During my recent restaurant search for sweet (and sustainable) scallops in Seattle, I mentioned Mashiko. In 2009, Hajime Sato transformed his space into the city’s first fully sustainable sushi bar.
What is sustainable seafood? When I gave Mashiko the Sexy Feast treatment last month, I wrote that I like the David Suzuki Foundation definition, which says it’s “seafood fished or farmed in a manner that can maintain or increase production in the long term, without jeopardizing the health or function of the web of life in our oceans.”
Sustainability calls for traceability and education. And here’s what I like about what Sato is doing. He’s an advocate of the former and a leader of the latter—teaching people about the need to use the right materials, techniques, and approach to ensure a better tomorrow for seafood.
So I highly suggest you sit at the counter at Mashiko and order omakase. Put yourself in Sato’s hands, and you’ll get non-preachy education (and some entertainment) to go along with delicious dishes. At some sushi places, I just want to eat nigiri; at Mashiko, it’s interesting to see what ingredient combinations Sato will serve you—and what he’ll say about them.
Wondering what your sustainable seafood meal will look like? Be a voyeur and check out the slideshow above for pure food porn.
Paseo, Salumi and many Vietnamese delis selling BBQ pork banh mi: All are superb places for a sandwich in Seattle. Now it’s time to add Katsu Burger to that elite list. Hajime Sato, (sustainable) sushi chef at Mashiko, recently opened this bustling eatery in Georgetown, and I’ve already heard rumors of expansion, perhaps to South Lake Union.
