Food We Love: Shiro
By Seattle Mag December 31, 1969
Category: Eat + Drink Articles
Sitting in front of the legendary sushi chef Shiro Kashiba as he swiftly rolls his wrist, shaping and warming each piece of perfect fish, all the while goodheartedly teasing those lucky enough to snag one of the 12 sushi-bar seats at his 15-year-old Belltown establishment, there’s no mystery as to why Shiro’s (Belltown, 2401 Second Ave.; 206.443.9844) remains at the top of local sushiphiles’ lists. Not only does Shiro-san (who famously helmed the city’s first real-deal sushi bar, Nikko, in 1967) deliver pristinely fresh fish in perfectly calibrated little bites, he somehow makes each diner feel like a cherished regular, especially when he begins work on your Shiro Roll ($5.50), a cone-shaped hand roll layered with oily, decadent marinated mackerel, pickled ginger and a minty-fresh shiso leaf. Its flavors are as perplexing as they are delicious. And here you were thinking you couldn’t find room for even one more bite.