Sushi Kappo Tamura

Make sure to order the Spam sushi. Not with the lead maker. He finds it offensive. But the rest of the staff appreciates it. With chocolate and sea salt? Honey? It’s the best! Love this place. Usually…

Arguably the best sushi I have had. Sushi is by far one of my favorite things to eat.
We made reservations but there was space at the sushi bar and we sat there. Service from the waitstaff and the chefs was 10 out of 10. Sashimi sampler and the golden roll were amazing
If you like sushi. Go here. It is amazing.

Amazing atmosphere, the food is amazing! The Beef shoulder is tender and flavorful. The sustainable sushi is fresh and well prepared. High end sushi and quality service. A must try when in Seattle!

Went here once during restaurant week and had the prix fixe meal, which was excellent for the price! I’ve heard it’s quite pricey otherwise.
Realized recently that they do brunch. Well, this was music to my ears! And boy did they deliver! We showed up on Saturday at opening (11am) with a reservation. Not a single person was there the entire time we were. You folks are missing out! This brunch was one of the best I’ve ever had! We had both the Asa and Hiru Gozen and both were fantastic! Thank you Bobby for one of the best brunches in town! Can’t wait to come back. C’mon folks, I know sushi brunch sounds odd, but it works. And it’s fantastic! Go support Bobby and company.

Sushi Kappo Tamura is a beautiful sushi restaurant located on a quiet stretch in Eastlake. I had heard quite a few good things about the restaurant, and have now had an opportunity to try it twice.
The ambience of this restaurant is calming; the interior is tastefully decorated with warm lighting. Overall a quiet and very nice restaurant for a date or to catch up with friends. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for large groups. Most of the tables were smaller, with some limited seating available at the sushi bar.
I would highly recommend ordering the chawan mushi, which is a warm egg custard served in a small ceramic bowl. The chawan mushi at this restaurant is made with red crab and black cod, both of which were fresh and added good flavor to the dish. This was my first time trying chawan mushi, at the recommendation of a friend, and it was the highlight of the meal.
We also shared the salad with fuji apples, which was essentially just what I expected.
Let’s get to the true focus of this restaurant: the sushi. We certainly appreciated the local flair in their extensive sushi menu. We tried the hamachi, Washington king salmon, and maguro. All were extremely high quality and fresh. Some of the most well-​crafted sushi that I’ve had in Seattle.
The first time I tried this restaurant, I tried the chirashi plate based on some previous Unilocal reviews. I actually didn’t enjoy the chirashi here much, although it’s usually a staple that I often order at other restaurants. There was something slightly off with the flavoring that made the fish taste sweeter and really detracted from the flavor of the fish itself. I had much better luck on my second visit sticking to the nigiri, which was delicious, and enjoyed that much more.
I wouldn’t characterize this restaurant as being particularly authentic Japanese. Its menu offerings still straddle a line between Japanese-​local Seattle cuisine, but this isn’t necessarily a complaint. (Other than prices being slightly higher than most Japanese restaurants in Seattle, along with small portions. However, willing to overlook this given the quality of local ingredients.) If you are seeking more authentic, hole in the wall Japanese there are many, many other options in Seattle that would be better options. However, if you want a really nice and soothing place for dinner with high quality and meticulously-​prepared food, Sushi Kappo Tamura would be perfect for you.
Tip: street parking here is tricky. I’ve had good luck on E Allison St (the Lake Union side, relative to the restaurant).

Weekend brunch review
Bara Chirashi — sashimi is good but rice is a bit dry.
Hiru gozen — Braised wagyu skirt steak was not tender, it would probably taste better if had been grilled instead.
ASA gozen — grilled salmon was over cooked.
Nigiri gozen — fish is good but rice is dry.
Overall, service was great but food is average and a bit pricey. I could get similar quality of sushi at Ginza at cheaper price.

