Highlights from a visit to Kotan in Fukuoka, helmed by Noguchi-san (former second hand at Sushi Hashimoto in Tokyo). I’m missing a few dishes as it was a rather chatty meal.
Noguchi-san continues to wow me with his technical ability and nigiri skills. Not only are his nigiri photogenic, but they’re also impeccably formed. They feel different to the touch and show great care has been taken to ensure harmony between the neta and shari, by adjusting shari temperature/density and neta thickness. They’re as close to perfect as you’ll find anywhere.
His nigiri are on the larger side like at Hashimoto. Shari is on the al dente side with a mix of both akazu and komezu (more prominent). I was most impressed with the overall texture and density though. They linger on the palate a bit longer than nigiri at other restaurants giving a bit more time to enjoy them.
Tsumami consisted mostly of locally sourced, seasonal items. The uni and mozuku in one dish were sourced from the exact same location nearby.
I highly recommend visiting if given the opportunity. He can already roll with the big boys and girls in Tokyo if he were so inclined. At 22,000 JPY for the full course, the cost performance is sky high.
by m046186