RawFishionado

Kappo Honda: Real satisfaction

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Going to Izakaya Wasa made me realize how long it had been since I'd been to Kappo Honda in Fountain Valley - the real deal when it comes to izakaya.

While Wasa provided a lovely experience, I suddenly craved the more down-to-earth offerings - and the huge menu - of an authentic, warm and casual izakaya.

So my friend Amy (who is also Japanese) and I met up in Fountain Valley, which is another popular Orange County city for Japanese eateries - in fact, I like to call the intersection of Brookhurst Street and Ellis Avenue "O.C.'s Yakitori Central," with Kappo Honda on one side of Brookhurst and Shin Sen Gumi on the other.

(I'll write about Shin Sen Gumi in a future post.)

Anyway, Amy and I were both craving J comfort foods that we hadn't enjoyed in a while, and Kappo Honda did not disappoint.

But first, we had to get through the challenging task of selecting what we wanted to eat: so many choices, so hard to choose ...

Kappo Honda is located in a classic mini-mall, but once you step inside, you're transported to a rustic Japanese izakaya. You'll find plenty of wood decor and Japanese diners - including lots of families.

The wooden menu panels on the wall don't even scratch the surface of the huge regular menu, and on top of that, there is an abundant "specials" menu, too:

We tried to choose from every category: starters, stewed dishes, yakitori (grill), rice dishes ... but we still ended up not ordering anything from the grilled or raw fish categories (well, my Ikura Oroshi could fit the raw category).

Let's get straight to the food:
First, the yakitori (also known as kushiyaki - "grilled skewers")
The grilled offerings here were much better than at Izakaya Wasa: more complex and interesting in their flavor combinations, with meat that is tender and almost juicy, not grilled to dryness.
At left is gobo and pork (burdock root wrapped in a bacon-like strip of pork and grilled). I decided to pass up my usual favorite of pork-wrapped asparagus and I think I found a new favorite.
Gobo is usually very crunchy, similar in consistency to carrots, but in this case, it was clearly cooked in a sweet soy bath before being wrapped in the bacon-thin strips of pork and grilled.
That resulted in a soft consistency and a nice, sweet, stewed flavor that paired remarkably well with the contrasting salty, slightly charred pork.

The chicken breast wrapped in shiso leaf (at right in photo) was paired with white onion slices on the skewer for a refreshing, lighter-flavored skewer.

I also ordered the spicy chili chicken wing, curious how this would be prepared.
It was DELICIOUS - just the perfect amount of red chili salt, and the wings were surprisingly juicy and tender, again not grilled to dryness.
Amy ordered her favorite grilled ginko nuts (at left in photo) - strong, distinctive nutty flavor that's similar to chestnut but much stronger in flavor.

Next, the Ikura Oroshi: salmon roe served with grated daikon radish.
As you can tell from my prior blog posts, I love ikura - salty, flavorful morsels.
And paired with tangy daikon, it was heavenly - strangely, the two strong tastes balanced each other perfectly in this combination: the salmon taste cut the bite of the daikon but didn't overpower the radish flavor either.
I was going to order a side of rice to eat this with, but I found myself slurping down the entire serving (about the size of a scoop of ice cream) with great satisfaction before I could even think about flagging the waitress.
Who needs the rice?

I initially thought the sweet potato croquettes might taste bland, but I was pleasantly surprised by the smooth, oh-so-slightly sweet potato flavor - actually not as bland as regular potato korokke.
The black sesame sprinkled in the panko batter was also a nice touch and may have influenced that smooth, overall mellow, but distinct flavor.
I may have a hard time having regular korokke again.

The stewed kabocha and ground chicken was pure comfort food - sweet, meaty kabocha pumpkin and ground chicken stewed in a fish broth flavored with soy and brown sugar.
I practically slurped the whole bowl down - luckily, I was cognizant of the fact that I was sharing the dish with Amy, so I refrained.

Finally, we had to order grilled onigiri and ochazuke - OF COURSE!
We ordered one small bowl of salmon ochazuke to share, figuring we could always order another if it wasn't enough.
The bowl looked small but it ended up providing two perfect portions considering all the other food we had.
As expected, this ochazuke was satisfying, though it tasted more salty than others I've enjoyed recently.

And the grilled onigiri was perfect - grilled perfectly to be crunchy but also fluffy enough on the inside, with some of the teriyaki marinade seeping into the rice - much better than the grilled onigiri at Izakaya Wasa that tasted too charred and dry.

Total bill for two: $41. We didn't order any alcoholic beverages because the hojicha (a roasted green tea that has a toasty, nutty flavor) tasted so good, went so well with the hearty food and was endlessly refilled by the diligent servers.

We two petite Japanese women were full. It may take a little more to satisfy a man-sized hunger. But even if we had ordered a few more dishes, we still would have gotten out of there for less than $40 each, including tip.

Kappo Honda set a new standard in my current izakaya craving period. Would Shin Sen Gumi across the street stand up to this level?

Stay tuned ...

Kappo Honda
18450 Brookhurst St.
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
714-964-4629

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Izakaya Wasa: 'Tis the season

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:00:00 +0000

With the weather getting a bit cooler and the sun going down earlier these days, it's prime izakaya season.

Izakayas - or Japanese pubs - are good any time of year and ubiquitous in Japan, popular with office workers, college students, even casual dates. But with long menus of small bites, ranging from fresh vegetables and fish to fried and home-style comfort foods, izakayas are especially appealing when you crave warmth and solace.

But these Japanese pubs don't seem to have really caught fire among mainstream diners here in Southern California, who still seem to be caught up in sushi as the icon of Japanese cuisine.

There are plenty of izakayas in Japanese-rich areas of Los Angeles, like central L.A., the Sawtelle-Olympic area and the South Bay (Torrance and Gardena, especially), but mostly Asian and foodie diners frequent them.
(I've written about a few of my local favorites.)

A couple of years ago, Takashi Abe of Bluefin fame opened Izakaya Zero in Huntington Beach, and as expected, the talented Abe took the tavern fare up quite a few notches in quality and added modern fusion touches. But just a few months ago came word that Izakaya Zero had closed.

So I hope Izakaya Wasa, the creation of another Orange County gourmet-Japanese pioneer, James Hamamori, can carry on the izakaya education.

I finally made it to Izakaya Wasa, which opened in Irvine Spectrum Center about a year ago.
It's a nice place for mainstream diners to discover the joys of izakaya. The key ingredients for success are here: good food; lovely, modern atmosphere; hip, well-trafficked location.
And while an izakaya traditionally doesn't serve sushi, there is a sushi bar here, providing that Wasa/Hamamori signature quality fish. (Izakaya Zero also had a sushi bar, presumably to attract American diners as well as show off Abe-san's impeccable fresh fare.)

