SHIRO’S SUSHI OPENS SECOND RESTAURANT: SHOMON KAPPO SUSHI

SHIRO’S SUSHI OPENS SECOND RESTAURANT: SHOMON KAPPO SUSHI

By Heather Jensvold
NAP Contributor

The team behind Shiro’s Sushi restaurant opened ShoMon Kappo Sushi restaurant in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhoodbordering South Lake Union. The 26-seat restaurant opened in early September offering an inspired, multi-course menu using localized ingredients and a chef’s expression.

Sushi counter at the new ShoMon restaurant in the Belltown neighborhood in Seattle. Photo credit: Suzi Pratt.

◀︎ Seared skipjack tuna with Walla Walla sweet onion

The refined Japanese menu blends tradition and innovation infused with the virtues of Japan’s formal and elegant kappo restaurants. ShoMon will integrate the rich flavor of golden, clear dashi (dried bonito flakes and kelp), the foundation of kappo cuisine, with nigiri sushi, sashimi, and meat. It will then use traditional Japanese cooking techniques passed down through the ages in a seasonal, coursed menu.

Japanese Rockfish with wild chanterelles and chrysanthemum leaves. Photo credit: Suzi Pratt.

The interior design is based on Japanese aesthetics that exude simple elegance with a modern inclination. The focal point of ShoMon is a 14-seat, L-shaped chef’s counter, traditional in kappo-style dining. The tranquil, side dining room offers 12 additional seats in an equally immersive experience. It also includes a commissioned, artisan-crafted washi-paper light installation adorning the wall. From the moment guests step into ShoMon, they are enveloped in the ambiance of a formal yet subtle Japanese restaurant. It features sekishu tiles (traditional Japanese roof tiles) that create an atmosphere of an authentic Japanese kappo restaurant.

The food will be prepared entirely on the counter side, an essential set-up for kappo dining, giving guests an opportunity to indulge all their senses — sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste — and appreciate both the process and artistry involved.

Dining room with a commissioned, artisan-craft, washi paper, light installation on the wall. Photo credit: Suzi Pratt.

Depending on the night, guests might savor slow-cooked wagyu with lotus root or a dish of golden eye snapper in dashi with yuzu and snow peas or a course of soft cod roe tofu, sweet miso, and shredded ginger. The multi-course, set menu will be approximately $185 per person, noting a special evening of elegant artistry and premium ingredients in a refined and polished dining experience.

At the helm of the culinary team isexecutive chef Masaki Nishioka. Guests enjoy a collaborative effort from thechef’s team. They are steeped in broad cooking styles and techniques whichshowcas years of training in kappo cuisine.  There is even a team member with experience at aMichelin-starred kappo restaurant in Kyoto and Hiroshima, Japan. Most of the chef’s team has been at Shiro’s Sushi while developing the ShoMon menu for more than nine months.

Reservations are available online at resy.com. Located at 2301 Fifth Avenue. Learn more at sho-mon.com, Facebook and Instagram.