Dishin': A Heads Up on How to Order Shrimp at Kisaku

It's been a couple of years since we last sang the praises of Kisaku. We're back to tell you we continue to go back, as Kisaku continues to be our favorite sushi restaurant in Seattle. Our most recent visit was the birthday dinner that preceded the deluge of desserts at Canlis, and the food was as good as always.

We're tempted to talk about the uni tower (lots of sea urchin and salmon roe) or one of many other delicious dishes we enjoyed, but this Dishin' is dealing with one sweetheart of a nigiri order: amaebi.

Look inside Ryuichi Nakano's sushi showcase and you'll likely notice two types of shrimp: the raw and the cooked. We watch as most Westerners go for the cooked version ("ebi"), preferring the firmer, chewier texture. But we encourage you to try the uncooked ("amaebi"), which is actually a different variety of shrimp. The head and shell are removed and the remainder is basically butterflied and placed on a block of sushi rice. How sweet it is--clean and with an almost candylike aftertaste. But here's what you need to know: Get some head. Yes, you need to ask for it. The head will be lightly battered (typically with potato starch), deep-fried, and lightly salted. Now, in contrast to the softness of the sweet meat, you've got the crispiness of the head. Heaven.