Sushi, Sashimi Super At Kirkland's Izumi

Restaurant review

Izumi, 12539 16th Ave. N.E., Kirkland; 821-1959. Bankcards and checks accepted. Smoking section available during dinner only. Lunch hours are 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Dinner hours are 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fridays, 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturdays and 4:30 to 9 p.m. Sundays. -----------------------------------------------------------------

Izumi, a small Japanese restaurant tucked away behind an unassuming storefront in a small Totem Lake strip mall, is easy to pass by.

But those who venture beyond the front door will find a quaint, traditionally decorated Japanese eatery with waiters in kimono-style uniforms and plenty of excellent Asian cuisine awaiting them.

"People come in and they don't know what's going on," says Izumi manager Yuki Watanabe, who has been with the restaurant for the past seven years. "There's nothing on the outside. But once they find us and know us, they come back."

Since opening its doors nine years ago, Izumi has been steadily building its reputation as the sushi and sashimi spot on the Eastside. Fresh fish purchased daily is the secret behind the restaurant's delicacies, which come in nearly 20 varieties ranging from hirame (halibut) to tako (octopus).

If "raw" anything is a new experience, the five-piece sushi plate makes a good introductory dish. The sushi - raw fish wrapped in rice and seaweed - is $6.95 and is offered in an assortment of more mild-tasting fish such as yellow tail tuna. The plate also includes cooked items such as barbecued eel.

From there, patrons can graduate to uni (sea urchin), ika (squid) or mirugai (geoduck), items that can be found on the lengthy sushi a la carte menu.

There's also the sashimi plate - seven pieces of assorted sliced fresh raw fish, also $6.95.

Entrees at Izumi are served either a la carte or accompanied by soup, salad, and rice. Either way, a selection from the appetizer menu makes a great starting point. After lingering over a tempting array of finger foods that range from sake-flavored steamed clams ($6) to cold bean curd ($3), my companion and I settled on the incredible gyoza - Japanese-style pot stickers ($5). The lightly fried, dumpling-size pastries come with ground beef and pork, onion and cabbage, which gets dipped into a tangy sauce made from soy, vinegar and hot sauce.

The miso soup, with either clams or tofu, also makes a great starter. The broth is made from a rice base with just a touch of fish oil, a hidden taste that gives the soup its unique flavor.

Though raw fish is the restaurant's signature item, Izumi also offers several cooked fish entrees, including black cod, salmon and unaju - a broiled fillet of eel served on rice. Tempura and teriyaki also are served up in abundance. The best bet for those unable to make up their minds is the makunouchi. For the $12.95 price tag, you get a good-sized assortment of sashimi, tempura, teriyaki and cooked vegetables.

For $6 more, you can upgrade to the Izumi Special Makunouchi, which also includes sushi. The food is served on a large black tray and is presented in such a colorful, artistic fashion it looks almost too good to eat. A bite of the chicken teriyaki will get you over this reservation in a hurry. The breast of chicken is tender and moist, and the accompanying teriyaki sauce could very well be the best in town.

Watanabe won't elaborate on the secret to the incredible house sauce, other than to say it has taken nine years to perfect. The vegetables are crisp and the tempura batter is light, without the greasy flavor that often accompanies the deep-fried dish. The sashimi is octupus, tuna and red snapper, with a small side of horseradish for extra flavor.

Another excellent choice is the tonkatsu (lightly breaded deep-fried pork served with tonkatsu sauce, $10.50), though the servings are a bit too small to satisfy a ravenous appetite. But anyone still hungry after dinner can always dip into a plate of coffee gelatin or green-tea ice cream.