Tatsumi Japanese Kitchen, Christchurch

One of the things that draws me to traveling is the ability to try new things. That means being drawn to restaurants and activities that aren't available at home. But B and I also like to try things that are similar and see if there are any differences.

For instance McDonald's. No, we did not eat there but I always check out the menu to see if there is anything that McD's has in NZ that they don't have in CA. The answer is Tandoori Chicken Wrap among other things.

When we were having a extraordinary dinner at Le Pot Au Feu we told Chef Bono we had originally been looking for sushi. She immediately told us about Tatsumi.

I really suggest listening to the locals when it comes to food choices. This is especially true when you know you share similar food interests.

After taking our order and removing our very pretty menus, our server set us up for dinner.

Now originally she put everything down so that it was exactly symetrical. However, B seems to like driving me slightly crazy and knew I wouldn't notice until later that he had moved things around. Such a butthead.

I just love the plates and bowls they serve their dishes in.

*Important note* What we eat is not necessarily representative of the offerings of a typical sushi restaurant. Do not let it hinder you from trying Japanese food. They offer plenty of cooked/not scary/not slimy/ recognizable foods.

Can you guess whats in the bowl?

Tako-wasa. This is raw octopus soaked in a wasabi sauce. The unusual part of this dish (and the reason we ordered it) is that the octopus is raw. Typically the octopus you get at sushi restaurants are boiled. The green is some kind of pickled pepper.

B adored this dish. Honestly, B likes slimy foods. Like really slimy. Like snot slimy.

I do not. The sauce on this was incredible. It wasn't overly spicy and had a hint of acid. I had a bit of this but not too much.

Omakase appetizer. Basically Omakase is the chef's selection. We chose the 6 item omakase and received a variety of appetizers to try.

I wish all restaurants would do this so I never had to make a decision on what to get.

On the left have Beef Tataki with ponzu gelee. When you order tataki it will be raw in the middle and seared on the outside. Those little reddish-brown squares are the gelee.

It is exactly what it looks and sounds like. Its a gelatin. This particular gelee is ponzu (a citrus, soy sauce more or less). Are you still with me?

Gelee's are fantastic because its a way to introduce a "sauce" without having something running all over the plate. In this case, with each bit of beef you got a punch of the ponzu as it melted in your mouth. Just remembering the intense flavor that coated my tongue makes my mouth water.

In the middle is Kimpira, sauteed and steamed lotus root. It had a slight crunch to it and I ate the entire bowl before B had a chance to get back to it.

On the right was the salmon with salmon roe. It was only fair that B ate all of this portion.

We'll get back to the dish on the left next as we ordered it separately.

In the middle we have a seared venison with just the smallest amount of blue cheese. This was fantastic, just the prefect balance of flavor. On the far right is their version of the chinese chicken salad. Its nothing unusual but it was really nice.

I regret to inform you that I cannot for the life of me remember what the name of this fish was. Its local and it starts with a K.

Anyone? Well, whatever it is, its pretty. And its so tasty too!

For some reason when I tasted this on the Omakase I didn't like it. But it was so pretty when it came out the second time I decided to give it another try.

Fanned out are very thin slices of the fish, on the outside the spring onion, then various cooked cold diced bell pepper, toasted sesame seeds, some unknown crunchiness and a little salad in the center.

You just roll up a piece of the fish with all the yummy goodness in the center and pop it in your mouth!





This rice bowl is topped with pork belly, spring onions, ginger and mayo. Its actually Kewpie mayo which is a smoother creamier Japanese version. They use rice vinegar instead of distilled vinegar which gives it a different flavor as well.





Here is a shot of just the pork belly so you have a better visual. If you like pork you must try pork belly. You aren't getting stomach so don't let the name scare you.






Classic tempura vegetables (and shrimp) and their dipping sauce was so good! My favorites are always the sweet potato and yams.






This was all B although I really like the concept. On the bottom is basically hash browns and on the top is cheese. Both sides are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Whats not to love? The layer of smelt egg. It was just a little too much for me but B devoured it.

Toasted Black Sesame Creme Brulee.






If you've never had a black sesame dessert and you come across the opportunity please try it. I got addicted to it years ago when a pastry chef friend of ours made black sesame ice cream.

When ground together and added to something sweet you get a fantastically creamy nutty flavor. Its always makes me think of peanut butter. Its unique but not unfamiliar which is exactly what you want when you are venturing outside your comfort zone to experiment.

Tell me, what are your thoughts on sushi? Terrifying? Delicious?