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[GONE TO UNI] Start by pushing the menu gently to one side. Though the rolls at Yama can be inventive—including a tobiko-and-allium lobster stacked atop a California roll—here you order from a daily specials menu or get omakase from Chef Scott, for one of the freshest and most adventurous sushi experiences in town. Recently, dainty, cucumber-y Kumamoto oysters topped with dollops of uni and squirts of lemon got the meal off to a superb start, followed by a three-tuna sashimi sampler of bluefin from Croatia, ahi from Hawaii and albacore from Oregon. Live uni—black, spiny sea urchin—was cut open and served whole, its golden slabs of briny goodness laid atop a bed of bright green shiso leaves; a slightly tough live abalone was served sashimi-style in translucent slices. Though not technically on the menu, it's worth asking for the chawanmushi, an egg-custard dish containing scallop, shrimp, dashi and soy sauce that is steamed in a porcelain cup. Whatever you're presented with you'll be able to find a pairing on the extensive sake list. And no matter how many of your neighbors order the "spicy roll" in the packed bar, the busy sushi makers never waver in their attention to detail, artfully slicing and arranging each dish with care. ROB FERNAS.
Check the restaurant's Facebook page near the end of the week—usually Thursday or Friday—for the "Fresh Sheet," a cornucopia of incoming deep-sea delights. These routinely end up on Yama's daily specials.
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WWeek 2015