Occupying what used to be Corduroy and Finch, this Japanese restaurant is slowly but surely making inroads in the local dining scene. Specializing in sushi, Chiharu also has a good menu of sashimi, appetizers, grilled dishes, simmered items and noodles. And, man, does it do a good job at sushi. We ordered a Nigiri Sushi kaseiki (six courses plus a main course of sushi) and the sushi was by far the best course. First on the table was an appetizer of snail and—a surprisingly delicious item—liver tofu; followed by a beautifully delicate flounder sashimi, and a grilled yellowtail. Then came simmered tofu handmade with soy and mushrooms, and a truly wonderful platter of assorted sushi—tuna belly, tuna, scallop with sea urchin, octopus, sweet prawn, and yellowtail—with thick slices of genuine pickled ginger and daikon. The seafood was so fresh it could have been just fished out of the sea; and it was fat, succulent and hanging heavily over the rice balls which were soft and tasty. The wasabi is made from real horseradish and not the powdered stuff—you get up‑your‑nose grated wasabi here; a real kick. We loved the sushi so much we ordered a soft shell crab roll and we swear it was the best we’ve ever tasted on this island. You must also have the sake here; their selection is extensive with a strong bias towards cold sake. Our carafe of Tosetsuka Ginyo was light and fruity, and we asked so many questions about the sake we got complimentary shots of a more full‑bodied, drier sake. Dessert was an almost‑too‑pretty‑to‑eat plate of Japanese apple, pear and cherry, an interesting red bean pudding and lovely plum jelly. Service was all round good, if a little overly effusive (we don’t need refills of green tea after every two sips), but we’ll definitely be back.
