Tuna plays an integral part to the Japanese food culture and is the centerpiece of sushi. Tuna varieties include Bluefin, Southern Bluefin, Bigeye, Yellowfin and Albacore tuna. We use Bluefin tuna, which is often referred to as the Black Diamond because of its color and rarity. Its fatty content due to its preference for cold water and smooth texture makes it the king of all tunas. Tuna is divided into three parts; Akami, Chu-toro and O-toro depending on the section and its fat content. We serve all three parts so that you can enjoy the three distinct flavors!

Akami is mostly in the backside area of the tuna. It is rich in iron and minerals and has the strongest tuna flavor. Premium Akami has a very smooth texture with a delicate acidity and the slightest sweetness and aroma of fat. When Akami is often marinated in soy, it is called Zuke. The Umami of soy adds to the Akami to further enhance its flavor.

Chu-toro, with a fat content of around 20%, is the most popular part of tuna in Japan. It is a gradation of Akami and fatty parts of a tuna. The gradation allows the umami to cut through its fatty richness allowing the slightly acidic and delicate sweetness of Chu-toro to come through. The section under the back fin is considered the most premium part of Chu-toro.

O-toro is referred to the belly section that surrounds the internals of tuna fish and is the fattiest and most expensive of the three tuna parts. O-toro is usually around 30% fat content but can climb to around 40% during winter. The taste is very rich, melting away in the mouth with ease. There are two parts to O-toro; Jabara is the fattiest part. It is matured in ice for one to two weeks so the texture becomes less stringy. Shimofuri, on the other hand is a more premium part of O-toro. It is not stringy with even fat distribution and has a very smooth texture.

Our scallops come from Funkawan Bay, which is home to active volcanic erruptions in North Western Hokkaido. Funkawan Bay is blessed with its surrounding mountains, which bring in plenty of minerals for the planktons to thrive on when snow melts and flows into the bay. The scallops from this area are thus sweet and plump due to its abundance for quality feed /planktons. They are seasonal during winter when they grow bigger to get ready for their spawning season in the spring. However, taste wise, they are at their best from May to July when their glycogen which is responsible for its sweetness is at their maximum.

Regardless of season, Nodoguro is always fatty and is often called the Toro of white fish. Of the premium fish category, it ranks most highly and is extremely popular in Japan. Nodoguro means, black throat, literally referring to their back of the throat which is black in color. Its rich flavors are due to its gourmet diet of shellfish and squid. The fluffy, soft flesh is very versatile and can be enjoyed as aburi (seared) sushi or served raw. We like to serve it as aburi, seared with binchoutan charcoal!

kinme Alfonsino comes from the Izu Peninsula of Japan and is the most premium type of Alfonsino. You can only eat Jikinme at high end Japanese restaurants and sushi bars due to its rarity and high price tag. It is interesting to note that since it lives more than 650ft under water, it was not fished until about 20 years ago when fishery technology improved. These days though, it is one of the most premium delicacies at the sushi bar due to its fatty umami and pairs well with sushi rice.

Yellowtail, along with Hiramasa and Kampachi are said to be the threesome yellowtail family. In winter, yellowtail migrates from Hokkaido to Kyushu and those caught in the midpoint of Toyama Bay is said to be the best in terms of fat content. Winter yellowtails that are caught in this region clocking over 13lb are called Himiburi, and it is a highly marketable delicacy throughout Japan. Winter yellowtail is in season from December to February during migration.

Salmon from the Faroe Islands is renowned for its superior quality and taste. The geographical position of the Faroe Islands is ideal for farming Atlantic salmon. The remote location of the Faroe Islands is complemented by pristine clear waters, cool steady sea temperatures, strong currents and accessible fjords.