Sea Saw

Location: 7133 East Stetson Dr.

Scottsdale, Arizona 85251

Telephone Number: 480.481.9463

Price: $$

Website: click here

Food: Japanese Tapas with Wine Pairings

**James Beard Best Southwestern Chef Nobuo Fukuda**
chef at work
chef interview

Review: Sea Saw is located in Downtown Scottsdale, next to Cowboy Ciao, which is another restaurant also owned by Peter Kasperski. It is a small, intimate place, filled with dark colors illuminated by candlelight. The bar takes up most of the restaurant, where drinks and food are made in front of you. Many patrons sit directly at the bar, as there are few tables (counter bar seats 16, tables seat 12). I liked the warm, urban vibe; where one can enjoy a unique dining experience, at least for Arizona. We ordered a large variety of tapas. Each order came with at least enough pieces for one sample per person, some came with two or three (there were 4 diners). Another thing the restaurant is known for is their wine list. Peter Kasperki has an award winning collection that he uses at all his establishments. Our waitress was very helpful with what wine to order, in describing the food, and what we were to expect while dining. Each plate was brought out in procession, in about 5-10 minutes intervals. We ordered the japanese mushroom melange ($14), the white fish carpaccio ($16), the soft shell shrimp fry ($14), the gravlax ($14), the tako and tomato ($20),the shinshu mishu ($18), the seared tuna tataki (market price), the hamachi ($16), the saikyo yaki ($14), and the lamb ($14). That may sound like a lot of food, but you get small bites and they are pretty light. This place can get pricey, if you like variety, and alcohol. The mushroom dish came wrapped in parchment paper, which the waitress informed us, was not edible (we probably wouldn't have noticed). There were a variety of mushrooms that were delicious and meaty. The white fish carpaccio comes with a loaf of freshly baked bread to dip in the hot, garlicky olive oil..we had them bake another one. This may be a sushi restaurant, but they know how to make bread. The shrimp may be a little off putting. They are whole shrimps (eyes included) dipped in a light, fried batter. We were encouraged to eat the entire shrimp, which i did, by the staff. It was savory but not a favorite. I really liked the tako and tomato; a twist on the insalata caprese, it came with organic tomatoes, house made mozzarella, grilled octopus, and drizzled in a wasabi aioli. All the elements came together and balanced each other out wonderfully. Other stand out dishes were the hamachi (yellowtail with grapefruit, avocado, and ponzu oil) and the shinshu mushi (steamed sea bass, green tea soba noodles, ume-shiso scented mushroom broth). Although i wasn't too fond of the noodles, the delicate sea bass was silky and delicious, melting in my mouth. We did not get any dessert, only because they were not offering any that night. The menu often changes slightly, according to available produce and proteins. If you really want to try something unique, I would opt for the omakase menu. It is a set priced dinner, with distinct plates that change daily according to the chef's inspirations. To take it up another notch, try the even more extravagant uber omakase. This six course meal (with wine pairings) will set you back $175. You must call and speak to Nobu himself so that he can special order ingredients and create a memorable experience adjusted specifically for you. Even when just sticking to the regular menu, this was a very impressive dinner.

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