Friday Food Porn: Eating it Raw at Chiso

Photo courtesy Peter Mumford

There was something about Chiso that calmed me the moment I walked into the room--that balanced my chi, settled my bitter humors, unwound some kind of clockspring in the middle of my chest that I hadn't even known was there. I don't know if it was the place itself, the cool simplicity of the space or the sure knowledge that I had good food coming to me in a hurry, but something in the air at Chiso just worked like nitrous on me and made me feel like everything was gonna be okay.

Photo courtesy Peter Mumford

Photos--even good ones like those done for this week's slideshow by shooter extraordinaire Peter Mumford--can't really get across the sense of peace I felt each time I stepped into the little half-subterranean dining room at Chiso. But what they can do is let you know what you're in for in the food department--capturing the beauty and simplicity of Japanese cuisine presented by cooks and rollers who really know what they're doing.

I had a great time at Chiso last week (and not only because I was almost infinitely amused by watching a really bad first date implode right before my eyes). Peter had a great time shooting it. And if you have the means and the moments, I think you'll have a great time settling into a table there, too--breathing in the steam of a good bowl of miso soup, perusing the menu of sushi, sashimi, chirashi and ippin, and waiting to see what the guys behind the bar can do for you.