Restaurant: Dashi

From year to year, there is a lot of restaurant turnover in Ketchum, as some that were there the previous year go out of business and new ones open their doors.

We heard about this particular restaurant from the clerk at the Hertz counter when we arrived at the airport in Haley. When we told the manager of the restaurant the reason we were there, he laughed and said the clerk’s boyfriend was a busboy at the restaurant.

The main entryway is on the side of the restaurant, and you first encounter a group of picnic tables in the side yard. The evening we were there these tables were being used by families with young children.

Immediately to the left, as you enter, is a bar that has seating for several people on high stools. There are a couple of high tops across from the bar with another 4 seats each.

Dashi has a substantial outdoor porch that appears to have as much, if not more, seating than the indoor dining area, which seats about 34 people at 2s, 4s, and 6s. We sat indoors.

The serving people all wear black T shirts with “dashi” written on the back in bright green letters. Green is also the color of the sneakers they all wear.

Rather than serve bread after you are seated, you are presented with a bowl of freshly popped popcorn.

Debbie and I shared everything that we ordered. Here are the items in the order they were presented.

• tempura green beans/Hoisin-mustard sauce with toasted sesame
• local sugar snap peas/horseradish, radish and Thai basil
• ginger-scallion noodles/pickled cucumber – shitake, spinach and sesame (“all ramen noodles are fresh and garnished with toasted nori, menma and scallion)
• fried chicken/all natural chicken – ginger, garlic, soy glaze, mixed greens and rice

The dishes that are used are particularly pretty, and the food is artfully presented.

The service was friendly, attentive and not rushed.

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