Izakaya Wasa is definitely a place balancing the old and new. One wall is decorated in old-school style, with wooden panels serving as a wall menu listing various dishes. And consider the cocktail one friend enjoyed on my first visit: a lychee shochu martini.
The menu is wide-ranging, as expected at an izakaya, and tries to balance the modern tastes with the traditional. You can get raw or broiled fish, grilled or stewed meats, vegetables cooked in the Japanese way to stay firm and flavorful, and there's even a couple of udon or soba offerings and a ramen bowl.
There also are some salads that sound rather ubiquitous (salmon skin salad, beef salad ...) and some Japanese-style desserts, including one of my favorites: Zanzai, a traditional sweet red bean soup.

Our party of three ravenous women tried different dishes from different parts of the menu.

In this photo, that's the Crispy Calamari at top with yuzu-miso sauce for dipping, and Beef Tataki with Apple Sesame in the foreground: Seared New York steak, raw on inside, apple sesame sauce, daikon & green onion garnish. Yummy, tender beef with a refreshing, slightly sweet-tangy sauce.

All very nicely prepared, with fresh, high-grade ingredients and lovely tastes. But a bit predictable.

We also got some sushi - hard to resist when you're at Wasa. The toro, salmon, albacore, spicy tuna and kanpachi tasted as fresh and lovely as they look in the photo:

I wanted to try more of the classic izakaya grilled fare, so we enjoyed skewers of roasted shishito peppers, meatballs, and asparagus wrapped in bacon (an izakaya staple that everyone loves), and my personal favorite: grilled onigiri - rice balls brushed with teriyaki sauce and grilled to crispy-outside, steamy-inside perfection, with bits of salmon, salty seaweed or sour plum tucked in the middle of the mass of rice.
But the winner at this outing - both for its taste and its surprising uniqueness - was the Crispy Shiitake Mushroom:
I've never tasted anything like this: sliced shiitake mushrooms fried and sprinkled with sea salt, served with a whipped sour cream infused with truffle oil for dipping.
Shiitake is so strong in flavor that it's typically used to add taste to dishes. But when it's fried like this, it becomes very mellow in flavor - almost creamy smooth.
Going by that description alone, you'd think I would find this dish bland.
But no - there's something very addictive and deliciously rich about these fried morsels. I gobbled them up, eating them mostly unadorned but occasionally dabbing some of the cream on the fries.

After this first experience, I found myself still wanting - I hadn't really tasted enough rustic, traditional fare.
So I returned another night with another friend and a mission of ordering a few more traditional stewed dishes.

The Kakuni - slow-cooked pork belly in sweet soy sauce, served with steamed spinach & Japanese mustard garnish - epitomized comfort food: fatty, moist, flavorful.

But I was disappointed in the Agedashi Tofu, another izakaya staple, featuring fried tofu that's usually served in a shallow pool of broth that's been poured over it.
At Wasa, the fried tofu came out dry and tasted bland (see left photo below). I guess I should have heeded the description: "Starched then fried bite size tofu, bonito flake garnish, green onion & ginger tempura sauce for dipping."
A dipping sauce just doesn't cut it. The tofu needs to bathe in the broth and soak up some of that subtle fish-stock flavor!
The tuna poke pictured at right was also rather "meh" in flavor, though made with high-grade, crimson-colored chunks of fish. Perhaps my taste buds have gotten bored by all the tuna/ahi pokes out there.

On the far other side of the taste spectrum was the refreshingly delicious Takowasa ("Octopus Wasa") - raw chopped octopus marinated in wasabi sauce.
Not as spicy-hot as you'd expect - just a very pleasant horseradish-y tang giving the mild octopus a flavor punch, while pieces of wasabi stalk provided a subtle crunch (almost like celery with mild heat).

And, of course I ordered ochazuke (rice soup) with salmon (another favorite you'll see mentioned throughout my blog), and Wasa didn't disappoint.

Here's how it looked when it arrived, with those yummy BB-sized rice crackers sprinkled on top:
Here's how it looked after I mixed it up, right before I dug in for the slurp:
Overall, Izakaya Wasa is quite satisfying on all levels.
But some of the menu is quite predictable. It's best to try the less familiar, traditional dishes that epitomize the nuanced flavors of Japan - and, of course, those addictive shiitake fries!

Don't let the "small plates" concept lull you into thinking this is inexpensive fare. Most of the dishes run around $4-$8 each, which can add up as your party orders various plates to taste and share.
And of course, the sushi is in a separate price range of its own!

Still, it's worth the time and money, especially during these fall-winter months.

Izakaya Wasa
59 Fortune Dr. #340 (Irvine Spectrum, next to Edwards Cinema)
Irvine,CA 92618
949-453-9500

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Thanksgiving feast, Japanese vegan style!

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:00:00 +0000

How's this for a yummy, healthy alternative to the same ol' turkey dinner?

Shojin, the classy, tasty AND affordable vegan Japanese eatery in Little Tokyo that I wrote about recently, is serving up a vegan Thanksgiving meal Nov. 25 through 28 that makes even this turkey lover's mouth water:

* Creamy Pumpkin Soup
* Oven Roasted Vegetables
* Marinated Green Beans
* Candied Sweet Potatoes
* Homemade Vegan Turkey with Herb Stuffing
* Mixed Mushroom Gravy
* Cranberry Sauce
* Spiced Pumpkin Tart

And all for just $34.95 per person!

More details (including a reservation requirement, and restaurant hours) are on the Shojin blog as well as on the main Shojin web site.

As I noted in my earlier post, Shojin's food is super tasty and made with fresh organic ingredients.
And the vegan "turkey" (billed as "sooooo soft and moist :) Yum yum!!!") is made with seitan (wheat gluten), which is high in protein but doesn't have the sleep-inducing tryptophan that turkey does.

So perhaps even non-vegans will feel energized - and their stomachs very thankful! - after this meal.

In fact, the menu and photo are tempting me to treat myself to a second Thanksgiving Day meal at Shojin ... Anyone wanna join me?

Shojin: Not-so-new organic vegetarian food

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:00:00 +0000

A few months ago, I pondered the idea of raw fish becoming "extinct" in sushi bars.
It's a dilemma for me: I do love fish, but I also worry about sustainability, and the impacts to the eco-system of my eating habits and pleasures.