Omakase! That’s Japanese for «good luck, you’re in for a treat» (loose translation).
More seriously — cute little sushi place tucked into an apartment building below I5 in Eastlake, right before you get to the University Bridge. Easy to overlook if you didn’t know it was here.
We made a reservation for 4 and specifically told them we wanted the Omakase, which means the chef prepares a special multi-​course experience of his choosing, so it’s not for folks that have a narrow palette. It was great — had a whole bunch of things I wouldn’t otherwise try (oysters, a custard-​like savory soup, eel) along with traditional favorites (hamachi, maguro, ebi). For dessert the crème brûlée was only so-​so, but the black sesame ice cream was awesome — tasted unexpectedly like peanut butter in all the right ways.
I’m dinging it 1-​star only because I’ve been here a few times and the service has never been great. Seriously, just tell me about the food in detail, refill/​ask if I need more to drink when it makes sense and most of all don’t stop to tell me what your political views are just because that’s what we’re talking about at the table.

Excellent food, with classic japanese portion control size. The rice for the sushi was very well done, balanced and the ratio to the fish was spot on. It was not too sweet or acidic. The ambiance was warm and inviting as long as you don’t have babies with you. They do not have high chairs, but this isn’t the type of place that you would want to bring you baby. Unfortunately, we did. However, we knew that going in that there was no high chair. My sister is friends with the owner/​chef and she confirmed with them ahead of time. It made things a little bit more difficult but still worth it. The salmon collar was cooked to perfection and from wild caught and not farm raised salmon. The salmon belly sushi was fabulous and just melted in your mouth.
Being from LA and having eaten a lot of sushi some good some bad and a few great places, I put this somewhere in my top 10. For those from LA, it’s better than Sugar fish and closer to Hump and Asanebo.

Came here for restaurant week and I wasn’t disappointed. I know it’s quite pricey for sushi but they don’t let you down in terms of quality. The added sense of eating sustainable sushi is also pretty cool seeing as how we keep hearing about over fishing. The price point here also reflects in the service that you’ll receive. Our hostess and waiter were both very observant and prompt when it came to service and hospitality. I ordered the chirashi bowl and got a decent mound of fish, chopped tomago, sautéed mushrooms, and assorted vegetables. Even though it was restaurant week, I received the same amount of food that would regularly be served during normal hours. Overall I may come back for a special occasion but as long as musashis is still open, I think I’ll have to let Tamura pass as my regular sushi joint.

I’m only giving this place a 2-​star rating mainly for the food presentation and the ambience.
* So disappointed in this place that I’m actually typing this on my phone on the car ride home. So please excuse any typos/​grammar/​formatting errors
The food was lacking in the following:
Flavor — sushi (the rice) was bland and dry. Never have I had under seasoned sushi before. If you plan on eating here, bring some vinegar and sugar to season your rice. The grains fell apart so easily as they weren’t made to the perfect consistency to be formed into a tight ball (or that oblong shape ball of rice). The miso soup was also bland, and had a tart taste that doesn’t belong in the soup. Finally, dessert. Saving grace? No. The mochi was greasy from the butter it was fried in and the azuki beans were unbearably sweet (and I’m the type of person to dip my bread in condensed sugar!!)
Portion — the slices of fish on my nigiri are so thin and small that I could barely taste them. Again, there’s an issue with the flavor here as it was practically absent!
For a high-​end sushi restaurant this was a huge let down.

The sushi was fresh and comparable to other good sushi joints. Ordered a seaweed app to start that was too slimy and seaweedie for my tastes. Plus: they took it back and didn’t charge. Miso soup was also made with fried tofu that was kinda dried up. Overall decent place but I’d probably just stick to ordering sushi if I visit again!

You know when someone asks you what your top 5 favorite meals are and a montage of imagery flashes in your head? Yeah, the food at this place is definitely one of them for me.
From their oysters and sashimi to pork katsu and miso cods, all of the food here is done right. It’s prepared traditionally Japanese, artfully crafted and meticulous to a tee. You won’t see rolls oozing with spicy mayo or eel sauce here but a refined and delicious fare. A meal here sets me back a week but it’s so worth it. I don’t make safe choices here. It’s one of those places where you should be adventurous because taking chances here pays off. All in all, highly recommended.

