Kito Kito (魚丰魚丰) recently opened next to Yongkang Park (永康公園) with a menu that focuses on one thing: chirashi, or sushi rice topped with seafood. The sparse but comfortable restaurant offers a mid-priced alternative for sushi lovers who forgot to make a reservation at You Sushi (游壽司) on Lishui Street (麗水街) and want to avoid Sushi Express (爭鮮), a branch of which happens to be located directly beneath Kito Kito.
Kito Kito’s prices are higher than Sushi Express, but worth it for the quality ingredients — and service is almost as quick. Customers order at a counter and then wait at their table for the food to arrive; on several visits during different times of the day, I received my orders within five minutes.
The two most expensive dishes are the uni and snow crab chirashi (海膽松葉蟹蓋飯), the Kito seafood chirashi (魚丰海鮮蓋飯) and the “flagship” chirashi (旗艦蓋飯), which is loaded with snow crab still in the shell and cooked prawns, for NT$398 each. The crabmeat in the uni and snow crab chirashi is imitation, but the quality of the sweet sea urchin coral makes up for it. Each piece is firm and has a melon-like flavor that slowly dissolves on your tongue. The dish was served with ikura and tobiko roe, slivers of green onion and a raw egg yolk. The fish eggs and onion were distracting because I wanted to enjoy the uni sashimi on its own. After I’d finished the urchin, however, I mixed up the remaining ingredients; the two different types of roe held together by the yolk created an interesting mix of textures and flavors.
The big Kito chirashi is topped with three different types of sashimi (tuna, yellowtail and salmon), two raw prawns, uni, tobiko and ikura roe, two scallops and a raw egg yolk. Each of the ingredients on its own was very good, but the combination was somewhat overwhelming. The “flagship” chirashi is a better bet for diners who shy away from raw ingredients. In fact, the snow crab was so overcooked it was hard to get out of the shell, even with a small pick. On the other hand, the meat was tasty and succulent, despite the slightly rubbery texture. The prawns, however, were tender but surprisingly filling.
For diners who prefer having the health benefits of seafood canceled out with batter and oil, try the fried combination set meal (炸物綜合套餐, NT$268). Our batch of prawns, shrimp and fish filet came to us directly from the deep fryer, with just the right amount of crunchy batter. You can choose from sweet and sour sauce or honey mustard dipping sauce (you have to pay NT$5 extra to get both). My dining companion thought the two sauces were lackluster, but I liked the tiny mustard seeds in the sweet and sour sauce, which added a burst of unexpected texture and spiciness every time I bit into one.
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