A friend who recommended Aburiya Raku specifically told me to order à la carte, but due to the large size of our party, the restaurant limited us to the tasting menu, which started at only $50 per person — a surprisingly great quality-to-price ratio, as we were all so satisfied with everything from the crispy asparagus okaki to the apple marinated lamb chop. My favorite part of the tasting menu was the sashimi platter. If we had the option of ordering à la carte, I would have opted for more fish and less meat, for the freshness of the fish still resonates. While I was surprised to find negitoro in the platter, it was a good mix, and the sea grapes were a refreshing change of pace.