So I was pleased to hear about Shojin, a Little Tokyo eatery that focuses on organic, natural, vegan Japanese cuisine.
(Thanks to Monica V. for the tip!)

The phrase "Contemporary Organic Fusion Cuisine" on the web site's Menu page made me cringe a bit, but when I clicked on the "Why Shojin" tab, I was reminded that this type of food is actually more ancient Japanese than trendy.

The photos at top, of little dishes of cooked vegetables, actually depict some of my favorite Japanese foods (stewed pumpkin, tofu, shiitake mushroom), and the "What's Shojin cuisine?" section explains that this is "very traditional Japanese cuisine and originally Buddhist vegetarian cooking."

The web site explains that Japanese-style Shojin cooking is believed to have originated during the 13th century. A Buddhist Zen sect leader who had trained in China brought back Chinese cooking techniques and practices, thus creating a new Japanese cooking style with innovations like frying and deep frying and using miso, soy sauce and vinegar seasonings.

So, like the Fishlips sushi truck, Shojin's vegan organic cuisine is actually an old concept that is new again, revised with contemporary touches.

I got a chance to visit Shojin recently, and while this isn't a sushi place (and in fact has very limited sushi offerings), the overall menu is well prepared, very reasonably priced and definitely more tasty than what you sometimes get at mainstream vegan eateries.

Shojin is a fairly small, cozy place located on the top floor of a three-story shopping center. But the restaurant's interior is nothing like a typical mall shop; it's decorated in an eclectic, warm and artsy style that makes you feel like you're in an European bistro.
The young, attractive waiters were soft spoken and very accommodating.
The menu is plentiful - numerous pages with photos of the dishes, presented in a slim notebook binder.

We started with the pumpkin croquette appetizer (about $6), served with a light tomato sauce.
The flavors were mild and comforting, the texture a nice mix of crunchy and smooth.

We also had a small dish of miso eggplant (which we failed to photograph because I tore into it so quickly!), for about $5.
I love traditional miso eggplant with its great mix of salty and sweet flavors, bound together by meaty eggplant.
The Shojin version was good, but not noteworthy. The dish tasted very fresh, with the roasted veggies (not solely eggplant - I think there was some squash in there, too) very flavorful but almost not cooked enough - too crunchy in texture. Traditional miso eggplant is stewed, allowing the flavors and textures to mellow and meld. I specifically love the comfort-food texture of it.

For our "entrees," my friend Samantha and I wanted soba (buckwheat noodles), but we also decided to split a Shiitake and Avocado Roll ($5.25) as a "side" (pictured at top of post).
This is one of a handful of sushi rolls offered; there's also a "Caterpillar Roll" with avocado and barbecue seitan (wheat gluten meat substitute), covered in sauce.
I prefer non-sauced rolls, and the traditional salty flavors of Shiitake mushroom and konbu (seaweed) cooked in a sweet soy sauce, rolled with avocado in a brown-rice roll flecked with sesame seeds, hit the spot.

Finally, our soba dishes came out.
I had the Yamaimo Ume Soba ($10.45), a traditional favorite of mine: Buckwheat noodles in a cold soup topped with gooey-starchy mountain potato, ume (sour plum) paste, radish sprouts and seaweed slivers.
Very refreshing, with the tangy-salty Japanese flavors that I love.

Sam had the Spicy Tofu Soba ($9.95) with buckwheat noodles in a spicy miso soup with tofu and ground veggie "meat."
This was clearly a version of the Chinese-style mabo dofu, in which tofu cubes are covered in a sauce of spicy ground pork - sorta like the Asian version of Bolognese sauce.
I'd like to come back for this comfort-food soba now that the weather is getting colder.

The lengthy menu also had some curry dishes that looked good (Japanese curry is milder in spice and sometimes almost sweet; I'm curious what the flavors are at Shojin), and also some lovely bento box combinations I'd like to try sometime.

As you can tell from the prices I listed, this filling meal cost us about $25 each, including tip.
While this type of food will never be an adequate substitute for sushi, the flavors are nostalgic and comforting, and it's further comforting to know the chef is using organic, natural and fresh ingredients.
This will definitely be a stop-in spot for me on my visits to Downtown L.A., and may become a good meeting spot for my vegetarian friends.

Shojin
333 S. Alameda St., Suite 310
(Little Tokyo Shopping Center 3F)
Los Angeles, CA 90013
213-617-0305

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Smacking my Fishlips!

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 02:36:00 +0000

YES! At long last, I was able to catch up with the gleaming raw-fish truck when it stopped in San Pedro today.

As you can see in the above photo of the temari (ball-shaped sushi), the quality is very good, especially when you consider it comes out of a truck.
The salmon and hamachi (yellowtail) was the best catch of the day, both buttery smooth and so fresh and so clean-clean in flavor.
And the pricing was just right.

This is NOTHING like the packaged sushi at grocery stores - this is the real deal, freshly prepared for each order by an experienced sushi chef whose counter just happens to be in a well-equipped RV.

Of course, it's also not the sublime, eyes-rolling-into-the-back-of-your-head amazing sushi that you do have to pay a bit more for.

But note the sign on the back of the truck:
Yeah, baby ...

(MORE PHOTOS follow)

I've been dying to try Fishlips since July, when I first heard about it, checked out their web site and read several stories about the business.
First clue that this would be authentic: The charming broken English on the web site.

I also liked what I read in blog reviews about the clean, simple, high-quality but affordable sushi, and how they offered temari, a Kyoto-style sushi shaped in a ball rather than in the finger-shaped nigiri style.

And finally, one really good story/review in Grub Street noted that Fishlips owner Takeshi Kimura (TK) wasn't simply following the mobile food trend when he started Fishlips earlier this summer. He actually was harking back to sushi's roots, back in Japan's Edo era, when sushi was sold and served from carts.
Yes, sushi was originally fast food. The modern-day sushi bar was actually established after World War II, TK told Grub Street.

Anyway, I was intrigued. But because the truck locates mostly in Central and West L.A., I had a hard time making time to check it out.
I even wrote an impassioned e-mail to Fishlips, begging them to come to Long Beach, where I could help scout locations AND rally customers:

"We are in dire need of good sushi in Long Beach - all we have now in this big city is mediocre, mainstream, 'Banzai Crunchy Creamy Roll'-type places targeted at college-age sushi-novice diners.
We Rawfishionados desperately need your fresh, simple, high-quality offerings!"

TK-san wrote back immediately:

"Yokoi-san, Thank you very much for inquiry.
Yes, we are thinking to come over Long Beach.
Only we have to research that we have to take extra health permission from city of Long Beach. (Only Long Beach, Pasadena, Vernon request it.) ... We are considering about Long Beach for any reasons. (Close to our office, good for lunch & night time.)"

