Watching sushi chef Ben Gerelkhuu form shari in his palm is a thing of wonder. With a few impossibly quick wrist flicks and delicate squeezes, the vinegared sushi rice becomes a neat oblong pillow in his palm. Deft fingers flutter over the rice like a sleight-of-hand magic act, a thin slice of fish set gently on top — and voilà, nigiri appears before your eyes.

Gerelkhuu has recently joined the Sushi Kosho team at the Sebastopol restaurant, rolling out a progressive nine-piece omakase nigiri experience he created with Kosho owner Jake Rand. It’s a two-whiskey adventure at the sushi bar, where you can get up close and personal with your food.

I’ve long been a fan of Sushi Kosho, especially after losing the iconic Hana Japanese Restaurant earlier this year. It’s one of the only spots left with high-end fish, properly seasoned rice and well-trained chefs (Gerelkhuu recently worked at the Michelin-rated Sushi by Scratch) behind the counter.

After experiencing a preview version of the $89 experience, I’m impressed. It has all the quality of Sushi by Scratch (which I was ambivalent about) without the theatrics.

Here’s why I’m sold

The omakase experience has an easy, intentional rhythm rather than a pile of sushi landing on your plate at once. Each piece of nigiri is presented like a work of art — which it is. Gerelkhuu places tiny dots of kosho (an aromatic fermented chile paste) with needle-like chopsticks or sprays a pearl of blue cheese foam atop the fish with a flourish.

The nigiri are more than just fish and rice, but they aren’t ridiculous. I’m a purist, and I like the fish and rice to do the talking. Though Gerelkhuu and Rand aren’t afraid of a little embellishment, there’s nothing silly about the experience (OK, the blue cheese foam was a little silly, but entertaining).

The fish is pristine. And cut properly. I hate thick slabs of cheap fish that lesser sushi shops pass off as “generous.” Kosho has always impressed me with intentionally cut nigiri and sashimi.

The chef’s choice intermezzos are outstanding. My experience included uni chawanmushi, a steamed bowl of egg custard with strips of creamy Hokkaido uni, and Wagyu beef chazuke, a bowl of rice with barbecued beef and tea-infused broth.

Reserve online at OpenTable.com/r/sushi-kosho-sebastopol.

Sushi Kosho, 6750 McKinley St., Sebastopol, 707-827-6373, koshosushi.com

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When you know, you know. Sushi Kosho is officially the best sushi in Sonoma County.

Now, I don’t say this lightly, because sushi is a lifestyle choice for me — not just a meal. It’s about the warm (hand temperature), perfectly seasoned rice, pristine fish and just-so preparation. With expanded hours and an expanded menu that includes not only nigiri and sashimi, but poke bowls and traditional Japanese entrees, this Sebastopol sushi spot has always been good — but with a new sushi rice recipe, it’s head and shoulders above the rest.

In addition to Sushi Kosho, I have a few other best runner-up restaurants for your sushi fix — Shige Sushi in Cotati and Sonoma, and Aishi in Healdsburg — along with more casual sushi stops that offer up solid takes in the raw fish game.

Dining editor’s top picks

Sushi Kosho, Sebastopol

Chef Jake Rand is obsessed with authentic Japanese food and studied for years in Japan. Hands down, his sushi tops my list as perfectly seasoned, perfectly formed and perfectly impressive. Go for the Nigiri “set” with nine pieces of fish and a six-piece tekka maki. The space is comfortable to grab a lunchtime sushi plate or hunker down with a bottle of sake for a lengthier visit. Read full review here. 6750 McKinley St., Sebastopol, 707-827-6373, koshosushi.com

Shige Sushi, Cotati and Sonoma

Shige Sushi in Cotati is a bento-box sized sushi bar with just 22 seats, including the bar. Despite the diminutive size, the Japanese owners have cracked the code on affordable yet luxe Japanese favorites with authentic karaage (fried chicken), spicy poke salad, top-notch nigiri and sashimi and a laundry list of rolls (including plenty of gaijin-style mayonnaise/fried rolls). Open Tuesday through Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday. A large kitchen has expanded Shige Sushi’s offerings in Sonoma. Read full review here. 8235 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati, 707-795-9753; 19161 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, 707-933-9331, shige-sushi.com

