I didn’t come to Kru for a ramen experience. My mom had an outpatient surgical procedure and she was craving some really good sushi. This can be a tall order for an 86 year old Japanese woman with very high expectations comparing sushi and sashimi in Japan. I try to prepare her in advance before we walk in the door to any Japanese restaurant and at the same time I cringe in pity for the sushi chef. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. I brought her once before to Kru hoping she forgot. She hadn’t and she wasn’t impressed before because her chiraishi came with the variety of fish on top of the rice but the juices had seeped through soaking the rice which was a huge turn off for her. My dish was excellent and so I hoped it was a one off at the time. I told her this time she should just order the sushi/sashimi set and she also wanted the chawanmushi (egg custard). Well, the fish got a thumbs up from her this time and she was pleased with the miso soup too. The chawanmushi? Well, that’s another story just ask the poor waitress even though we explained to my mother that this was not the traditional Japanese type she is familiar with but she insisted that it then shouldn’t be called chawanmushi but instead called soup. Somehow my mom manages to be charming and sweet and can say all this without offending anyone. I hope. Sorry chef.
I love ikura (red caviar) and I always order it at sushi restaurants. Truly my last meal would be a bowl of steaming hot rice with ikura on top seasoned a bit with mirin and soy sauce. The ikura nigiri sushi here did not disappoint. In fact the best I’ve had recently and pleasantly surprised for Sacramento. It was bite size meaning I could put the whole thing in my mouth and the seaweed was crisp which is critical. Soggy or soft seaweed ruins it. The ikura was bursting with flavor and I really liked the fresh shiso (perilla leaves) accompanying it.
The duck confit spicy miso ramen was a bit of an afterthought for me but ramen mom must give it a try. I am glad I did it was definitely a different spin. The ramen came in a very big bowl so almost seemed lost in it but still nicely presented. Very simple and understated which I liked with a divine poached egg, menma, green onions, fine dried seaweed and the duck leg perched on the side ready to be picked up to be eaten. The skin was well browned and crisp and the meat was tender and delicious. I am not sure if I liked having to use my fingers instead of chopsticks to eat the meat but I do appreciate thinking outside the box. If the meat had been sliced or deboned it would have likely been soggy. The broth had a slight kick to it but still mild enough to not be overpowering. My mom really liked the broth and insisted on taking back the remaining soup so she could throw in some noodles she had at home. This little lady does not waste food! I wasn’t so sure about the noodle/soup ratio. The ramen came with a very small portion of noodles but in the end completely satisfactory since the duck confit is very filling.
You can definitely taste the quality of ingredients used at Kru. We had a terrific waitress so my mom is more than happy to come back. I’d like to try the cold noodles next time and of course I need my ikura fix.
Kru Restaurant
2516 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 551-1559
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