Luckily, I didn't have to wait until they got that extra health permit for my first taste of Fishlips. The truck was invited to the VUE condo tower in San Pedro, as part of a small health fair the tower organized, mainly for its residents, but open to the public.
The truck was parked right outside the VUE lobby door when Brooke and I got there, excited and hungry, around 12:30 p.m.
NO CUSTOMERS WERE IN SIGHT. Brooke and I practically jumped up and down in glee.
The truck is, indeed gleaming. There are signs - both handmade and on a flat screen - hawking various "sets" that include rolls and temari.

Temari is all Brooke and I were interested in. Mr. TK was taking orders at the window, and we asked him what he recommended as the best fish of the day.
The salmon and the hamachi, he said, after consulting with the sushi chef.

For our first round, we ordered one order (2 pieces) each of the salmon, hamachi, regular tuna, tuna tataki and unagi temari, which came to about $13.50.

We also ordered two cans of hot green tea, which came out nicely warm - just like in vending machines in Japan, where you can choose hot or cold cans.

Our order was ready in about 5 minutes. We sat down on a concrete ledge near the VUE entry and dug in.

We first tried the maguro, which was lovely looking but tasted meh:
Fortunately, everything else was MUCH better, including the rice (the use of Koshihikari brand rice is proudly promoted on the Fishlips web site - "Japan's No. 1 Brand") and the wasabi, which had a good taste, not just heat, and made us almost think it was fresh ground stuff.
(It wasn't - we asked. It's just higher-quality powdered stuff than what you usually get.)

The unagi, broiled to tender perfection, was topped with a lovely light sauce:
The hamachi - almost translucent and silky good:
For our second round, we ordered more hamachi, salmon, unagi and maguro tataki temari (the photo at top of post), and then Brooke noticed a "Long Beach Roll" on the menu, and asked why it was named after our city.

Mr. TK called the jovial sushi chef over, and he explained that the chef who originally created it lived in Long Beach at the time.

We decided to give it a try. It's a roll with tempura shrimp, avocado, cucumber and Krab in the middle, topped with that lovely hamachi, splashed with ponzu and a dab of red chili sauce:
Tasty, but really "for Cooked-fishionados," noted Brooke. Yes.
And the pieces were large and hard to eat. I deconstructed it and enjoyed the yummy fish off the top first, and then picked my way through the middle.

Speaking of hard to eat, one note: The ping-pong-ball-sized temari is darn cute, but it can be a bit hard to pick up with chopsticks; the sushi sorta falls apart.
So best to grab it and stuff it in your mouth quickly, or perhaps even use your fingers, as sushi originally was meant for.

Overall, a pretty satisfying lunch for 2 for about $35 total (less than $20 each!).
Fishlips is the perfect sushi fix when you're in a hurry and just want some fresh-tasting fare - sort of like getting a really good, freshly made sandwich with quality ingredients from a mom-and-pop cafe or deli.

But with its limited menu, it won't fully satisfy like a full sit-down sushi bar will.

I'd rate Fishlips 3.5 stars for the quality and its reasonable prices.

And I'll keep searching for Long Beach locations, and perhaps even research the city's health permit requirements for TK-san, in hopes of getting the truck in my neighborhood soon.

Still fishing for Fishlips ...

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:59:00 +0000

I've been stalking Fishlips Sushi online, but still haven't had the chance to venture up to the West L.A. spots the truck seems to frequent.

But this recent article (and the accompanying photo, above) really increased the sense of urgency for me.

I NEED ME SOME FISHLIPS!

I'm e-mailing them now to see if they won't come down to the LBC.
They're based in Torrance and the top chef was most recently working in Huntington Beach, for gosh sakes!

West L.A. Sushi Smackdown

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000

I was in a manic sushi-craving mood, and was jonesing to try some of the many places in L.A. that I had not yet experienced.

So I came up with this crazy idea to gather a posse of close friends together for the first-ever Rawfishionado L.A. Sushi Crawl.

Yes, it was the antithesis of leisurely traditional sushi: I wanted to try stopping at several (2 to 3) sushi places in one night, tasting a bit at each stop and providing a good Rawfishionado comparison guide.
I had a few places in mind that are fairly close to each other, in West L.A.

I figured with a group of us, we could each order something different at each place and get a good variety, and I thought we could keep it affordable by spending only about $20-25 a person at each place (2-4 orders of nigiri sushi, or one dish) - especially if we were to hit up as many as three places.

So I picked 3-4 places, planned a logical itinerary based on geography, and our merry band started our Crawl at 5 p.m. on a recent Saturday.

Of course, most of my ideals were unrealistic: ultimately, we only got to two places, and we each spent way more than intended at each place because we didn't follow the "everyone order something different" rule.

So it wasn't the Crawl I envisioned. I was truly crazy thinking we could cram so much into one night.

But I DID end up with a very good Sushi Smackdown, pitting two comparable places against each other.

And producing a very clear winner.

Photo slide shows and a full report follow.

Here's the (unrealistic) itinerary I started with:

First stop: Hiko Sushi
Neighborhood: Palms
11275 National Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 9064
(310) 473-7688
Yelp reviews described it as a smaller place serving up simple, affordable but quality nigiri sushi and sashimi. Sounded like Rawfishionado's kind of place.

2. Echigo
12217 Santa Monica Blvd., Ste. 201
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 820-9787
Rawfishy Erika had raved about this place, saying the fish was exceptional AND could be had for $30-$40 omakase. Clearly a Rawfishionado kind of place.
And Yelpers confirmed the quality - though I found some Yelpers preferred Sushi Zo. So that became my candidate for ...

3. Sushi Zo
Neighborhood: Palms
9824 National Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 842-3977

Finally, if time, stomachs and wallets allowed, I put a fourth option on the itinerary:
4. Lucky Fish
Neighborhood: Beverly Hills
338 N Canon Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 274-9800
www.luckyfishsushi.com
This is the intriguting, modern kaiten sushi place in Beverly Hills that got me curious because of the oxymoron: conveyor-belt (aka "affordable") sushi in Beverly Hills?
To be honest, I put this option at the end because I really didn't want to spend my money at Lucky Fish. The prices on the web site sounded outrageous for kaiten sushi, and I figured you pay for the novelty and atmosphere, not the quality of the fish.
Needless to say, we didn't make it here anyway.

