Well, I took everyone's advice and went to Hatsuhanna with a vendor
Tuesday night. I had to wait awhile for the rest of my group, so I
chatted with the Maitre D' for a bit. When I mentioned I read this
newsgroup he nodded his head and said he has several customers that
have mentioned this newsgroup.

He sat us at a table upstairs. I have to say I was rather disappointed
when I opened the menu and the paper ala carte sheet. The sushi was
basic american palette sushi fare, very complete but rather bland for
my taste. My table mates ordered california rolls and the salmon steak
and other dinner items, but I knew what I had read here and knew that
with a little effort, a treat had to be there somewhere.

The Maitre D' was walking by, and I flagged him down and spoke to
him. I complemented his sushi selection, but mentioned that others had
written about the great variety of items, and my particular tastes. He
nodded, and came back with a menu written in Kanji that I could not
read. He went through the list on that menu and asked what I liked/
was willing to try. I told him that if he had something on the
premises that no 'Gaijin' had ever been able to eat, I wanted to try
it. He laughed and told me that most of that was out of season/out of
stock, and said he would cook up something with the head chef.

He came back with a tray divided into 9 compartments. In each
compartment there was a small bowl with a different Item in each one.
I could identify most of them, but he had to tell me what a couple new
ones were.

The bowls contained the following:

1. Tuna Yamakaki - Nice and slimey the way I like it.
2. Ika-Natto - Wonderful as always
3. Shiokara - Wow what a punch.
4. Boiled Fugu skin in Ponzu - Sounds more exotic than it tasted,
tased like small rubber bands soaked in ponzu, and no lip tingle...
5. Some kind of fish roe inside of a white substance that he could not
translate into English. He said the fish was popular in italy. It
definitely was tastier that salmon roe, and not crunchy like Kazunoko.
6. Sea Urchin inside of a piece of anago. This anago looked fresh, was
green and shiny gold, and did not seem cooked.
7. Fish ball wrapped in Duck breast. A very striking flavor, all the
more so as my mouth was set for fish.
8. Ankimo - Very tasty.
9. Ginger Tako - This was okay but really did not belong in this
group of flavors!

I also had the 10 piece chefs choice sampler. Very good.

I only wish I had been able to sit at the Sushi Bar and chat with the
itamae, but that could not be. I am sure he would have had fun feeding
me, most of them do.

All in all it was a most wonderful evening. I had a few new tastes,
the beer was good, and my companions were amazed at what I would put
in my mouth. I have no idea what the bill was, and I really don't want
to know. Thanks for all the recommendations from you folks. I always
do a Google search on he word sushi, and city name, in the groups area
when I travel, and I have not been disappointed with the choices yet.

This restaurant is on my wall of fame!