Before Ichiro, there was a son of Japan that also became known by his first name. His name is Shiro, and he brought sushi to Seattle over 56 years ago. What most people don’t know about Shiro is that he’s a long-time Mercer Island resident.
Shiro, how did you decide on Mercer Island for your home?
“This was in 1977. Our hostess at my first restaurant, Nikko, told my wife, Ricky, about Mercer Island. I didn’t know anything about Mercer Island and the idea of crossing a bridge to get home did not sound appealing. Also, there used to be a “bulge” in the middle of the floating bridge that I really hated but once I practiced the commute a few times, I realized that Mercer Island was easily the most convenient location between Seattle and the Eastside. Also, they removed the “bulge”.”
I understand that you fell in love with your home. What was familiar to you about the house on Mercer Island?
“Coincidentally, the house we found had shoji screen doors which was maybe a “sign” that this was home. The garden was Japanese style with cherry blossoms and Japanese maple trees. The prior owner was an American working in government, and we suspected maybe he had traveled to Japan before and loved it.”
Although your home was pre-disposed to Japanese influence, how was it different from your life in Japan?
“Completely different. In Japan, I was living in a cramped small apartment in Tokyo near the restaurant where I apprenticed. Mercer Island was a huge difference. We’ve been here for 45 years now. We love it.”
What are some of your favorite memories of life on Mercer Island?
"Admittedly, I have spent most of my time working in Seattle and have not been able to spend enough time enjoying residential life on Mercer Island. But I do cherish the summers here, especially during Seafair with the Blue Angels. Also, playing badminton at the Mercer View Community Center but unfortunately, my knees started to say, “stop doing that”."
What is your favorite hobby?
"I love yardwork and gardening. It is a lot like cooking. You need specialized tools, hand/eye coordination, a vision for the end product, and to clean up when finished. It is also nicely meditative like doing prep work in a kitchen."
Thank you, Shiro-san. I’d like to shift to Ed now. Ed, how would you describe growing up on Mercer Island?
"Kind of like Stranger Things but without the monsters. Now looking back, I appreciate just how normal/safe it was. Being surrounded by a lake/moat gives a sense of separation and isolation even though you are only 15 minutes away from Seattle and Bellevue. It was the era of malls and movie theaters so riding my BMX to Bellevue Square and Factoria Cinemas is a fond memory. Also, back then, “the center” (downtown MI), as we used to call it, had a 7-11, a Denny’s, a video store and an arcade. So, as a kid, it was “totally rad”."
I understand that Mercer Island set the stage for what you’re doing today. How did you get started in the restaurant business?
"In high school, during summer, I used to work in the kitchen of my father’s first restaurant, Nikko. I was relegated to the work nobody wanted to do (ie. de-veining shrimp, washing dirt off spinach under freezing cold water, etc...). Then senior year, I rebelled and got a job on the opening crew of the brand-new Mercer Island McDonald’s. Loved it."
Ed, you have quite an interesting background. Tell me about your experience in LA. How was your career jump-started?
"Growing up, I’d always had an interest in storytelling, so I went to LA to take a class in filmmaking at UCLA. During that class, I totally lucked out and scored an internship working in the story department for my hero, director Ridley Scott. That internship led to a job, and I ended up staying in LA for 20 years."
And, what brought you back home?
"Before leaving for LA, I helped my father start Shiro’s in Belltown, expecting it to be his final restaurant, but…. after he sold Shiro’s and retired, he called me in 2015 and said that he was coming out of retirement and wanted to start a new restaurant. I was just wrapping a project, so the timing was right, and I came up to Seattle a couple of months later to help launch Sushi Kashiba."
Shiro, let's discuss your craft. What are some of the nuances that you wish more diners knew about the art form of sushi?
"I wish everybody could appreciate how important the concept of “Shun” is. “Shun” means “local, in season”. Especially with seafood and produce, there are the best times of the year for certain items. Now with air shipping and refrigeration technology, everybody expects to be able to eat anything at any time, but “shun” means that we can appreciate what the current season and location bring to us because that is when it is best to be enjoyed. Like right now, uni (sea urchin) from Puget Sound is exceptional. We are so fortunate to live where all four seasons bring us wonderful food to enjoy."
Wow! Thank you for those pearls of wisdom, Shiro-san. Your signature is Omakase. What's the history of Omakase in Seattle? How do you approach Omakase?
"This is a great question. Actually, “omakase”, which simply means “I trust and leave it to you” has been around forever. Even when I was serving Japanese businessmen and the brave, local foodies (who dared to try raw fish) in the 70’s and 80’s, most guests would just sit down at my sushi counter and tell me to give them whatever I thought they should have. That is omakase. Nowadays, the term “omakase” has become a little overused and I find it funny because it is a difficult word to pronounce but most everybody gets it right."
"I approach omakase the same as always. It begins with the fish and seafood I have on any particular day. The quality, the texture, flavor, the color, everything. Then I plan each course with how it will interact with the guest’s palate. The film Jiro Dreams of Sushi (about my teacher) really shined a light on the traditional sushi omakase experience. He is helping me even to this day."
Shiro, thank you for your time and wisdom. Please extend thanks to Ricky too! Ed, many thanks for everything!
This piece is a tribute to Seattle's sushi pioneer and to my friend, Edwin Kashiba who made this story possible between his responsibilities of running the newest eastside sensation, Takai by Kashiba at 180 Bellevue Way NE.
takaibykashiba.com