Meanwhile, No. 1 Hiko was knocked off the list as we were literally driving over to it! I had failed to check on hours of operation before hitting the road, so I called to make sure they opened at 5 p.m.
A recording informed me Hiko is CLOSED on Saturday and Sunday!

WTF? How do they survive not serving on the weekends?
It was baffling and disappointing.

So we started our night at Echigo, located on the second floor of a rather ugly shopping center.
Our party of five walked in at 5:30 and the place was sadly EMPTY. But that meant we would get great service, even if we sat at a table to comfortably accommodate all of us.
And sure enough, everyone from the waitresses to the sushi chefs treated us VERY well.

Every piece of fish here was sublime, the quality so fresh and supreme that you can SEE it in my photos that follow.
And of course, the sushi chef(s) know the fish so well that each piece came out either unadorned to allow the fish to shine, or with a very subtle, perfect touch of ponzu or other condiment to enhance, not overwhelm or cover, the taste.

Echigo went beyond my expectation and knocked me out with its quality.
And if that wasn't enough, the pricing was incredible: all five of us ordered omakase, and the wait staff was very smart and practical - they asked if we wanted one-piece-each omakase, or a full order of two pieces for each of us.
Clearly in our situation, one piece each was plenty, and allowed us to enjoy more variety; we each ended up having about a dozen different pieces.
And the bill (including beers and tip) came out to about $40 each for the incredible meal.

I was so satisfied with Echigo that I almost called off the crawl right there. In fact, some of our party had other plans and did call it a sushi night.
But my curiosity about Sushi Zo was still strong, so Erika and I forged on.

Sushi Zo is a smaller place and it was pretty filled up, but a waitress/hostess said we could take a table for 2 for about an hour, before a party that had reserved the table came in.

Definitely sensed a snobby vibe immediately, confirmed by this sign:
I got a little excited, thinking: With all that snobbery could come some amazing cuts of fish!

Well, let me cut to the chase and say Sushi Zo disappointed me completely, and made me really see the value of comparing two places back to back in one night.

The fish was high quality at Zo, but not as sublime and out-of-this-world as at Echigo, as you'll see from the photos and descriptors that follow.
PLUS, there were the ATTITUDE and RULES that seemed misplaced here, having just had incredible sushi without snobbery at Echigo.

As noted on the sign, Zo is entirely omakase, even when you're sitting at a table, which is fine.
But there's a minimum charge - you must consume at least 8 orders. So we could only have the table for an hour, and we were full from our Echigo meal, but we weren't allowed to cut off the omakase when we were satisfied.

If the fish was as sublime as Echigo, I would have excitedly anticipated each new plate.
But as you'll see, the fish was mostly bland, and there was a very unfortunate honey-dijon situation that appalled me.

So we ended up paying $50 for about 12 orders that really were "meh" in quality - better than average sushi places, to be sure, but not as good when compared to its premium peers. I feel compelled to only give Zo a rating of 3 stars because the overall experience, while impressive for some diners, did not make me personally want to return.

This was similar to the experience I had at Ikko in Costa Mesa recently: high quality in general and a modern willingness to experiment, which I admire, but not always on the mark. And when you have to pay a lot more for the food - including the experimentation that doesn't work - it can leave a bad taste in both the mouth and mind.

Needless to say, the clear winner in the Rawfishionado West L.A. Sushi Smackdown was Echigo, rating 5 stars for unforgettable food quality/chef expertise, conscientious service and surprising affordability.

Fukada 2 Go: One reason I love working in Irvine

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000

I started a new job in Irvine in May, which is partly why I neglected this blog for about a month and a half while I was busy acclimating to the new job.

But this job is also Rawfishionado-friendly in that it puts me close to all the really good Japanese places in Orange County. (If you haven't read my theory on why Costa Mesa-Irvine has such a concentration of authentic Japanese food, click here.)

One of my happiest days was when I literally stumbled upon Fukada 2 Go, just a mile away from my job.

I already knew about the main Fukada, the fast-casual Japanese place near Irvine Spectrum. People wait close to an hour there to slurp the handmade udon and enjoy other Japanese comfort foods like unagi bowl and spicy tuna bowl, all made authentically delicious with fresh, often organic ingredients, and so affordably priced it puts other Japanese restaurants to shame.

But I had no idea there was a Fukada outpost hidden at the base of a gleaming high-rise condo complex at Jamboree Road and Campus Drive - until I turned into this complex, drawn by a sign for a Vietnamese eatery.

I found the Vietnamese place, but was more excited when I saw what was next door:
More photos follow ...

Fukada 2 Go has apparently been open for about 8 months now.
It's a small place with seating for maybe 10 diners - it's "2 Go," after all.
You'll see by the menu, available online, that there is definitely more "2 Go"-friendly food from Fukada's main menu: rolls and rice bowls, plus bento boxes, all for an average $5!

In fact, when I first came upon Fukada 2 Go in May, they weren't serving the signature udon - which made sense since noodle soup isn't takeout fare.
But apparently there was enough customer demand - or the owner was waiting to see how business went before offering it here - because in June, handmade signs proudly announced "Udon now available!"

They've also recently added tako-yaki - Japanese dumplings made of flour, tempura batter, diced octopus, red ginger, and green onion, topped with sauce, seaweed, mayonnaise, and bonito - on weekends.

Fukada 2 Go is clearly the place to go for lunch - especially if you only have an hour break. Unlike the main Fukada, there's no line of people waiting to get in, and actually very few diners there whenever I've stopped in (both at lunch and after work).

Here are my favorites:

The kara-age bento box, featuring the Japanese fried chicken (marinated in soy sauce before fast frying), with rice, sesame green beans (gomae ingen, a homestyle favorite) and my favorite hijiki (a type of seaweed stewed with carrots and fried tofu pieces).

All this for only $6! Though I should warn some of you that they serve Japanese-style portions here - just right, in my opinion, but perhaps not enough for some American appetites.

But then, you can order more, and still not break the bank! In fact, I love the sides so much that I often order several of them.
The sesame green beans are especially perfect: the soy sauce and brown sugar in the sesame mix are nicely balanced, not cloyingly sweet; the sesame seeds are not pulverized to a pulp; and the beans are boiled but still firm.

The spicy tuna roll ($5) is a refreshing, light version:
I ordered it once with the brown rice, which didn't work for me: brown rice has such a distinct flavor, not just nutty but more robust, so it actually clashes with the spicy tuna roll.