Asahi Sushi, Healdsburg

Owner Nobuyuki Asahi grew up in Japan and spent many hours with his grandparents at the famed Toyosu fish market in Tokyo. He insists on both local and imported Japanese fish, mostly seasonal, for his restaurant. The difference in his delicate hamachi, buttery tuna, creamy scallops and velvety Mendocino uni make Asahi one of my top five in Sonoma County. Read full review here. 335 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-395-0487, asahisushiandkitchen.com

Other great sushi spots

Sake 107, Petaluma

Put yourself in the chef’s hands with the five-piece nigiri. Personally, we wish we’d doubled or tripled that. There’s not a stinker in the bunch, but don’t miss the Hokkaido uni, ocean trout (umi masu), sake (salmon) or maguro (big eye tuna). Read full review here. 107 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma, 707-241-7580, sake107.com

Umé Japanese Bistro, Windsor

Tucked away in Windsor, Umé is the place that sushi connoisseurs talk about between themselves. The sushi is simple, minimal (not blobbed with wasabi or overly seasoned rice) letting the flavor of the fish express itself and sliced generously without being overdone. 8710 Old Redwood Highway, Windsor, 707-838-6700, umebistro.com

Kiraku Sushi & Ramen, Santa Rosa

Impressive “utility” sushi from this relative newcomer in the Santa Rosa Junior College neighborhood, formerly known as Ippinn Sushi & Ramen. By “utility,” I mean Wednesday afternoon California rolls, veggie tempura and tonkatsu ramen with a girlfriend rather than Friday night, once-in-a-blue-moon, break-the-bank sushi with Daiginjo sake. In my world, both are equally important. Kiraku Sushi is a sister restaurant to the nearby Ippinn Udon & Tempura. 1985 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-800-7699, kirakullc.com

Sushiko, Rohnert Park

This simple little sushi bar tucked quietly inside a floundering strip mall is getting lots of thumbs up from Bite Clubbers who say it’s tops for everyday sushi cravings. 6265 Commerce Blvd., Suite 174, Rohnert Park, 707-585-2774

Haku Sushi, Santa Rosa

Located in downtown Santa Rosa, perilously near my office, this is my go-to, weekday sushi spot. I won’t lie, it can range from spectacular to lack-luster, but in general, things tend to be trending upward lately. Rolls are a specialty, and the names are worth the price of admission alone. Asking for a “Funny Feeling Down There” or “Silent But Deadly” is kind of priceless, no matter what’s inside. 518 Seventh St., Santa Rosa, 707-541-6359, hakusushi.top-cafes.com

Oishii Sushi, Santa Rosa

Recently a friend told me about this low-profile sushi bar and grill with a special takeout and delivery special — five rolls for $60. Despite my skepticism, they’re the best rolls — especially the Oishii hand roll with shrimp tempura and lobster — we’ve had in the last six months. Hands down. 1950 Piner Road, Suite 110, Santa Rosa, 707-308-4528; 90 Mark West Springs Road, Suite 130, Santa Rosa, 707-757-8718, oishiisushibarandgrill.com

Raku Ramen, Santa Rosa

Sustainable sourcing, solid sushi and ramen. Read more here. 2424 Midway Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-623-9668, rakuramenandrolls.com

Otoro, Healdsburg

Healdsburg fave for a fast sushi meal. The massive menu includes everything from chef specials and Bento Boxes to sushi rolls and noodle soup. 1280 Healdsburg Ave., Suite 101, Healdsburg, 707-756-3932, otorohealdsburg.com

Bluefish Sushi & Grill, Santa Rosa

Where I take my kids for a big sushi boat dinner. Good quality, reasonable prices. 2700 Yulupa Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-791-7233, bluefishsantarosa.menu11.com

Paradise Sushi, Various Locations

All-you-can-eat utility sushi. Read more here. Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park and Petaluma, paradisesushi.net

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The latest from Sonoma County’s dining scene:

Ippinn Sushi

Great news! Santa Rosa finally has a sushi-go round. The bad news? You can’t actually use it or the race-car sushi track until indoor seating is allowed again. However, you can order some impressive “utility” sushi from this newcomer in the Santa Rosa Junior College neighborhood. By “utility,” I mean Wednesday afternoon California rolls, veggie tempura and tonkatsu ramen with a girlfriend rather than Friday night, once-in-a-blue-moon break-the-bank sushi with Daiginjo sake. In my world, both are equally important. Ippinn Sushi is a sister restaurant to the nearby Ippin Udon. 1985 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, 707-800-7699, ippinnsushi.com.

