Sushi lovers in Sonoma will be pleased to know—if they don’t already—that Shiso (formerly located on Broadway near the square) has reopened in the Maxwell Village shopping center. Well appointed in warm, Japanese-style wood and leather furnishings, it has an open kitchen behind a sleek sushi bar and a patio for outdoor seating during warmer weather.
Chef/owner Ed Metcalfe’s menu spans take-out items like bento boxes or sit-down meals at lunch, catering for small or large events and categories spanning starters, salads, shared plates, grilled meats and fish, traditional sushi and specialty rolls. There are daily specials, a few beers on tap and a premium sake list. We tried the nigori style, which was our first venture into unfiltered sake. Served cold, it has a cloudy (white) look and is on the sweeter side, with a creamy texture and finish.
Our meal began with a small seaweed salad, which is served shredded and chilled, lightly spiced and topped with sesame seeds and dressing, garnished with fresh lemon slices. Next came the popular crispy house scallops. About the size of grapes, they were lightly battered and fried golden crisp, glazed with a sweet-hot sauce (delicious and only a mild heat), then served atop sushi rice and garnished with fresh cilantro—a great appetizer for two or more people to share.
The first roll we tried was the rainbow roll, which had crab meat (not with a “k”) and cucumber topped with fresh tuna, salmon, white fish and bright green avocado—a very light and flavorful dish that was fun to dip in a soy/wasabi mixture. Next was the Santa Cruz roll, which came with asparagus and spicy tuna topped with maguro, avocado and tobiko (flying fish roe—really crunchy and bright orange). We liked this one solo (no dipping). Both were beautifully presented and served with thin-sliced, fresh ginger (not too sweet or strong; really nice) and a fresh flower on the plate. Everything was entirely fresh and well spiced. So add heat as you will, but don’t pass up trying something as it’s served first or you may miss out on some of the more subtle flavors.
From the specials list, we tried the Kobe beef nigiri, which arrived as two pieces topped with seared foie gras and topped with a touch of tsume sauce (a glaze that’s on the sweet side). It was definitely something different to enjoy.
Dessert is definitely meant to share. First was an ice cream sandwich (seriously the size of a regular sandwich), cut into triangles, with a brownie-like crust filled with homemade green tea ice cream, drizzled with full-flavored chocolate sauce. The coconut panna cotta was light and creamy, served atop a crunchy (not chewy) peanut butter brittle with mixed berry compote—an excellent ending to a colorful meal.