But I DID like the brown rice in the shrimp roll (also $5), which complemented the tempura shrimp and asparagus - the whole roll is yummy with crunchy, smoother flavors:
The udon here comes in two sizes: a nice smaller cup (about the size of a large mug) that satisfies me perfectly for $5, and a larger size, about the size of a regular soup bowl, that will probably satisfy most other diners for about $7.
The basic udon here comes topped with both the tempura crumbs and sansai - often a mix of Japanese seaweed and "mountain vegetables," typically green-bean-like root veggies and mushrooms.

Those handmade noodles are sooooo good, slightly chewy yet delicate.
I must admit that while the small bowl is really the right portion for me, I'm always disappointed there aren't just a few more noodles when I get to the end of the bowl.

Finally, Fukada 2 Go also has the lesser-known black sesame ice cream, produced by the leading manufacturer of the ubiquitous green tea ice cream and my other favorite, azuki (red bean) flavor:
The black sesame looks - and tastes a bit like - chocolate chip ice cream, but with a very slight nutty or bitter edge, but in a good way, like how coffee has that deep roast flavor.
If you're like me and don't like super sweet, you'll order the black sesame ice cream again and again.

Fukada 2 Go
6200 Scholarship
Irvine, CA 92612
949-756-0810

Ikko: Impressive, but not impeccable

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Proof that even highly rated, raved-about places aren't flawless.

Exhibit A: Ikko Sushi in Costa Mesa.

I hadn't been here in years, but kept reading all the foodie blogs and reviews raving about the omakase here.

I finally got a chance to re-acquaint myself with Ikko, when I was introducing my San Francisco cousin and some new friends from New York to The LAB Anti-Mall and its sister center The CAMP. After a whirlwind tour of the LAB/CAMP, we had to get the New York visitors back up to LAX to catch a red-eye back east.

But we still had time, and concerned about traffic AND dinner (actually in the reverse order, natch), I suggested we stay in Costa Mesa to catch a quick bite, which would allow the traffic to die down, then we'd hit the road north.

We'd been talking about this blog o' mine, so New Yorker Melissa says, "I'd love some sushi!" My cousin chimes in, "OK, Rawfishionado, is there a good place around here?"

"Why yes, there are some EXCELLENT sushi spots in this neighborhood," I proudly proclaimed.

And we walked the few steps to Ikko.

Unfortunately, due to our time constraints, we couldn't really do a leisurely omakase. So we opted for a table that would comfortably accommodate the four of us - and our tendency to gab - and decided to simply order off the menu.

First, a couple of appetizers:
Spicy tuna on tempura-fried eggplant: tasty little morsels, topped with my favorite smelt eggs.

Yellowtail carpaccio, topped with minced jalapeno and balsamic vinegar
This "carpaccio" dish has become sort of ubiquitous these days at trendy, upscale and gourmet restaurants, Japanese and non-J. But naturally, the Ikko version was superior to many I've tried, due to the high grade of fish here. The pieces melted in the mouth like buttah.

By the way, the cheery waitress recommended these appetizers, which are apparently very popular. I can see why - they were delicious. But this was the first sign that I MUST return for omakase; I don't necessarily want what everyone else loves to eat - I'm ornery like that.

Next came long, lovely plates of our various sushi orders. The first one is pictured at the top of this post. And here's a closeup of my favorites on that tray:

Aji (Spanish mackerel) on the left, hirame (halibut) and mirugai clam (getting cut off in the photo)

The aji was buttery good with that distinctive taste that doesn't overpower. I didn't taste the hirame and mirugai, but I could tell just from the looks of them that they were fresh and delicious - probably naturally sweet. (We were all so happily engrossed in gobbling up the pieces that I forgot to ask for details about how they TASTED - doh!)

Here is a closeup of the kanpachi and albacore.

At sushi places of this caliber, I've never been disappointed with the albacore - and sure enough, Ikko's was not only super-tender and moist, it was flavored with just the right dash of ponzu-daikon sauce, with a little crispy onion on top. Albacore at lesser places often comes drowned in the sauce, which pisses me off because I can't enjoy that lovely mild flavor of the fish.

At Ikko, I was shocked and disappointed to find the kanpachi was overly sauced and flavored!

If you've been reading this blog, you know of all the heavenly kanpachi I've enjoyed. Well, here, I couldn't taste the fresh, mellow, almost-sweet fish itself because the ponzu and the very strong fresh wasabi overwhelmed my taste buds. Now, I love ponzu, and really appreciate when fresh wasabi (not the powdered stuff) is served. But the kanpachi is too delicate of a fish to have such strong garnishes, and it left me wondering about the sushi chef.

Maybe a junior/apprentice itamae prepared this kanpachi?

To finish, Rawfishionado's version of "dessert": reliably good unagi and an incredibly yummy tamago, flecked with green seaweed.

There's an art to making the perfect tamago - fluffy but firm, sweet, but only very subtly so. This one was both of those, but with an added hint of salt, thanks to the seaweed. I loved it.

Overall, the sushi was marvelous, what you would expect at a place like Ikko. But it wasn't the best I've had, and I guess I expected better. I kept comparing the quality of Ikko's fish to the quality I consistently get across town at Shibucho - for a better price.

Our Ikko sushi bill for four, with NO alcohol, came to $175; include tip, and each person paid about $50. Not outrageous, but I've been spoiled by getting sublime sushi at Shibucho for $30-$40, every time I go.

So why would I return to Ikko? I do still need to give their omakase a try.
Perhaps I shouldn't have expected knock-me-out sushi when I'm sitting at a table, ordering in bulk.

But at this point, Shibucho remains the undisputed champion in the Rawfishionado ratings.

Stay tuned...

Ikko Sushi
735 Baker St., Suite C
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714-556-7822

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Sushi Saurus: Take 3 - the final chapter?

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 22:47:00 +0000

Sadly, I'm afraid I must rescind a Rawfishionado endorsement.

Due to some recent experiences and newly acquired knowledge, I can no longer heartily recommend Sushi Saurus in Long Beach as a reasonably priced, authentic Japanese sushi place.

Here's what happened ...

A few weeks ago, Rawfishionado Brooke (who lived in Tokyo and has a very sophisticated palate), e-mailed me some alarming news:

"BTW - I went and had the unagi-don at Sushi Saurus last Wednesday. It sucked and so did the miso soup. :(
"The unagi sauce was tooooo sweet and the miso soup tasted like dishwater water...same color too..."

OK, unagi bowl does not a sushi place make, but the quality of her meal sounded simply appalling.

When we visited Sushi Saurus in April to see how the new owner was running the place, Brooke and I were bowled over, so to speak, by the unagi bowl, and knew we'd be craving the meal in a bowl on a regular basis.

