On Wednesday, my friends and I made our way over to Zushi Puzzle in Cow Hollow. Now, I wouldn’t call myself an extreme sushi aficionado, but I believe that if you’re not going to eat quality fish, you might as well not eat seafood at all. I had heard great things about Zushi Puzzle from real sushi Nazis, so I was game to make the long, hilly trek out to Lombard Street.
Zushi Puzzle was opened in 2002 by Chef Roger Chong, a Chinese guy who trained with sushi master Sato-San from Osaka, Japan. When you enter the restaurant, you can see Roger — a friendly-looking, gray bearded and pony tailed dude — working behind the bar. I’d made a 7 p.m. reservation, which, it turns out was a smart idea. Folks who came into the restaurant without reservations were turned away. And if you want to sit at the 10-seater sushi bar without calling ahead, fuggetaboutit! When we got there, I realized my folly in not sitting at the bar. That’s where folks get the Omakase (chef’s choice) experience and get to learn all about the intricacies about food you’re about to eat from Roger; nuggets of info with which you can impress your friends the next time you eat sushi. Oh well, next time!
While we failed at getting the best seats in the house, we still got a good taste of what Zushi Puzzle had to offer. We ordered a variety: nigiri, chirashi, sashimi, rolls (yes, obviously, we are not sushi purists), wakame and tako su (seaweed and octopus salad, respectively), and… wait for it… live uni (sea urchin gonads). More about that later. For now, here are some photos of what we ate:
So back to uni. If you’ve never tried sea urchin before, take note that it’s an acquired taste. As mentioned, it’s the sexual organs of the spiky, round sea creature that are eaten. That thought alone might dissuade a few squeamish eaters, others might be put off by its appearance, which is kinda like a little orange tongue. As for the flavor, it’s a bit hard to describe, but when it’s fresh (and you should only eat it when it is), uni tastes like creamy, buttery, slightly bitter, slightly sweet custard. If you like raw oysters, you might be more appreciative of uni, but to be honest, I can count the number of friends on one hand who like the delicacy as much as I do.
The waiter brought the dish out to the oohs and aahs of my tablemates. It was served within its spiny shell, on a bed of sliced lemons, shredded daikon, and with a side of noise-hair-raising wasabi. The waiter explained that you know uni is still alive when the spines are still sticking straight out (when sea urchin die, the spines lay flat). He flicked the spikes and showed us that they were still springy and moving, and encouraged us to do the same. I wasn’t interested in playing with my food; I was here to eat and I got down to it.
What I found most interesting about the live uni at Zushi Puzzle, besides its grand presentation, was the texture. Unlike other uni I’ve had before, it was creamy, but it also had a liquid-filled “popping” mouthfeel, almost like a soft sac of masago (smelt roe) or tobiko (flying fish roe). It was delicate and of course, very fresh.
In case you’re wondering, live uni is not cheap. It was listed on the specials menu as “Market Price,” and that night, it cost me $17, which was the same price as the chirashi sushi entree that I also ordered.
We left Zushi Puzzle full and satisfied. Next time I come back, I’ll definitely sit at the bar, but I can assure you that in any seat in the house, you’re served fresh and pretty amazing sushi.
As for the name Zushi Puzzle — I am still puzzled. I know that sushi (nigiri-style) is called Edomae nigirizushi in Japan, but I’m not sure what the “puzzle” part is about. Any of you readers know the backstory?
Photos by Sarah Han and Klover Kim
