Kamikaze 7 Sushi Joint

I've been meaning to check out Kamikaze 7 for a while now. Each time I walk by the front door, the giant Asahi logo from the back of the restaurant beckons me to enter. Seriously, who would not be entranced by the sight and idea of a cold beverage on a warm summer day? The other thing that grabbed my attention are the hanging katana right above the chairs. Not only do they look pretty cool, but they add an air of excitement! Just make sure not to stand up and stretch your arms out!

I try not eat out at sit-down restaurants that often during weekday lunch times due to a small amount of time for lunch break. But since my friend came down to the gaslamp for lunch, I figure it's time to try out this place.

The menu was simple with a short list of specialty sushi rolls. While most of the other sushi restaurants I've been to provide a much wider selection, I figure that perhaps this narrow offering is a focus of quality over quantity. And with the relatively higher prices, it better be good!

After a few short minutes of reviewing the menu, my friend and I placed our order. I was especially excited because their menu claimed they had real imported Kobe Beef which was served in five different ways (it's actually four, 5th is a sampler of the first four). But unfortunately, our waitress later informed me that they did not have Kobe Beef available that day! Boo...

Almost half an hour had gone by before we finally received our TWO rolls. The restaurant was not even that busy as most of the other customers had already been served when we entered the restaurant. The time was running down fast. We have to go back to work, afterall.

I ordered the Jiro Dreams of Sushi Roll which had a mix of fresh fish, crab, masago, red onion, cilantro, spicy mayo, and lemon zest on the inside. Seared albacore, avocado, ponzu, masago, green onion, and sesame seeds on the outside. 

This sushi roll looked amazing and tasted pretty good too. There was quite a lot of flavor going but that didn't detract from the main focus, the raw pieces of fish. The seared albacore slices were actually quite thick. It was as if you were eating the kind of cut you would get when ordering nigiri. My friend didn't like this one though. She said it left an aftertaste that she couldn't describe but disliked.

My friend ordered the Geisha (Protein) Roll which had tuna, salmon, yellowtail, avocado, cilantro, and ponzu sauce on the inside. Cucumber wrap on the outside.

This one was okay for me. I'm usually not into these types of rolls because they feel somewhat off-balance. All the fish meat makes the roll heavy and one sided and then there's that strong presence of cucumber which doesn't compliment. But if you like lots of raw fish, by all means, order this.

With how long it took to get our food, I'm reluctant to come back. But the thought of tasting true Kobe Beef makes me want to give them a second chance. Of course, since Kobe Beef imports are scarce in the US, so I'm curious as to how much of a supply this restaurant actually receives.