There are few things in life that are more annoying or perhaps offensive than cooked fish. The concept is perverse. Why would anyone take a perfectly good piece of moist, flavorful raw fish and apply heat so as to create a bland blob of tasteless flesh? Not only do such acts waste scarce fish, but in a world the very existence of which is threatened by global warming, burning fossil fuels in support of such cooking puts literally billions of lives at risk. Some might argue that some fish is not of sufficiently high quality to be edible raw. And while I cede that point, I contend such fish is not worthy of consumption, period. Ultimately, fish should be exclusively served raw.

The people of the islands of Japan seem to have figured out this seemingly obvious law of nature. For hundreds of years, Japan has been the home to various preparations of raw fish which, while not technically rigorous, can be collectively referred to as sushi. Near Stanford, getting sushi can be hit or miss. One popular option is Sushi Tomo. Ever since eating there, I have been trying to figure out what form of radioactive toxic waste contaminated the fishery that supplies their fish. And while Fuki Sushi is a more respectable choice, its prices are rather high for sushi that is scarcely a step above mediocre.

Five months ago, however, the bar was raised in Palo Alto with the opening of Jin Sho on California Avenue. The space is rather unassuming both on the outside and the inside, but this is not like every other Japanese restaurant you’ve been to. Based on the menu, there appeared to be two ways to have a meal at Jin Sho. The conservative option is to order a la carte. The a la carte menu includes most of the things you’d expect to see, at prices a bit higher than average but not exorbitant, with standard maki rolls (e.g., spicy tuna) around $7 and fancier rolls (e.g., dragon roll) around $12. The other option is one of the Omakase prix-fixe menus which include a number of the chef’s choices from the sushi bar and kitchen for around $60.

Apparently, there is a third option. For this meal, I was in the company of my frequent dining companion and sushi guru, Robert Bonkowski. After sitting down at the sushi bar and beginning to digest the menu, Robert removed the menu from my grip and threw it aside informing me: “This is for white people.” This remark was somewhat confusing because, last time I looked in the mirror, my impression was that I am quite remarkably white. But I decided to go with the flow and let Robert and the sushi chef figure out the best options based on the catch of fish that had been flown in from Japan that day.

It quickly became clear the Jin Sho, thanks to its international shipments, offers a number of choices that you simply can’t find elsewhere. At times it was difficult to figure out what we were eating because many of the fish did not have names in English. But some of the delicacies included golden snapper and needlefish nigiri as well as a maki with squid that looked like it could have been alive moments earlier. Many of these were delicious, although a few, like the squid, made me wonder why I hadn’t stuck with the “white people” menu. One standout was the eel nigiri. The eel actually was alive when it entered the restaurant, so it doesn’t get any fresher. And it was very delicately seasoned rather than being drenched in the sweet sauce usually used. At first the absence of the sauce was off-putting, but it soon became clear that this was probably the best eel I had ever eaten.

Though it is difficult to say whether this holds for table as well, the service at the sushi bar was very good. Tea was promptly refilled, and the same sushi chef took care of us the whole time. The only fluke (no pun intended) was a slight delay in taking the credit cards for processing, which is another pet peeve of mine. Seriously, there is absolutely no time during the meal when it is more stupid for the service to get sloppy than the moment when all of the food has already been served and the customer is trying to pay. Especially when a moderate amount of sushi for two comes to just under $100 before tip.

Overall, Jin Sho should appeal to people looking for a distinctly above-average sushi experience. The standard fare, even on the “white people menu,” is probably worth the higher-than-usual price. But if you’re looking for a real educational experience in the world of sushi, put yourself at the mercy of the chef.