Mateo’s Cocina Latina

It’s been years since I’ve whiled away an afternoon drinking margaritas in Healdsburg. OK, maybe weeks, but it’s worth checking out Mateo’s back patio for fresh fruit margaritas and luxe dishes including pork belly with a honey serrano glaze ($11.75) or a high-end nacho platter with duck, fresh tostadas, shredded jack cheese, seasonal salsa and house-cured jalapeños. Chef Mateo Granados uses lots of locally sourced ingredients, and his Yucatan-inspired dishes raise the bar on Mexican cuisine in Sonoma County. 214 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, 707-433-1520, mateoscocinalatina.com.

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For three years, I haven’t quite known what to do with Healdsburg’s Taste of Tea. A combination restaurant, tea house, spa and retail location on North Street between a winery tasting room and the Raven Theater, it kind of defied explanation.

First off you don’t (as I mistakenly thought), eat tea sandwiches while getting a green tea foot soak. As much as that sounds amazing, it’s not a thing. You can, however, drink a tea and sake cocktail while eating an authentic bento box in the cafe. You can drink tea while getting a foot soak in the spa room. You can simply eat from their expanded menu — from miso soup and wakame salads to pork ramen, curry noodles and donburi — and schedule a one-hour tea exploration session with a tea docent afterward.

Basically, the combinations are endless. Just make sure to get a foot soak in there somewhere.

The reason Taste of Tea has come back on my radar is the authentic Japanese comfort food created by owner and executive chef Nozomu (Nez) Tokugawa. The Classic Bento ($18) includes meticulously prepared offerings of pickled sea vegetables, miso soup, small bites of sashimi and chicken katsu, all served in a lacquered bento box that looks and feels like a small gift rather than a simple lunch. Specials like the katsu changeup, but teriyaki beef and chicken as well as fried tofu are always on the menu.

One of Nez’s signatures is Miso Ramen ($14) made with vegan kombu broth — a traditional ramen base. Topped with bbq pork, a shoyu-marinated egg, bamboo shoots, and nori, it’s a bowl of warmth and deeply satisfying flavor. Noodle and rice bowls include yakitori, donburi, and sweet Japanese curry. Though not always available, ochazuke (a grilled rice ball served with green tea and pickled plum) is a simple Japanese rustic soup that uses tea in place of broth, worth checking out. For dessert, ginger rice pudding with candied ginger and fruit ($5) is a sweet way to finish, perfect with your last sips of tea.

With one of the most extensive loose leaf tea menus in the region — there are at least 80 — prepare to spend some time perusing the choices. Tea flights ($15) include three 8-ounce pots if you can’t quite decide or want to taste with a friend. Japanese Matcha is served straight ($5), or can be jazzed up with vanilla syrup, coconut milk or even turned into a sort of Bloody Mary mixed with tomato juice, cilantro sugar and celery ($7).

Beer and sake are available, but we were especially excited about the Marteani drinks ($7), alcohol-free cocktails that blend flavored teas with mint, cranberry, mango and other ingredients for a refreshing alternative.

Overall: Taste of Tea isn’t your typical teahouse, but a one-stop relaxation spot to fill up and wind down.

Taste of Tea, 109 North St., Healdsburg, 707-431-1995, thetasteoftea.com. Open Friday through Tuesday from11a.m. to 8p.m., Monday and Tuesday to 6p.m., closed Wednesday and Thursday.

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The owner of Sea Thai Bistro and Sea Noodle Bar has paired up with popular sushi burrito food truck chef Takeshi Uchida to create Raku Ramen and Rolls in Santa Rosa’s Montgomery Village. More than just a ramen shop, Shoubu Japanese’s Uchida has created a menu inspired by his sustainable vision for Japanese cuisine — and it’s something to write home about.

