As I have probably told you before, I lurve sushi. Like, eat-it-every-day kinda love. Having worked in the food industry for a very long time, before starting my job at the antique shop, really taught me so much about food in general, and sushi in particular
Obi restaurant is owned by the legendary Papa San, or Hatsushiro Muraoka and his young protege Ben Bettendorf. I know them both personally, as I have worked for them, and I can honestly say that these two eat, sleep and breathe their craft.Papa San has been in the game for many years, having quite a few restaurants before Obi, namely, Minato and Takumi. His style is cool Japanese street, but with the precision of a chef who has been in the game for many years.
He once told me that he had to wash and cook rice for seven years before being allowed anywhere neat the fish, or a knife. Papa San is also very old now, over 70, and with that comes an amazing amount of sage knowledge
Ben, on the other hand is my age. Thirty-something, and edgy. He brings a bit of rock n roll to Obi, that I think is a great compliment to Papa San's classic style.
He's a strong young chef, with an eye for precision. He's a chef to watch in the Cape Town foodie scene. I think he is very privileged to work under Papa San, and they make a great team
and I went there for a date night a little while ago, and it did not disappoint. We try to go for dinner at least once a month, but don't always quite make it. We also try to go somewhere new, but kinda always end up at Obi. 😋We were so excited, and kinda acted like little kids, giggling and taking photos, which we don't usually do. I think it was a much needed break.
Now, for the important part... THE FOOD!!!We ordered miso soup (in my opinion) the best in Cape Town, and Nuta, a sublime tuna dish, with a thick, vinegared miso dressing, with toasted sesame seeds, wakame and spring onion. Mmmmmm
For our mains we ordered one of our favourites, the Sushi and Sashimi Combo. The fish was all so fresh, and the knifework was so good. I know, from many times of watching both Ben and Papa San slice the sashimi, that the angle that the knife is held at, even affects the taste of the fish. For example, in this dish, the sashimi had been cut to expose the fatty pieces, giving the sashimi a very luxurious and rich mouthfeel.
We also ordered my favourite roll, the Coriander roll. It had seared salmon with a yuzu lime mayo, and avocado. Divine
We couldn't resist ordering another two portions of tuna and salmon sashimi, even though we had zero room!
💙💜 It was a truly wonderful evening, with great food and even better company. Isn't it great to be married to your best friend?💙💜