Wow what a neat find under the freeway. It’s a wonderful little oasis that reminds me of out of the way spots in Tokyo. Residential streets and then suddenly a wonderful restaurant. It’s really five minutes away from busy south lake union but feels like a serene spot. And we were lucky enough to sit next to a Japanese couple sitting next to use completed the picture. :-)
The décor is industrial chic with organic shapes. And the picture windows really have a nice urban view for those of us who love the rain
But of course the main thing is the food.
Taichi-​san was here and we put ourselves in his hands.
They have a nice sake selection as well so make sure to ask for a recommendation (at least those of us who aren’t sake experts).
The mustard green and albacore tuna was delicious and a nice balance of sweet and savory. The sashimi was excellent.
The ling cod tempura as light and the peppers were terrific.
The sushi is spectacular. We had the ama ebi, sea scallops, yellow tail, firefly squid, washington king salmon and sockeye. What a great omakase!
The ama ebi was sweet and delicious. Super fresh. I’m not usually a geoduck fan but this was so light and tender that I enjoyed it. The tako was a little tough (not massaged enough if uv watched Jiro Loves Sushi :-)
The firefly squid was well marinated and another unique flavor. It was particularly good a a mini-​wrap with shiso lead and daikon. The two salmons were also super fresh. The king salmon in particular was so tender yet rich. Yum! The hamachi was really good as well.
Uni, squid fin, king crab, albacore toro, ebi, halibut, razor clam were the omakase sushi. It isn’t for beginners but a great adventure in the flavors of the sea. The variety of flavors was so good. One tip is that they don’t need soy sauce and wasabi. It’s nice to have it in one pop and see what the chef intended.
The king crab nigiri had a nice spicy kick but was so sweet and delicate. Nice contrast. I’m not usually a razor clam fan but this was really a delicate flavor.
The toro albacore was excellent. The oka was light and just salty enough. Super fresh. I know it’s an acquired taste but uni Nigiri was such a great way to end. Rich and sweet at the same time. Overall one of the best sushi and sashimi combos I’ve had in a long time for freshness and variety. Bravo!

For better or worse, my husband and I have become total sushi snobs. We’re over the super americanized rolls and love the really good quality basic fish and rice variety of sushi. Luckily Sushi Kappo Tamura has fantastic sushi that we love.
To start I had the string bean salad while my husband had the tuna and mustard greens salad. Both were very good, although the tuna and mustard greens was a bit better with its incredible almond wasabi sauce.
We both got the chef’s sushi combo, which was amazing. We have been to Nishino as well and thought this place was just a bit better. The fish was very fresh and flavorful, with excellent texture. We were also served miso soup, which was very good as well.
We shared the apple pie dessert, which was very good as well — lots of interesting and creative textures!
It is a bit pricy, but that’s what you have to pay for this amazing quality of food. We will definitely be back!

I went to Sushi Kappo for the first time last weekend to celebrate Mother’s day and it was excellent! My mom and I had the omakase where as my brother and his girlfriend shared the Tasting Menu and extra sushi board.
Though we didn’t have the traditional, sit-​at-​the-​counter-​while-​the-​chef-​gives-​you-​one-​piece-​of-​sushi-​at-​a-​time omakase experience, the meal was still great, plus, my mom prefers the dinner variety in an omakase and this dinner was for her =)
The quality of everything was beyond fresh, especially the live spot prawns they had and served in our sashimi platter. My favorite part of course was the uni! We got to try two types of uni in different parts of the omakase and I was extremely happy.
The service was great and the atmosphere inside was very comfortable. It was a gorgeous, sunny, Seattle evening so the walk around the Eastlake area was comfortable too.
We will definitely be going back there to take one of my cousins when he comes back in town.
For more photos and a more in-​depth review, check out my blog post here:

Taichi is a master chef!
I’ve come back a bunch of times since my last review. I still am amazed by the freshness of the fish and perfect flavor of the rice. It’s really a winning combo.
We did the «Beat Bobby Flay Omakase» and it was the best yet.
My new favorite dessert that I dream about is their apple pie sorbet a la mode. The vanilla icecream on the bottom ties everything in like I’m eating real pie with ice cream. So delicious!

After seeing Taichi beat Bobby Flay I had to come in and try Sushi Kappo Tamura for myself on a recent visit to Seattle.
I’ve never been to the Eastlake area and it’s a nice quaint lakeside neighbourhood. The restaurant fits in quite nicely; not to upscale but not too casual either.
We walked in and sat at the bar. Love it when the chef is front and center behind the sushi bar and very friendly and interactive with his guest! We asked what he recommended and my friend and I shared a few dishes:
— Sushi and sashimi combo (super fresh);
— tempura appetizer (can’t go wrong with this, but nothing super extraordinary);
— special whitefish with the most delicious soy/​miso-​ish marinade… he actually called it ‘idiot fish’ but there was nothing idiotic about it! So good
— for dessert; we shared the Millet Mochi and Red bean (yum) and the yuzu yogurt panna cotta. Two of my faves and having both did really balance out the meal! :)
A really great dining experience not just for the delicious food but for the awesome service! From the hostess to our server to Chef Taichi himself, everyone wore a smile on their faces and this made for a great evening.

