And so it’s no surprise that it has taken me 4 years to venture over to Kazu Sushi, which happens to be located right across the street from my market (the one I visit 2-3 times per week). When my aunt and cousin came to stay with me in San Francisco, I knew that I’d be taking them around to a lot of places I had been to hundreds of times, so I really wanted to experience something new with them. Something that we could discover and share together. And so I took them to Sushi Kazu.

On a cold and incredibly foggy San Francisco summer night, we were greeted with warm, wet towels, hot tea, and a cozy packed dining room (at 9 pm on a Friday night). My little cousin isn’t one for sushi, so we ordered her a simple cucumber roll. My aunt, more of an adventurous eater, was open to getting a few different rolls–which she kindly allowed me to choose. We went for an Alaska–salmon and avocado. Yellowtail and green onion. Real crab California. And, one adventurous one–a Hawaiian roll with unagi (eel), mango and tuna. We didn’t get any nigiri or sashimi, or any of the delicious-sounding appetizers listed on the menu and the specials board. And yet, everything was just right. Extremely fresh fish. The perfect amount of rice to filling. Great vegetables. More, the rolls were all formed well and didn’t fall apart! It’s a wonder it has taken me so long to get here. Next time, I’m looking forward to taking Matt.

I must say: trying something new always feels good–even if it’s right in your own backyard.

Local Pairings: Casey & Brian – Catbees LP & No Fiction 7″ + Kazu Sushi

San Francisco’s Casey & Brian are a hyper-punk duo consisting entirely of shout-out-loud vocals, drums and a keyboard (Casy & Brian share/alternate all three responsibilities). Their music sounds like equal parts Screeching Weasel, Matt & Kim, and Moldy Peaches. The duo’s debut album, “Catbees,” collects 10 primarily animal-themed danceable electro-punk tracks of relentless drums and booming, incessant keys. Vocals are shouted aloud, with lyrics often tripping on top of other lyrics. Live, the formula is explosive and wide-eyed, and to their extreme credit, the album does an excellent job of capturing that energy. The opening track on the album, “Duex Drumbaclots,” serves as Casy & Brian’s musical manifesto, as they declare that: “we made the record that we want to hear.” And on the track “Animal Calls N’ Dancehalls,” Casy and Brian demonstrate an obsession with animals that continues on at least 6 of the 18 minute long album’s 9 other songs, as they sing/shout the lyrics such as: “certain animals dance after hours at the zoo / if a zebra can get down / so can you” atop stuttering, grimy keys and ratatat drums. The whole album is a sophomoric mess in the best possible way, and makes for irresistible dance-punk fun. Head over to Musical Pairings @ eating/sf to read the rest of the review. –Matthew

Foods I crave when I go back to the US: fresh, cheap sushi (yes, it’s a category), bagels and pizza. Having been raised in the New York area, I consider these three items a birthright. It’s just too bad that the closest I came to NY during the last trip was Connecticut.

Still, the straightforward sushi I had at Kazu in Norwalk, CT was the best of my three sushi outings during this last trip. The restaurant, which has a sleek, a-little-too-ready-to-be-franchised decor, was pleasantly busy on a Thursday evening, but I could still easily hear myself talk over the buzz in the room (important!).

Kazu’s sushi offerings were all classic and basic, which was fine by me, especially because everything I ordered tasted fresh and flavorful. My shrimp tempura roll, for example, was warm and crispy from a recent frying, and the shrimp still tasted sweet, sea-creaturey and not rubbery. And it was only $6.50. Take that, evil doers.

Service at the resto was super-attentive and perky in that unique American way that annoys Europeans. I figure, on the balance, it’s better to be overly-perky and attentive than rude and indifferent. (Cue American flag waving in the front yard).

On another evening, Jon and I met three of our fave friends for sushi at Oishii in Boston. The resto is all black slate sleekness, but the cool factor diminished for us when we were seated by the bathroom. To be fair, we’d made a reservation only three hours beforehand, so I guess if someone’s going to be by the bathroom, it’s reasonably us.

The sushi at Oishii was visually exciting, but the food really varied. The baby hamachi starter (photo at top of post) was a highlight – beautiful to see, delicious to eat. Miso crumbs and menegi added crunch and savoriness, and fried garlic gave it a tasty kick. Totally worth the $18.

Unfortunately, we veered away from the raw fish after our starters, and I think ordering the “cooked” foods was a major mistake. $25 for shrimp maki and $15 for lobster tempura maki yielded lots of overcooked seafood, however prettily wrapped in nori and jicama (see third photo).

My shrimp boule wrapped in fried potato strings (see fourth photo) deserves a special mention for looking so interesting and creative, but tasting like rubber trapped in shredded wheat.

Because the baby hamachi starter was *so* good, I’d go back for the raw fish and sake.

Last and totally least, avoid Ra Sushi in Palm Beach Gardens like the plague. Eating in the vicinity of Palm Beach generally means that you should steel yourself for an expensive and mediocre meal. At best, you might end up with an expensive and decent meal, but most times, expect the mediocre outcome and cook at home.

Despite knowing this rule of thumb, I broke down and dragged Jon to a shopping mall called Downtown (yes, really) to eat sushi at the enormous and loud Ra Sushi. Think Cheesecake Factory (of course also located in “Downtown”) with lots of red lanterns, then subtract all the diners that at least make Cheesecake Factory buzzy, and add back in a giant-screen TV showing very loud football games.

We should have run away immediately upon entering, but I was determined to get a sushi fix. Jon is still holding this one against me. The raw fish was so old and mealy that I feared for our safety so we didn’t finish our food. We just paid our $70 and left.