RV Trip 2018 - Part 1: Kabuto Edomae Sushi

In October of 2018, Leah and I were lucky enough to take our dream vacation - a 3-week RV tour of the American southwest. We flew into Las Vegas and spent one night in the city living it up, then hit the road in our compact 19' RV, staying at campgrounds and RV parks as we visited the various national parks, before finally returning to Vegas for two nights at the end.

Though most of the trip was spent "roughing it" in the RV, we did enjoy some very special food and drink in Las Vegas, for instance this incredible sushi meal at Kabuto! Unfortunately, I only have photos of the more composed dishes of the evening - we also enjoyed an entire nigiri progression, though I didn't wish to impose on the itamae's service by stopping to take pictures of each piece he offered.

Kabuto Edomae Sushi
5040 West Spring Mountain Rd #4
kabutolv.com

RV Trip 2018 - Part 2: Misc. Dining
RV Trip 2018 - Part 3: Camping Food
RV Trip 2018 - Part 4: Oak & Ivy
RV Trip 2018 - Part 5: é by José Andrés
RV Trip 2018 - Part 6: Emeril's Delmonico Steakhouse

Kabuto is a small sushi restaurant in a Las Vegas strip mall. They focus on the Edomae style of sushi, offering a selection of appetizers as well as individual pieces of nigiri created by their highly experienced itamae.

The restaurant is minimalist and beautiful, with warm, light wood covering virtually every surface.

Kotsuzumi

Rojo Hana Ari "Kuroboton" (Peony Meadow)

Junmai Daiginjo

We started with this sake from Kotsuzumi. It had a nice round taste, with a slightly sharp bite that paired well with all the fish we were about to eat. 

House Melon Sake

In addition to the bottle we ordered, we were presented a small glass each of Kabuto's frozen house sake, in this case flavored with melon. 

Appetizer

Left: Octopus w/ Radish, Cucumber, Seaweed, & Dashi

Right: Seared & Marinated Bluefin Tuna w/ Cucumber & Daikon

Chilled Plate

Clockwise from Bottom-Left:

Bonito, Ocean Trout, Shigoku Oyster, Botan-Ebi, Scallop

Warm Plate

Clockwise from Bottom-Left:

Braised Tuna, Crab Salad, Whelk, Yellowtail w/ Miso, White Fish w/ Uni Sauce

Though everything on this plate was great, the braised tuna, which tasted almost like short rib, was a true revelation. 

Marinated Ikura & Uni

I commented to the itamae at the end of the meal that I had never enjoyed ikura quite as much as this. He remarked that just getting a good product and treating it well was the key. 

Negitoro Temaki

Miso Soup w/ Prawn

Dessert

Matcha Ice Cream, Mochi, Red Bean Paste, Strawberries

Japanese desserts are often not the strong point of the meal, but we were blown away by this dish. The best ingredients were the ones I can't remember (the brown substance on the left and the sauce). I want to say they were molasses-based. I just remember them adding a wheat-like richness that tied all the elements together wonderfully.