We first met Uchida 12 years ago when he was creating “secret sushi” at the Odd Fellows Hall several days a week. The former Hana Japanese sushi wunderkind has a deep passion for the food of his homeland, but in recent years significantly changed his diet and the menu he created for his food truck to use only sustainable fish, organic and GMO-free ingredients and generally re-envision some of the less-than-sustainable practices of some sushi spots.

With Sea Thai’s Chef Tony Ounpamornchai, the two have created a clean, minimalist fast-casual izakaya featuring tonkotsu (pork), shoyu and vegan ramen bowls ($15-$16) with high-quality ingredients, along with rice bowls and a small selection of rolls and salads. We loved the cloudy tonkotsu with braised pork belly and organic veggies, along with the Poke Don (wild-caught tuna with chili sesame soy, greens and spicy veganaise, $16). The raku roll includes crab, tuna, avocado and kaiware sprouts. Don’t miss the Zangi, Hokkaido style free-range chicken ($8), or the Veggie Miso Mabo Don, made with organic tofu, tempeh, eggplant and spicy bean sauce. ($12).

Lots of great vegan and vegetarian choices here, especially if you’re a stickler for high-quality ingredients.

We’d love to see even more exploration of Japanese favorites, including the return of Uchida’s sushi burritos, miso soup and homestyle classics we enjoyed on the Shoubu truck — which is now in retirement. Early Yelpers dinged the restaurant for high prices, but owners say they’ve dropped some prices and are now offering mini rice bowls for $5. We’re not stoked about the upcharge on ramen for things like nori, bamboo shoots and mushrooms, but it is not exactly out of line with the cost of organic ingredients.

Raku Ramen & Rolls: 2424 Midway Drive, Santa Rosa, 707-623-9668.

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After polishing off most of a grilled sardine, the question remains: To eat the head or not eat the head. A triple dog dare doesn’t seem to make it look any more appetizing, and ultimately, after a few steely attempts, we decide to leave it on the plate. We had, after all, done a fairly bang-up job on the rest of the almost foot-long critter — with chopsticks, no less.

Choosing your adventure, whether toe-dipper or full-on explorer is what Shige Sushi and Izakaya in Sonoma is all about. With an extensive menu of authentic Japanese and American-style rolls, you can stick with salmon rolls, potstickers and chicken teriyaki or go all-in with salted sardine, monkfish liver and homemade plum wine. Spoiler alert, we did a little of both.

Shige Sushi isn’t exactly new. Owners Shige and Toki Mori moved from their bento-box sized restaurant in Cotati to the former Shiso Japanese restaurant just outside downtown Sonoma. With nearly triple the size, including an outdoor patio, they’ve expanded the menu to include both a sushi bar and izakaya (or pub) fare like meat skewers, tonkatsu (thin cutlets of fried chicken or pork), braised pork belly and chicken curry.

Don’t expect all-you-can-eat specials or cheap ingredients. Shige Sushi and Izakaya is a spot that feels transplanted from a funky Tokyo suburb directly into Sonoma. Though you will be graciously welcomed (with hot towels), this isn’t an American restaurant with Japanese food. It’s a Japanese restaurant with Japanese food.

Even for a sushi connoisseur, there are a lot of unfamiliar items on the menu, but it’s worth taking a little time to wade through.

Each item is first written in Japanese and then (sort of) in English. Some things are abundantly clear, like “teriyaki” or “pot stickers,” others need a little more explanation, like “grilled salted saury” (Sanma Shio Yaki, $16), that turns out to be a sardine. A few items have no English names, just vague descriptions. The Shige Panic Roll ($19.50) just has a row of question marks. Adventure time!

Inside, the restaurant is a visual cacophony of Japanese posters, paper lanterns and tchotchkes — the opposite of minimalist design, but a vibrant and playful decor that welcomes the hubbub of families and casual dining. There rarely seems to be enough staff to handle the ebb and flow of customers, but servers are always gracious and owner Shige is a constant presence in the dining room.

At the end of the meal, if you’ve been intrepid in your eating, Shige might just come over and pay you the biggest compliment of your life: You eat like a Japanese.

Best Bets

Kushiage Set, ($18): Five skewers with chef’s choice of fried meat, seafood or vegetables. Ours included a beef roll, baby octopus, scallops and chicken. There are two pieces on each skewer so it’s great for sharing.