In what may be the best kept secret around; Sushi Kappo Tamura has a wonderful brunch!
I came here with the fam last weekend and there were three entrée options:
braised wagyu beef skirt with maitake mushrooms & yuchoy
broiled Alaskan sockeye salmon
sashimi
We all opted for the wagyu and the salmon, which came with miso soup, sashimi, steamed rice, a few vegetable sides, and dessert. Talk about a steal of a deal at $ 20 & $ 25. The braised wagyu was melt in your mouth, and the sashimi was ridiculously fresh. If this ‘brunch bento’ was any indication of quality and freshness, I’m sold on a return trip for dinner.

We were utterly mad about our experience.
Had a reservation at the bar on a Saturday night, being busy is understandable and actually a good thing. Our seats opened up, we were told that they’ll need a couple minutes to clean up, 15 – 20 minutes later, still no one cleaned up our spots at the bar. Boyfriend showed frustration eventually, we got seated immediately.
We are indeed, sushi snobs, and were looking forward to be wowed but the chef who beat Bobby Flay.
Nigiri:
We ordered 2 (2 pieces an order), and let the chef pick 4 (8 pieces), so that’ll be 12 in total. We received 14 pieces, no problem we are happy to eat them, and ordered 1 more order of Amaebi. That was 16 pieces in total.
Why did I go into all that? We were charged 2 extra orders when I looked into the receipt after we got home. Because it was so ridiculously expensive. When you are at a great sushi restaurant, ordered from a good chef, they shouldn’t be eager to sell you the MOST expensive items they had. And that was what happened. According to our receipt, we were charged multiple $ 10 BITES.
Boyfriend and I have been to places in US and in Japan where we are more than happy to pay $ 10 per nigiri, because the rice was perfectly seasoned at perfect temperature, fish should be thick and long that covers the rice balls. Here, the rice was cold and al dente, no vinegar flavor whatsoever, and the fish way too thin and small. We had to leave out half of the rice in order to taste the fish. Was the fish fresh? I guess so, I could barely taste it.
I thought about going to the restaurant and talked about our over-​charged bill. But $ 20 is not enough for me to step into this painful restaurant again.
I really hope the chef/​owner sees this review. We had high expectations, and really wanted to like the restaurant. However, we weren’t let down, we were traumatized by the experience.

We stopped by on a stormy night for dinner, and reserved a spot at the sushi bar. Perhaps it was a slow night, but there was only two other people at the sushi bar the entire time we were there. The place is very industrial-​looking, right off of Eastlake Ave. We were using a Travelzoo coupon, and both got the omakase dinner, which included:
Shigoku oysters: three oysters with ponzu and salmon roe: very good, maybe the best part of the meal.
Asparagus, shimeji mushrooms, crab with tofu sauce: the sauce was interesting, but you can’t go wrong with mushrooms and crab.
Chef’s sashimi: beautiful presentation that included salmon, geoduck, albacore, shrimp and tuna (all very fresh).
Black cod: hard to beat miso-​glazed black cod (love the crispy skin)
1^st sushi course: sockeye salmon, scallop, Spanish mackerel (my favorite one). Washington albacore, unagi.
2^nd sushi course (interesting that we got sushi twice in a row, but this was a good thing): I can’t remember everything in this course, but there was salmon roe, king crab and black cod belly (cooked, and really good).
This was the end of the omakase, other than the dessert course, so we added on a tempura dish. The shrimp and vegetables were fried nicely, but at $ 14, the price is pretty steep.
Yuzu yogurt panna cotta: nice and light way to end the meal.
Overall, the sushi and sashimi was really good. The service was decent (waitress was ok, sushi chefs were really nice). Not sure that I would say that Tamura has the best omakase in Seattle (I really liked the one at Nishino), but overall, really fresh fish is served here.