Apparently that was a one-time phenomenon; I believe that earlier unagi bowl was prepared for us by the owner-chef himself, after we requested it.

After Brooke's recent bad experience, I had to check it out for myself.
I decided to order unagi bowl takeout - better to try it in the privacy of my home, I thought.

In a nutshell, the experience revealed a lot about the new owner's attention to quality and lack of understanding of nuanced flavors:

1. The eel sauce wasn't too sweet as on Brooke's version, but it was really weird-looking AND weird-tasting: it was watery, looked like water colored with a bit of soy sauce, and had a chemical taste. NOT the right consistency or taste for unagi.

Fortunately for me, the unagi sauce was packaged separately for takeout, allowing me to put how much I want on it. So I pretty much ate the unagi almost unadorned, and it was decent.

2. My miso soup wasn't as bad as Brooke's dishwater soup - there was some salty flavor to it - but after a couple of sips, I threw it out. It was clearly some powdered insta-miso, with those little foamy fake tofu cubes in it - so unsatisfying.

3. And here's the biggest insult: the whole meal was WAY overpriced for what I got. I essentially paid $14 for a few pieces of unagi, the only worthwhile part of the whole meal.
Even the pickled vegetables and octopus salad were not good - either a chemical taste or bland.

Finally, I also didn't realize that the new owner-chef is Korean. I didn't notice this on that first visit in April, probably because it was so busy and a Japanese sushi chef was serving us.
But on the night I ordered the unagi bowl to go, the place was nearly empty and the chef-owner was behind the sushi bar and conversing in KOREAN to his female waitresses.

This might explain the weird unagi sauce, AND the fact that when I called in my order and said I wanted "unagi don," the waitress didn't seem to understand me.

"Unagi roll?" she asked.
"No, unagi DON ... an unagi bowl," I said.
(Pause) "Ohhh, OK."

So I can not justify endorsing a place that isn't authentically Japanese - and overpriced and mediocre on top of it.
It's an average, OK place if you're not seeking any out-of-this-world, memorable food.

Fishlips Sushi: Raw-fish Coach?

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 04:35:00 +0000

There's been a lot written, blogged and Tweeted lately about modern-day food trucks that offer unusual, tasty and gourmet food beyond the traditional "roach coach," and broadcast their locations via very modern mobile media (Twitter, mostly).

I still haven't had a chance to try the famous local pioneer of this trend: Kogi's Korean tacos.

And then there's this one, that I MUST try, being Rawfishionado and all: Fishlips Sushi.

Some foodies are giving Fishlips good reviews.

I'm willing to go up to L.A. to try Fishlips, but the company is based in Torrance, so I wonder if I can catch them in Long Beach. They seem to truck around mostly in West and central L.A. - wherever they get called, apparently, usually at a specific business or in a business area.

And I wonder if I can get them down to Irvine, where I work...

Kogi's has been smart enough to come down to the O.C., where there are large Korean and Mexican populations. And with such a large Asian-American population in general here, Fishlips would be right at home, too.

If you haven't heard about this trend, read more here about the various businesses jumping on the band wagon, so to speak:

* "Kogi Korean BBQ: a taco truck brought to you by Twitter" - The Los Angeles Times

* "Sprinkles on Wheels: Cupcake van coming to O.C." - Fast Food Maven blog on OCRegister.com

* "The cupcake van may be coming your way" - Los Angeles Times

*"Food Truck Nation" - The Wall Street Journal

Sankai: A simply satisfying sushi lunch

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Sat, 16 May 2009 17:00:00 +0000

A dear friend of mine, Tony, recently reminded me of a decent little Japanese eatery that I used to stop by occasionally.
I hadn't been to Sankai (across the street from South Coast Plaza, on the Santa Ana side of the street) for years, mostly because so many other good Japanese joints had opened up in the area in recent years.
But when Tony commented (on my Facebook Wall, natch) about Sankai, letting me know how much he and his wife like the place, it made me remorseful about neglecting it.

I was also happy to hear Sankai is still in business after at least 10 years - and still run by Japanese owners, with Japanese chefs.

It's a small, airy restaurant located in retail center at the corner of Bristol Street and Sunflower Avenue, which houses a number of casual-but-not-quite-fast-food, sit-down eateries serving up decent "ethnic" fare, like Vietnamese, Mexican and Greek food.
Sankai's food - including the sushi - is not phenomenal, but it's definitely above average, and it's definitely the highest quality among its neighbors.

It's the perfect place to enjoy a lunch break, or a light, refreshing but satisfying meal after hours of shopping.

So when I had a shopping errand at South Coast Plaza recently, I decided to pay a visit to this reliable old friend.

The restaurant has undergone a subtle redesign that incorporates soft, peaceful colors and blond wood, creating a refined ambience that makes it ideal for business lunches.
The lunch menu is also restrained, offering only about a dozen choices, ranging from a sushi plate to noodle soups.
Tony had especially raved about the chicken udon soup, and indeed, I was tempted to try one of the noodle soups.
But I was in the mood for sushi at the time - just some simple, clean tastes, and Sankai delivered.

First came the standard salad - a staple at Japanese restaurants.
But this one offered you a choice of tofu or chicken to provide a bit of protein, and the shredded chicken I chose tasted freshly made.
The typical Japanese dressing - a tart mix of rice vinegar, soy sauce and sugar, sometimes made creamy with the addition of mayo, ketchup and ground sesame seeds - was also better than I'd tasted at many a Japanese place.
This one was refreshing - not too tart, nor too sweet and cloying.

Then came the sushi plate. And as you can see from the photo at top, it was simple and satisfying.
The fish all tasted clean and fresh, but none of it had that out-of-this-world, melt-in-your-mouth goodness like some other places just up the road.

This lunch came to about $12 and also included miso soup.

I'll definitely stop by again.
It's a pleasant place to get a quick - but unrushed - meal, a standout among the many "fast-casual" chain eateries that serve mediocre food.
And next time, I'm going for the udon.

Sushi Sankai
3940 S. Bristol St. #112
Santa Ana, CA 92704
714-241-7115

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Koi redux: Reliably delicious

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Wed, 13 May 2009 17:00:00 +0000

I've mentioned my favorite Seal Beach sushi place,
Koi, many a time on this blog, one of my Top-10 sushi spots in Southern California, easily rating 5 stars for its total package of highest quality, prices (not cheap, but not outrageous) and casual, friendly atmosphere.

