Late Lunch/Early Dinner at Kita

Kita is quite close to my home and after having living here for over a year, I finally paid it a visit. I gave it two shots, just so I would know enough about the place to write a decent review. I dined in the restaurant one evening, and got takeout at home another time. 

Both visits, I got the Tako Sunomono to start. The photo above is dine-in serving and as you can see, it's as you would expect. Vermicelli noodles in a vinegar broth, topped with tako, cucumber, fresh seaweed and lemon slices. 

And in the Tako Sunomono that I got to-go, I had slightly more tako, cucumber, and if memory serves me right, even more vermicelli! But in both cases, I was satisfied with this as a starter. 

For a touch of Sashimi, we got their Appetizer Sashimi, two pieces each of salmon and tuna, and one piece of tai. I loved the touch of butterflying the kai to insert a few pieces of ikura (my favourite). Fresh but slices were just a touch too thick for my liking. 

We wanted something just a bit heavier, so we tried one of their Special sushi rolls. The one we decided on was the Scallop Tataki. Essentially, it's a Californian Roll (imitation crab meat with avocado and cucumber), topped with scallop mixed with mayonnaise, and then torched. The scallop doesn't get cooked through, but you can see the burn marks on the topping as well as on the rice too! Although I am not a fan of avocado, I liked this roll (after poking out the avocado), and was surprised that a small casual place like this could pull it off. 

As most of you know by now, Ikura is my favourite, and I tried one here during my dine-in experience. Simply presented and freshly made, I thought it was a good serving for $2.50. 

However, they made it decidedly fancier for my take-out order the next time, with the addition of sliced cucumber, diced mint and a few sesame seeds. So far, both the take-out items were winning in the presentation department. I was surprised, but happily so. 

Given the two "wins" from the take-out point of view, I decided to try them on another weekend when I was simply too lazy to cook, drive or go out. This is their Spicy Combo - with 6 pieces of Spicy Tuna and Spicy Salmon each, and then a piece each of Tuna, Salmon and Ebi too. The spicy rolls were mostly California rolls but made with the assorted fish rather than imitation crab meat. I would say this was actually an improvement! The sauce you see on the side is the "spicy" factor. I like the care they take to package this separately so as to not make the whole box a soggy mess. 

This is their Assorted Sashimi. On the take-out menu, it promises the following, 3 pieces of Salmon, Tuna and Hokkigai, 2 pieces each of Toro, Sockeye Salmon, Saba and Tai, and 1 piece of Ika. As you can see, I got a few bonuses such as 1 amaebi and some Ikura in the Tai. And do you spot the piece of Tako? Rarely have I been given MORE food than promised but I'm not complaining. This was $16.95, meaning less than $1 for each piece. I have to note that I did order it once after this picture was taken, and I was given exactly what was listed, nothing more. Guess the chef was in a good mood the first time I went, but a good solid value nonetheless!