered so many different courses beyond sushi and sashimi. The price point was also on point.

I have more sushi plans this weekend at a hot restaurant that doesn’t take too well to special requests; I plan on making some anyway.

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Sushi Kimagure
220 South Raymond Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91105
Phone: 626-535-0880

There’s plenty more to peruse in Pasadena:

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• 1886 Bar at The Raymond – Pasadena
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• Carmela Ice Cream – Pasadena
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• Chinese Gourmet Express – Pasadena
• Chocolate Afternoon Tea at The Langham – Pasadena
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• Dog Haus – Pasadena
• Dots Cupcakes – Pasadena
• Ernie’s Al Fresco – Pasadena
• Euro Pane Bakery – Pasadena
• Private: Happy New Year, Y’all!
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• Ira’s Gourmet – Pasadena
• La Grande Orange Cafe – Pasadena
• Love Thy Neighbor: Making Dosas with Renuka
• Mako Bowl – Pasadena
• Marston’s – Pasadena
• Mezbaan Indian Cuisine – Pasadena
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• Pappa Rich – Pasadena
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• Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles – Pasadena
• Smitty’s Grill – Pasadena
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• The Dining Room at The Langham – Pasadena
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• The Slaw Dogs – Pasadena
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• Tortas Mexico – Pasadena
• Trattoria Neapolis – Pasadena
• Umami Burger – Pasadena
• Violet’s Cakes – Pasadena
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• {swoon} Lunch Special Chirashi at Sushi Kimagure