Oni Karaage ($9): Fried chicken Japanese-style. Rice flour gives the batter a great crunch. Spicy includes a dollop of chili sauce which is more angry-looking than actually hot.

Tsukemono Mori ($8): If you’re a Japanese pickle person, these are the real deal. We love the funky, briny, chewy-crunchy textures of vegetables not easily identifiable.

Sashimi & Sushi (MP): Here’s where things get really interesting. The specials board is a bit hidden at the far end of the sushi bar, but lists fresh additions not on the menu. You’ll find the usual suspects like tuna, salmon, octopus, yellowtail and prawns along with some less common things like ankimo, or monkfish liver. It’s described as the foie gras of the sea, and holds up to the name, with a rich, fatty, slightly fishy taste. Tuna belly, which has a higher concentration of fat, is also worth trying. It melts in your mouth like butter, with the fresh taste of the sea. Tamago nigiri, which is a sweetened omelet placed on rice is freshly made here, and you can taste the difference. Where the commercial version is overly sweet with a smooth texture, handmade tamago has a more complex sweet-and-salty flavor, with bubbles of browned egg. Very hard to find. “Tofu skin” is inari, or little pockets of fried tofu with rice inside.

Rolls ($17.50 – $19.50): Our favorite was the “Ken Chan,” a roll that breaks all the rules with shrimp tempura and crab salad inside and tuna poke and crab on top. Also great is the Crazy Ninja, with tuna, hamachi and avocado inside and spicy tuna outside.

Sake: Shige has an extensive selection of sake, and the menu makes it easy to figure out what you’ll like, with a chart of sweet, dry, light or full-flavored bottles. It clearly explains how sake is made and you can get a glass or single-serving bottle depending on the type. Even for sake beginners, its a fun way to order something you’ll like versus taking a stab in the dark.

Sweet Plum Wine: This sweet, syrupy concoction isn’t for everyone, but if you’re a fan of dessert wines, you’ll be hooked. It’s got just enough tartness to steer it away from saccharine but is a hearty, low-alcohol concoction worth trying.

Cheesecake: While they don’t have it every day, Japanese cheesecake is a lighter version of American style, often with matcha mixed in.

Overall: Japanese food without apologies, but with a gracious welcome to anyone who loves sushi and a little adventure.

Shige Sushi is at 19161 Sonoma Highway, Sonoma, 707-933-9331, shige-sushi.com. Open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

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Sushi is the one food I think I could eat every single day and never get tired of. Raw fish atop vinegared rice is the pinnacle of simplicity, but one of the most difficult things to make well. I tend to be fairly forgiving, however. Click through the above gallery for 10 of my favorite sushi haunts — some upscale, some moderate, some very affordable. Because you never know when a sushi craving will hit! (Click here for zen gardens and places to stay in Sonoma County).

What are some of your favorite sushi spots? Let me know in the comments below.

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The seemingly simple act of making sushi is anything but. In Japan, apprentices sometimes spend decades perfecting things as mundane as washing the short grain rice properly and knowing the right proportion of vinegar to add to the warm-but-not-too-hot rice. And that’s before chefs can even think about touching a knife to fish.

So when Chef Jake Rand of Sushi Kosho restaurant scoops a deft hand into a wooden cask of red-vinegared sushi rice, it’s impossible not to ask how long it’s taken him to perfect his Tokyo-style version.

“I’ll let you know,” says Rand, who has worked in top sushi restaurants for much of his life and studied in Japan as a young “gaijin” (the Japanese word for “foreigner”). With practiced moves, he pushes the brown-tinted rice into the palm of his hand, flicks his wrists with feather-light pressure and a one-bite piece of nigiri magically appears.

It’s a quest for perfection that anyone who’s seen the ornery, but arguably world’s best sushi chef, Jiro Takashi, explain in the documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.” For a sushi fan, it’s impossible not to nerd out on the process. For everyone else, it’s just good sushi, and for Rand, that’s just fine.

With a menu that ranges from simple nigiri, sashimi and rolls to Wagyu beef shortribs and okonomiyaki (a savory Japanese pancake), Sebastopol’s Kosho is far above industrial-grade all-you-can-eat sushi bars but less formal than white napkin Japanese restaurants. Somewhere in between, Rand wants Kosho to be a weeknight kind of place rather than a special occasion eatery.

