Dining Guide

He’s the crown prince of sushi in Sacramento—and the court jester. Taro Arai has been slicing sushi since he was a teen, and now the gregarious chef is an author, too, with a beautiful book that came out in 2010, highlighting many of his unique creations. At this flashy Arden Fair flagship of Mikuni’s, Taro conjures up new and experimental dishes and rolls that he exports to the other locations if they fly here. One surprisingly big hit: Hokkaido scallops—scallop medallions on top of petals of rice with crab, jalapeño and black tobiko caviar. Sound bizarre? Maybe it is just a little, but it’s wonderful, too—just like the Yellow Delight, which is deep-fried banana with green tea mousse on the side. The ambience matches the food: sophisticated and modern, with mesmerizing aquariums and pop music that might be too loud for grandma (OK, maybe mom, too).