My friends treated me to dinner last night at Musashi’s, a very small sushi restaruant in Wallingford. Some people think it’s overrated, but the general concensus is that it’s a great place – except for the wait to get in.
One of my friends suggested she order for me, which was a little strange; but I let her. She ordered something that’s not on the menu. Turned out to be a bowl of (very good rice) with healthy portions of salmon, tuna, yellowtail (?), eel, scallops, and some caviar and green onions for garnish. Very good. Some of the best sashimi I’ve had.
But I can’t remember the name of it. I got the impression that it’s a generic name. Something like ‘surashi bowl’ or ‘sirashi bowl’.
Any bells ringing?
It’s usually called “chirashi” in most of the sushi menus I’ve seen. It’s a generic name used to describe assorted sashimi served on a bed of sushi rice, so the type of sashimi is pretty much left up to the chef’s discretion. Sounds like you got a pretty good combination of fish/seafood, but I’ve seen it done poorly as well (one time, I got a pile of chewy surf clam and squid, a couple of pieces each of tuna and salmon, and egg… very disappointing indeed)
Wiki link.
Thanks, Mahna Mahna!
I found some pictures of Musashi’s chirashi. I think mine was more artfully arranged. Very generous portions. I could barely finish it. (Of course, I’d had a large lunch just nine hours earlier, and we’d stopped off for a beer before we got to the restaurant, and then we went for a beer after putting our name on the waiting list.) You should have seen the size of the fish on my friend’s nigiri! Seemed like they were half-again or twice as big as anyone else’s sushi I’ve had over the decades.
Yes, it was a very good combination. The fishes just melted in my mouth. Nice and fresh, and high quality. I saved the eel for last, because it’s my favourite. (And a lot better than the supermarket food court eel bowl I had a few weeks ago!) An excellent feast – with good friends, to boot! 
Hey Johnny, you guys should come east a little and try Sushiman. Some of my favorite sushi in town.