Named for a ubiquitous condiment found in Japanese cooking, kosho is a combination of red chiles and yuzu (a tart Japanese citrus that merges lemon, orange and grapefruit) fermented into a paste. The spicy, sour, salty condiment plays a part in many of Rand’s dishes, as does shiso, soy and sesame — lending plenty of savory umami.

Housed in the former Vignette pizzeria, the airy Barlow space is a stone’s throw from the burgeoning craft brew scene all around it. Sit at the sushi bar for a front-row seat to the action in the quiet open kitchen. For sushi beginners, it’s a safe space to explore. For pros, savor some of the best-made nigiri and sashimi in Sonoma County, along with other Japanese comfort classics — at the right price.

Best Bets

Blackened Shishito Peppers ($9): Blistered peppers get a kick from Japanese seven-spice and lime kosho. Sweet heat unless you get the one-in-10 hot shishito pepper that will have you reaching for water. Think of it as dining roulette.

Seaweed Salad ($11): Rather than the usual slippery green seaweed in most salads, Rand mixes red, green and white seaweeds together, giving a variety of bumpy, lumpy and tickly textures. Marinated in orange yuzu vinaigrette, avocado and fresh cherry tomatoes add a California touch.

Charcoal-Grilled Chicken Meatball ($9): Served on a skewer, these oval meatballs are crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside, gently seasoned and served with a raw egg and soy dipping sauce. Yes, it’s a raw egg. If you’re not into that, just ask for the soy sauce. But you’re missing out.

Kanpachi Chili Sashimi ($17): Impossibly thin slices of radish and serrano chili atop what’s also known as amberjack fish. With a dot of yuzu citrus, the flavors of earth and sea, citrus and heat come together in a perfect bite. Sushi here isn’t cheap, but Rand sources impeccably from around the world to get fish that’s worth savoring with minimal fussery.

Okonomiyaki ($13): This rib-sticker is more like an omelet than a pancake, filled with mushrooms, bacon or seafood and topped with ribbons of mayonnaise. It’s sweet-salty and should be shared rather than trying to eat it on your own.

Wagyu Short Ribs ($22): A steal of a deal that features Snake River Farms wagyu atop crispy smashed fingerlings and a Korean bbq sauce that’s all about the garlic, soy and sweet brown sugar.

Sushi and Sashimi ($6 to $15 for two pieces): Most of the fish is fairly mild, with fatty tuna, New Zealand king salmon, bright orange ocean trout, halibut and red snapper. Saba, a Japanese mackerel, is one of the few strongly flavored fishes. Sushi meals are $31 for a nine-piece nigiri and maki, $34 for a sashimi dinner and $32 for chirashi (sashimi over rice).

Rolls ($12-$17): Not really my jam, but they have a handful that seem less offensive than most mayonnaise covered horrors.

Yuzu granita and Lemon Curd Panna Cotta ($6): Oh, my God. Tart, tart, tart, creamy amazement.

Overall: Approachable Japanese, impeccably sourced with high-end flavors in a casual environment.

Open for dinner daily from 5-9p.m., 6750 McKinley St., Sebastopol, 707-827-6373, koshosushi.com.

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Want to know what’s new, what’s hot and what’s soon-to-come on the Sonoma County dining scene? Click through the above gallery for BiteClub’s latest hit list. 

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You don’t fall in love with sushi at an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. Sadly, however, it’s often the first spot many Americans encounter the concept of eating raw fish on a pile of rice.

And no wonder people run screaming from those dried up, horrifying, evil little bits of nastiness. That’s like comparing Little Caesar’s to a fresh wood-fired pizza made with 00 flour, fresh mozzarella and basil by a trained pizzaolo. No contest, because when you start with the bad stuff, there’s little impetus to actually try the good stuff. Strawberry Hill Boone’s Farm ain’t prepping you for the wonders of a single vineyard Flowers chardonnay.

What’s tragic is that a buttery piece of fiercely fresh tuna belly or fresh salmon handled by a trained sushi chef can be an absolute game changer. It’s also very rare and worth seeking out. We’ve found just that at Sake 107 in Petaluma.

