Mashiko is Seattle’s only sushi restaurant that declares itself to be “sustainable”; the chefs don’t serve any wild fish that are on watch lists, and they purchase farmed species from low-impact operations that don’t use antibiotics. What this means is many traditional favorites—bluefin, hamachi, and unagi—are missing from the menu.

Omakase is a gamble—one panelist has had a great experience, while another had no interaction with the chef and received what seemed like a hodge-podge of items off the regular menu. Considering the prices, this may not be a gamble worth taking. (If you’re going to splurge, the 12-course kaiseki seems to be the better bet; advance reservations are required.)

Although serious sushi snobs don’t often order rolls, Mashiko has a bit of fun with theirs: the “Idaho,” for example, has tempura potato, dill, lemon, and trout. It’s also worth noting that Mashiko can make even a flash-fried, Americanized roll taste reasonably complex. There are plenty of izakaya dishes, too, from albacore tataki to potstickers to clams steamed with butter and sake. Fried dishes tend to be a little greasy, but tasty nonetheless.

The restaurant is playful and a bit whimsical. Little Japanese toys line the sushi bar, and the menu includes Chef Hajime Sato’s “rules,” which, along with tipping and BYOB policies, include things like “Chopsticks are not drumsticks” and “Enjoy life.”