sushi in the desert

was working recently in phoenix and had the oppty to enjoy some of the most pristine and wonderful sushi and sashimi i've ever eaten outside of japan. go figure. "sea saw" is actually in scottsdale and is run by nobu, a food and wine magazine best new chef recipient a couple yrs ago. always has had wonderful and innovative food (crab, watermelon, goat cheese, flor de sel, yuzu cocktail) but last wk was way over the top. he even had some ayu, a fresh water perch like fish, grilled on a skewer. never seen it outside of j-town where it's a fall delicacy.

among many other things, stand outs that were most enjoyed were the grilled bluefin tataki w/a orange-yuzu ponzu like sauce and a foie from heaven, marinated in miso and seared, served w/tiny magenta colored preserved peaches, (similar to ume plums) and pears. knock out. especially in these foie regulated times we exist in. easily one of the finest meals i've had all year. they're actually expanding and will keep the original location as omakase and the new one across the street, ala carte. also does a mean shabu shabu most wkends.

Sea Saw is one of my favorite places to go when traveling on business. Last time I was there I had a scallop shabu shabu that was out of this world. All of their ingredients are first rate.

I'll throw a little more support behind Sea Saw. I've been there two or three times, and have generally enjoyed the place quite a bit. I think that Nobu (not that Nobu... the otherNobu) puts a lot of thought into his dishes, and while there were a few near misses, they were near misses that made me appreciate the angle. That said, there were plenty of hits, including the seared tuna tataki with beet puree and zinfandel reduction, which has become something of a signature dish for him.

Good stuff. Heartily recommended if you're up for neo-sashimi that's genuinely thoughtful and creative, as opposed to the army of gloopy Nobu Matsuhisa wannabes.