Review of Soto Japanese Cuisine

Chefs Choice Sushi

When the topic of Soto comes up with friends and fellow foodies there is one commonality that resonates, they had a one of a kind experience. Why? Because at Soto your dining experience does not stop at the sense of taste, they incorporate site and smell into their imaginative dishes. They want you to have an enjoyable culinary experience and it shows with each creative dish along with the friendly interactions with the Soto team. Guests relish over the presentation of menu items such as fire salmon, hamachi toro tartare served on blocks of ice and fresh uni served in its shell.

The moment you walk in the door you are graciously greeted \”irasshaimase\”. The decor is clean and classic with dark walls with hints of gold throughout the restaurant. You will find families in the front dining area, romantic dates in the dimly lit back dining room and friends enjoying happy hour in the bar area. For parties of two or less I always recommend sitting at the sushi bar. The owner Chef Andy gets a sense of what you like and will often make some recommendations which are always spot on. One item everyone should try during their first visit is the fire salmon. Thin slices of tender salmon are draped over a stick of lemon grass, sprinkled with delicate edible flowers and served with a blazing fire from 151 and coffee beans. The flame dissipates in 45-90 seconds resulting in a light crispness. I also recommend the chefs choice sushi. The chefs choice comes with 10 pieces of nigiri and includes higher end cuts of fish and sometimes Kobe.

Chefs Choice Sushi

The daily chef specials are always enticing. If you\’re not 100% sure what to order the Soto team will share what is exceptionally fresh that day and if there are new offerings. There are also several off the menu items that are great for ordering on slower dining times when Chef Andy has time to fire up in the kitchen. My most recent experience during dinner I tried some new items that Chef Andy recommended to include uni pasta. The perfectly cooked noodles are topped with an egg and a piece of truffle. The sauce\’s flavor was infused with truffle that tasted heavenly with the umami flavors of the uni. The gooey egg yoke added a welcomed richness to the dish.

Uni Pasta with Truffle

I also ordered a pan seared hamachi dish bathing in miso creme sauce. I liked how the sauce complimented the light flaky hamachi.

Pan Seared Hamachi

If you are feeling full the tart yuzu balls are the perfect way to end a meal. But if you are feeling adventurous try one of their new creations, beer cheesecake served with panna cotta ice cream and panna cotta whipped cream. The cheesecake has a brulee type coating and pairs well with the rich penna cotta. The dessert is a pleasant mix of savory and sweet.

Beer Cheesecake and Panna Cotta Ice Cream

A few months ago Soto launched their Kawaski lunch specials and lunch service has since skyrocketed. I had a weekday off this month and finally made it in for lunch. The Kawasaki lunch consists of a variety of small plates along with a miso soup and salad making it a unique way to try Soto. I ordered the sushi and sashimi Kawasaki lunch which comes with delicate cuts of tuna and salmon sashimi, tender unagi and hamachi nigiri, baked salmon topped with ikura, buttery super white with a delicious ginger sauce, a savory mini crab cake, rock shrimp in a creme fraiche sauce, fried rice and choice maki. I typically pass on salads when dining out unless it is the main entree but I am glad I tried their fresh salad tossed in a delicious ginger sauce. The tasting plates are just the right size and they give a good sense of how innovative the Soto team is.

Soto has a full bar with a large selection of sake, wine, beer and both traditional and signature cocktails. Sunday is ladies night offering half off their cocktail menu.