Tucked away in the somewhat drab industrial district of Honolulu, a bright light shines from Mitch's Sushi Restaurant. Being just minutes from the airport, it is easy to understand how such an unassuming place can have the best and freshest products available as they are flown in everyday.
I walked up to this very hard to find restaurant, I was very skeptical (to put it nicely). It was dark, in the middle of nowhere and pretty much resembled someone's garage; not a superior (or even decent) sushi restaurant! But as I had heard a few encouraging reviews about this place, I nervously and anxiously soldiered on down the dark street to give it a try. They state on their website that reservations are recommended; I quickly understood why when I walked through the startling air curtain and saw only three tables and a short, 6 person sushi bar. Luckily I did have reservations. I was quickly walked outside where there were various forklifts, wooden pallets, and boxes lit up by bright fluorescent lighting. My skepticism of this place only grew greater. I was lead into a small "tea house" type room; removed my shoes and saw four tables with drop down floor seating. Posters of various varieties of fish and a chalk board with the daily specials listed and what was just flown in made me excited for what was to come. It was a very quaint environment and soon my reluctance completely faded away.
The menu was very straight forward, they serve fish and seafood…that's it. No crazy "specialty" rolls with ridiculous sauces and fancy presentations. This was the real thing. They took their product and its freshness very seriously. Notably the spiny lobster sashimi ($55), they bring it to you, live, for your approval. A few minutes later it's tail and meat is presented to you on a bed of shredded daikon and a shiso leaf. It is addictive. Tender, crunchy, mild in flavor, sweet and delicate all at the same time. As I wanted to try an assortment of their fresh products, the friendly waitress recommended the Chirashi Deluxe ($38), an assortment of fresh sashimi. Just as I was finishing the lobster, a beautiful array of freshly sliced fish and seafood arrived. A colorful display of salmon, fatty tuna, tuna, mackerel, uni, scallops, giant clam and salmon roe arrived on top of a bed of perfectly cooked sushi rice and pickled mushrooms. I was happy, really really happy. No one thing failed to excite me, I tried and devoured every last piece as they all just melted in my mouth. One last unexpected treat was at the end of the meal, they make a miso soup with the lobster previously ordered. The shells and head are simmered in a hot broth and served so that you may pick out the extra good bits from the lobster's shell. It was a fulfilling and balanced end to the meal.
This just proves that if you are willing to step off the beaten path and go for something with a little less "sparkle," its likely you will find that diamond in the rough. Mitch's needs not to be anything but that lovable hole-in-the wall place that you want to keep your guilty little secret. It's a real place, their passion for the highest possible quality and freshness of product is obvious. They set an impossible standard for anyone to try to compete with and they stay true to their customers by always providing the best possible food and service.
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