Asuka: Japanese fare in Montmartre

“It’s like eating at your Japanese grandparents’ house at this sushi joint in Montmartre.”

I read the line on twitter a couple weeks ago, and when I clicked through to the review of Asuka, I was hooked. I adore sushi, and this place sounded positively charming.

Kristen and I made a lunch date to explore this “authentic and cosy” joint, and well, trying to find this place was an adventure in itself.

But we eventually found Asuka. Now this was a hole-in-the-wall.

I was so excited when we arrived — I mean, we’d walked for over an hour to find this place. Kristen and I stepped inside with high hopes, and very empty stomachs.

The first thing I noticed when we walked in was the space. Or rather, the lack of it. Twelve chairs are just about all that fit in Asuka, and every other spare inch of floor or wall is covered in paintings, photographs, books, maps, and an abundance of what appeared to be personal knick-knacks and memorabilia.

I loved it. It really was like eating in a grandparents’ home.

However, we were surprised when we saw the menu. For one, there were only eight dishes. Isn’t going for sushi all about having an abundance of choice and variety? Then Mrs. Date, the owner, informed us that sushi wasn’t even available because her husband couldn’t make it that day — which put us down to seven options.

So to recap: the sushi place we’d read so much about…didn’t have sushi that day. Okay.

And then there was the PRICE. Oh my. We didn’t realize Asuka offered only set menus, and they ranged from €23 to €31 — or in budget terms: what I pay for a week’s worth of groceries.  And we were adamantly told that no, we were not allowed to share.

Having trekked all the way here, and given that we both wanted to try this place’s supposedly superb Japanese fare, we decided after some hemming and hawing to stay. Plus, we were the only ones in the place, and it felt super cozy. How often in Paris do you find a decent spot to eat for just two people?

Once we made the final decision that yes, we were going to fork out €26 for sushi, Mrs. Date laid out two Tokyo metro map placemats, then went behind her samurai curtain and set to work. Kristen and I sat back in our chairs and relaxed a little, and thought about what an unexpectedly funny day it’d been. Our conversations were punctuated every once in a while by Mrs. Date bringing out each ‘course’.

Starter: Patê de Soja. Soy patê with just the perfect amount of seasoning. I actually thought this was tuna salad, based on the taste and texture.

Salad: Deliciously fresh and topped with some sort of vinaigrette, Mrs. Date informed us the salad’s ingredients would provide us with the proper nutrients to survive the cold weather. Thoughtful.

Miso soup: Standard; nothing to write home about. Whether it was from scratch or powder, I couldn’t tell.

What I ordered: Gomoku zushi, or according to the menu, “assorted raw fish and vegetables in a bowl with Japanese rice vinegar.” The vegetables part consisted of just two sweet marinated shiitake mushrooms  — which is a shame, because I could have eaten a whole bowl of those alone. The seafood was undeniably nom-tastic, though finding a bone in my professionally-prepared salmon was a first….

As we were finishing our meal, Kristen remarked, “Today’s been a funny day.”

And that’s when I found the hair in my bowl.

We lost it and started laughing uncontrollably, probably mostly from disbelief. I took the hair in stride and finished the rest of my meal; it didn’t really surprise me, not after the rest of our day had been going.

Even though it wasn’t at all what we expected, in the end, Asuka was worth the visit — not just for the sumptious food, the cozy environment and decor, or cute old Mrs. Date, but because of the memory we now have: one of a funny, off-kilter afternoon which Kristen and I will never forget…or stop laughing about.

Asuka
145 rue Marcadet, 75018
Closest metro: Lamarck-Caulaincourt