More Than a Dozen Taste Bud-Tingling Creations!

The Place: Sushi Roku
The Location: Inside the W Scottsdale Hotel | 7277 E. Camelback Rd, Scottsdale, 85251
The Dishes: More than a dozen taste bud-tingling creations!
By: Laura Stoddard

Sushi Roku has a new menu, and it’s epic.

We were recently invited to gorge upon—I mean, daintily sample—this stunning, decadent, culinary array of fish, sushi and steak, served “omakase-style”, or to the chef’s taste (infused with his own creative vision and innovative interpretation of classic sushi dishes), and it was a veritable feast for the senses.

Before we get into the gloriousness of the new menu, let’s talk a bit out Sushi Roku itself, located within the posh W Scottsdale Hotel in downtown Scottsdale. The décor is modern and funky, and attracts an eclectic, trendy crowd—artists, foodies, affluent visitors looking for luxe accommodations. The exciting, sexy vibe of the hotel is carried over into Sushi Roku. Just walking in, we ooh’d and ahh’d at the cool, inviting vibe we immediately felt. This award-winning restaurant boasts rich wood floors, dim lighting (we thought this a fantastic date location), soft, muted colors of beige and brown, an open, airy feel, with plenty of room between seating areas for private conversations, a slightly separate, well-stocked bar adjacent to the main dining room, a moderately sized patio, sidled up against Camelback Road, and of course, the all important raw bar, which takes up nearly a quarter of the dining room.

Like all of Sushi Roku’s fare, the new menu, which rolled out in September of this year, provides the freshest ingredients, provided by local merchants or flown in from around the world on a daily basis. It showcases multiple cooking styles, from Japanese to Korean to Italian, and features new specialty appetizers, inventive craft cocktails, and exotic entrees.

The number and selection of dishes we were served was almost overwhelming (in a good way!), and the layers of flavors in the individual offerings were masterful. Let me try to give you a quick run down of what we were treated to during our visit. We started with their Octopus Crudo with yuzu kosho, olive oil and lemon, our eyes widening as an immediate punch of heat from the yuzu chili paste hit us full-force. Next was the decadent Toro Carpaccio with oscietra caviar. You’ve heard the phrase, “Melt in your mouth good”? This. This is what that phrase was referring to. Avocado “Hanabi,” (meaning “fireworks” in Japanese), was the next creation we delved into; bite-sized pieces of toast topped with small, compact spheres of avocado, soy truffle, crispy rice, and parmesan reggiano. These tiny morsels were packed with layers of flavors.

It’s nearly blasphemous to go out for sushi and not have a roll (or two or three), so we were extremely pleased to try two of their new signature rolls, the Gensai, with seared togarashi salmon, kizami wasabi and avocado, and the Senshi, consisting of yellowtail, avocado and spicy aioli. We devoured both of these rolls—unapologetically. We also got to try the Nova Scotia Lobster Tail, paired with rich citrus butter, the Beef Rib Eye Wrapped Asparagus with soy mirin sauce (served on a hot stone), Foie Gras and Asparagus skewers, Grilled Lamb Chops infused with ginger, soy and garlic (perfectly tender and juicy), and Chilean Sea Bass with yakatori sauce. By this point: We. Were. Stuffed. And beyond satisfied. Each dish was unique, inventive, gorgeously displayed, and absolutely delectable. But wait—there’s more! We were treated to two of their new craft cocktails (The Ish, with shishito peppers, and the Ginger Lychee Mojito), a sake flight, and TWO desserts: their deconstructed S’mores, and some heavenly raspberry, lemon creation that I can’t even name or put into words, because I was pretty much in a food-induced coma at this point.

People of Phoenix: You must go indulge yourself in this sushitastic culinary experience! The dishes that we were fortunate enough to partake of merely scratched the surface of the dozens of options on the new menu, and had we been able to force down even another bite, we would’ve tried more! Next time. Oh, there will be a next time.

Sushi Roku also has an amazing happy hour. Offered Mon-Sat, 4-6 pm and Sun, 4-10:30 pm, the menu, which includes sumptuous bites such as tuna tartare and Kobe beef sliders, a selection of rolls and skewers, drinks (including hot sake, beer and martinis, to name a few) are all priced between $3 and $5. That’s insane. Good luck finding other upscale restaurants in the valley that can rival that. We were immensely pleased with our service, the vibe of the restaurant, and the extraordinary food. Thank you for an amazing evening, Sushi Roku!