Open nearly a year, the buzz has steadily grown for Chef Eiji Ando, a Hana Japanese alum who has dedicated his life to the craft. It’s awe-inspiring to watch the flicking of his hands as he shapes the seasoned rice and fish into a single perfect bite, and perfect isn’t a word we use lightly when it comes to nigiri. God help you if you are gauche enough to dunk it in soy sauce.

Ando watches me instinctively pour soy sauce into a dish, saying everything by saying nothing.

“No soy sauce?” I ask a bit sheepishly. Honestly, I’m a dunker, because I eat a lot of cheap sushi.

“No soy sauce,” he says, gingerly brushing on a special concoction of soy, sake and rice vinegar atop the fish. No bright pink ginger. No wasabi (they actually have real wasabi should you request it).

The umi masu (bright orange ocean trout from Scotland) is a single perfect bite because of what it isn’t — it isn’t fishy or vinegary; it isn’t overly chewy or drowned in salty soy sauce.

The rice is precisely seasoned, without too much or too little, blending into the background rather than sucker-punching you in the tastebuds.

Instead, this bite of nigiri is a cloud of umami covered in an unctuous ocean breeze, assuming that were even possible, but frankly it should be.

No soy sauce is lesson one. Hatcho miso is lesson two.

Made in Ando’s home prefecture of Aichi (smack dab in the middle of Japan), hatcho miso is a dark fermented paste made only with soybeans. Aged two summers and two winters under literal tons of rocks, its used as a base for soup as well as sauces.

Unlike more familiar miso, hatcho has been made at just two factories in Aichi the same way for 650 years, using 200-year old casks and a whole lot of manpower. It adds a slightly bitter, salty flavor to foods that is unlike other more nuanced miso.

Ando’s signature Miso Katsu and Asari-hatcho miso soup are both stellar representations, and it’s a flavor you won’t soon forget.

The third lesson: Sake shouldn’t set your throat on fire.

We’ve had some really cheap sake and some of the world’s most expensive sake, and the good stuff is worth the price.

At $12 per glass, Tedorigawa Yamahai Junmai is a softly assertive representation that will have you rethinking why you never got more into sake.

With a simple menu focused on fresh fish and produce, along with family and vegetable-foods (shrimp tempura, agedashi tofu, chicken teriyaki, garlic eggplant), Sake 107 doesn’t take itself too seriously.

But don’t let Ando’s easy manner fool you, because he’s a real-deal chef who knows his way around a piece of fish — raw or otherwise.

Best Bets

Five Piece Nigiri, $21: Put yourself in the chef’s hands. Personally, we wish we’d doubled or tripled that. There’s not a stinker in the bunch, but don’t miss the Hokkaido uni, ocean trout (umi masu), sake (salmon) or maguro (big eye tuna).

We want so badly to love saba — a marinated and pressed mackerel — but its a strong flavor that takes some getting used to. If you’re into it, Ando has a special off-menu roll he’ll make for you.

Hamachi Umeshiso Age, $12: A small plate with a sort of yellow tail, pickled plum and shiso sandwich fried in tempura batter. The combo of light fishiness, sour plum and astringent shiso wrapped in crunchy batter is a home run.

Tuna Lily, $13: A little gimmicky, but a stunning plate of ruby tuna tartare cupped in puffed shrimp crackers.

Miso Katsu, $20: A signature dish and personal favorite of Ando, this is serious comfort food. Kurobuta pork is fried in panko and thinly sliced, with a hatcho miso sauce poured atop the pork, creating a fragrant steam that will have you trying to eat the super hot pork way before its ready for your craw. I have the blisters to prove it (but worth it).

Melts in your mouth roll, $17: Sushi rolls and I don’t get along. I generally find them horrifying, filled with fried nastiness, covered in bad rice and doused with four kinds of sauce. This isn’t that. Daring Ando to overcome that kind of distaste, he threw out a signature roll made with spicy tuna and salmon sitting on a pool of homemade ponzu sauce. I’m still not a spicy tuna fan, but the roll had me at homemade ponzu. This citrusy soy sauce makes what could be cloyingly rich into something with depth and character.

Overall: Seriously awesome sushi and izayaki in downtown Petaluma that reminds us of what great Japanese food can really taste like.

Sake 107, 107 Petaluma Blvd N., Petaluma, 241-7580, sake107.com

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