Kotobuki Japanese Restaurant
457 Summer Street, Stamford, CT- (203) 359-4747
Restaurant weeks are one of my favorite promotions. Popular restauraunts offer three-course lunches and dinners for a discounted, set price. (Sometimes a glass of wine or another comparable alternative is substituted for a course though). Stamford has an annual winter restaurant week and after perusing the restaurants and their menus, we decided to try Kotobuki Japanese restaurant. It was our first time there. The restaurant week menu can be found here will the website remains up: http://www.connecticutrestaurantweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Kotobuki-Lunch-Dinner-Restaurant-Week-Menus.pdf
We went to the restaurant at 6:30. Since it was on the earlier side for a Saturday night dinner and at a regular sushi spot, we did not make a reservation. Imagine our surprise when the place was PACKED! Almost every table was full and the crowd was interesting. I recognized many Stamford mucky-mucks: downtown representatives, politicians, and notable teachers dining there (not together though). There were a few families and a few couples. There were also several parties of Japanese people there, which we took as a good sign. Many people in the restaurant recognized one another once they got there. I noticed many people get up and go to another table to say hi. The place is not big at all- really just one room- with about 20 tables ranging in size from 2 to 6. But apparently, it's the place to be.
The menu was particularly generous for restaurant week- 4 courses (although 1 and 4 were smaller) for about $20. And the food did not disappoint! I expected the usual "house salad" one finds at the typical sushi/hibacki spot: iceburg lettuce, a few grape tomatoes, a few slices of cucumber, and that yellow ginger dressing. Not here! It was combination of shredded cabbages, lettuce, a few garden veggies, and a particularly delicious rendition of the ginger dressing (clearly made). Next, I ordered the Negimaki which had an amazing teriyaki sauce that they gave in generous (but not overpowering) quantities. They did not skimp on it despite the restaurant week promotion; there were 6 full-size pieces on the plate. For my main course I got the sashimi. While there could have been more on the plate (10 pieces), it was the freshest fish I have ever sampled in Stamford. The salmon was perfectly pink and fresh. And they offered many options for dessert! Unlike other restaurants who have one small, preset option for dessert, Kotobuki let you choose between homemade green tea ice cream, chocolate cake, or fresh fruit.
Even though I ordered from the restaurant week menu, I did scrutinize the rest of the menu. It looked amazing- I'll have to go back!!! It transcends the usual sushi offerings and gets extremely unique and creative. I especially can't wait to try their marinated jellyfish appetizer (how unusual!), yanagawa nabe appetizer (bbqed eel with burdock root and egg), and yaki-ika (grilled squid in ginger sauce). I love finding menus that have things on them I've never tried before or that I can't get anywhere else... and this one is full of them! Of course there are regular sushi and cooked options (teriyaki, dumplings, etc) for people looking for a more traditional experience.
http://www.kotobukijapanese.onsmartpages.com/menu/
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