RayRay's Birthday!

For Raymond's birthday we went Gochi Japanese Fushion Tapas, which is definitely one of the more authentic Japanese restaurants in our area. The ambiance is nice and the restaurant has different seatings ... some regular tables, some flat tables that had boxes where you could put your feet/legs under and some tatami rooms for more private, larger groups. Their menu seems endless and at first glance it's a bit overwhelming but with the help of the waitress and her recommendations from each category, it wasn't too bad! We had a total of 6 orders: Ebi Daikon Namaharumaki, Curry Croquettes, Gyutan Kakuni Jaga Butter, Baked Oysters with Tartar Sauce, Unagi Meshi & Dashi, and the Rib Eye Steak. Although the waitress was helpful, it would've been nice if she informed us of the portion sizes since we had no idea how much to order for just two people. We were well stuffed after all our food, all of which was superb!

Our appetizer, the Ebi Daikon Namaharumaki was a new combination for me. Nothing I've ever tried before, but deliciously tangy!

Ebi Daikon Namaharumaki
(shrimp, veggies & mango rolled with a thinly pickled daikon radish & drizzled in sweet vinaigrette sauce)

Curry croquettes were yummy! The sauce made it even better .. I don't remember what it was though. :c A complete menu on their website would help right about now! Hahah.

Curry Croquettes

Gyutan Kakuni Jaga Butter was one of the orders that the waitress recommended. We were a bit hesitant to try "beef tongue" but she said that it was a very well-liked dish that almost all customers enjoy, so we gave it a try and she was not wrong. Despite it's name, it's something that everyone who comes to Gochi should try! The meat was sooooooo tender and rich, you would've never thought that it was beef tongue. Came out to be my favorite dish of the night. c:

Gyutan Kakuni Jaga Butter
(braised beef tongue with buttered mashed potatoes)

Ehhh ... baked oysters in tartar sauce. Satisfied my oyster cravings, but didn't like that the tartar sauce contained so many pieces of onion! :c Good, but okay compared to the other dishes we ordered.

Baked Oysters in Tartar Sauce

My other favorite! The unagi meshi & dashi! Initially we ordered without the dashi, but the waitress suggested that we try it for just $2.50 more. Dashi came in a teapot and was a broth that was served lightly and used to drench the crispy rice, giving it more flavor and texture. It was a surprisingly good combination and added well with these already super yummy clay rice pots! The unagi meshi was good with and without the dashi! Nom n om o no m on o mm!!

Unagi Meshi & Dashi
(Eel w/ Rice in Clay Pot & broth)

The last dish to arrive .. the rib eye steak. Meat was tender, very juicy, and cooked medium-rare, just the way I like it! c: I also enjoyed the light taste of brandy in the sauce!

Rib Eye Steak (with soy-garlic brandy sauce topped with scallions and garlic chips)

We were lucky to eat on a Tuesday night instead of their typical notorious Fridays / Saturdays for long waits and got a table within 10 minutes. Great ambiance and the service is good but slightly hasty. A bit expensive for the amount of food provided, but not unreasonable for superb Japanese cuisine. Will definitely go back to try more of their menu!!