Spontaneous dinners are often the best. A Monday night meal with D. 15-course omakase at Sushi Soto. We only planned to visit for a light dinner, share a few dishes followed by gelato nearby. But with many tempting menu options (and a good number centered around uni, the ingredient Soto is best known for), it only took a minute to decide on the omakase route. Much to our delight, both uni and caviar were consistent themes throughout the meal. We still did finish with gelato though, three hours later at L’arte del Gelato. Now that was a great evening.
1st course: Goma Tofu – black sesame and white sesame tofu, served with wasabi soy sauce and soy foam
2nd course: Chawan Mushi with Scallops, Shrimp, Chicken, and Ginko Nuts
3rd course: Fluke Ponzu – thinly sliced fluke with chive, ginger shoots, shiso leaf, under mizore ponzu sauce
4th course: Tasmanian Sea Trout and Caviar
5th course: Uni And Yuba – black soy bean milk skin with finest Japanese uni, and shitake broth
6th course: Wild Snapper Carpaccio
7th course: Minute Steamed Tai
8th course: Lobster Sashimi and Hokki Nuta – Thin Sliced Surf Clam with Miyoga Ginger Shoots
9th course: Steamed Lobster with Uni Mousse. The uni mousse was like a potent custard, with all the intense flavors of uni captured into little spoonfuls.
10th course: Cyu Toro Tartare – Bigeye Tuna, Avocado, Chives, and Caviar
11th Course: Uni Ika Sugornori Zukuri – Uni, Squid and Raw Quail Egg..
…pop the yolk and mix with the raw uni tongues and squid. Bliss!
12th course: Broiled Langoustine and Shitake
13th course: Uni-Marasaki, California (left) and Uni-Bafun, Russia (right). My first taste of Russian uni, much more briny and saltier than the California one, but still with that smooth, buttery finish. Now I just have to try 
…and finally a collection of mochi ice cream. A simple, elegant finish to the meal. From left to right: vanilla, mango, azuki bean, strawberry, and matcha.