But I hadn't been in a coupla months, and was just starting to crave it when my friend Susan invited me to join her and new friend Mike there.
Mike's a globe-trotting (from Mississippi to Japan to Nigeria, with lots of countries and U.S. cities in between), Zen-Buddhist-Kabbala kinda guy & Asian food fan, who recently settled in Long Beach.
Susan had told him that Koi serves up the best REAL sushi in this area, and she suggested he read Rawfishionado to study up.
Mike doesn't have a lot of sushi experience, but what he's had has been good. He's a yellowtail sashimi fan, but is also very enthusiastic about trying new things.

Plus, he did read Rawfishy before our meal!

So we enjoyed a nice time sitting at the sushi bar, where we chatted with fellow diners & made a new friend (another Rawfishionado and Koi regular named Susan!), and I introduced Mike to some fish that promise to be new favorites for him.

I didn't take a lot of photos on this outing, but just look at the few I took and you'll understand why I love Koi so much.

Koi's long daily list of fresh fish reflects the exceptional quality and variety you get when you've been in business for close to three decades - which means you have great fish-monger connections.
So on this outing, we only ordered simple nigiri sushi, which really allowed the Koi Quality to shine:
Bluefin tuna

Albacore - just look at how buttery these cuts are. I think the angle makes this photo look like the pieces are swimming in citrus soy sauce, but actually, this was a very light-tasting ponzu, not overwhelming at all.

Kanpachi. Look at this slender, exquisite beauty - like a leggy supermodel, except with fresh, unvarnished taste. No wonder Mike fell in love.
(And hey Mike, if you forget the name on your next sushi outing,
just look up this post on your iPhone!)

Snapper (with a dab of yuzu on top)

Blue mackerel
I think I was the only one who ordered this one. I just love Koi's saba: it's marinated in vinegar but it's a very balanced flavor, not overwhelming. And the paper-thin slivers of kelp on top provide a subtle, refreshing touch.

We also enjoyed some perfectly broiled unagi (with a light touch of sauce - yes!) and amaebi (sweet shrimp) - though Mike wasn't too enthusiastic about the fried heads. That was fine with Susan and me - that just left more crunchy goodness for us!

And on Chef Taka's recommendation, Susan and I ordered a couple of Kushi oysters - walnut-sized, sweet and clean-tasting, tender morsels topped with a light ponzu and delicate smattering of scallions and a tiny dollop of grated radish.
(I'm really sorry I didn't get a photo of them, but I scarfed them down!)

We also enjoyed this bottle of sake:
The bill came to about $70 each (that's including tip). My stomach and soul confirmed it was worth every penny. Another satisfying Koi evening.

Koi
600 Pacific Coast Hwy, #100
Seal Beach, CA 90740
562-431-1186

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Tokyo: a gaijin's gastronomic tour

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:00:00 +0000

About a month ago, I posted about a friend who was preparing to go to Tokyo on a business trip.

Well, Deron Richens went, ate and conquered.
He learned that you'll never go hungry in Tokyo.

Deron kindly agreed to be a guest blogger on RawFishionado, to share his food experiences, in particular, with us.

His delightful account, in text and photos, follows.
Reading it may inspire you to book the next flight out to Japan.
Don't say I didn't warn you!

By Deron Richens

When I was asked to go to Tokyo by my company for meetings with our joint-venture partner, I honestly did not think of Tokyo as a Top-10 world destination for me.
I planned on flying out, doing the meeting, then coming home.

However, my wife made me book a couple of extra days to sightsee, even though it would keep me away from the family for a week.

I am very glad she nagged me to stay longer.

To give you the short and skinny about Tokyo: it’s New York times 10, except cleaner, more efficient, less smelly and more courteous.
New Yorkers don’t fret - I still love NYC.

What follows is a gaijin’s culinary tour of a great city.

Our Japanese hosts catered to our western palates by taking us to American, French and Italian restaurants.
Here we are at a French place for lunch:

What I found was that most restaurants have set menus, and you can choose between a couple of items for each course.
Here, I started with a nice salad of greens, tomato and cheese; then the local sole prepared over creamed cauliflower, followed by this "Cherry Blossom Dessert":

Excellent! There was much pride and skill displayed by the chefs at this and all the restaurants I visited.

After the Italian dinner that night, I told my English-speaking host that although I had been in Japan for two days, I hadn’t had sushi or seen the world-famous cherry blossoms, which only appear for a short time during the year.

Off to the 24-hour sushi bar!

Late-night snack of tuna, snapper, sweet shrimp and mackerel.

My host told me that he likes to order the egg sushi when trying a new sushi bar.
He told me it’s like ordering the minestrone and the carbonara to make sure an Italian chef knows the basics.

Good times!
The next night I was on my own, and headed over to the Ginza Corridor, which became my favorite street. It's right behind the Imperial Hotel and is loaded with all kinds of bars and restaurants.

A side note about Tokyo: if you don’t like sushi or raw things, no worries - there are so many choices, even the pickiest American can eat well here.

Above is the Shabu Shabu restaurant I went to.
Mmmm ... meats. All-you-can-eat for 2,800 yen ($28) - meats, noodles, vegetables, etc.

After a slow, steady gorging at Shabu Shabu, I wandered the streets of Ginza, taking pictures and basically being a tourist.

Then I stumbled upon drinking heaven.

This sign and a dark staircase was all I saw at street level - so I headed down.

This amazing little 10-seat bar had the largest collection of scotch whiskey this side of Zanzibar - close to 8,000 bottles.

And the precision and effort that these two craftsmen put into a drink was remarkable!

God bless bourbon. And yes, that is an ice-cube ball, the best part of the drink. What a beautiful thing.
(RawFish editor's note: Ice cubes would melt too fast and dilute the liquor. My people hate to taint good liquor!)

On to the Imperial Bar, which is a redo of the original bar designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, way back when.
Mr. Wright designed the original hotel, which was quite the place to see royalty, celebrities and the well heeled.

Fun fact: The woman who created the Barbie doll lived at the Imperial for a year in 1957, when she was brainstorming the idea for the doll.
She basically hung out in the lobby, watching the hoi polloi go about their business, to get clothing ideas for Barbie.

On to the drink!

Now this is a late-night snack and beverage. What you have here is mixed dried fruit with a Manhattan. I feel like royalty.

The next day was spent exploring the city, in particular the Meiji-jingu Shrine in the Shibuya section of town.
Then I needed a snack.

Mmmm ... meat on a stick.

Gotta wash it all down. I love that you can buy a beer out of vending machines in the park.

After a great morning in the park, I needed to eat again - imagine that!

One thing I loved about Tokyo is that all the major department stores have restaurants. I’m not talking about American franchise fast-food crap that we all love over here, but real, sit-down restaurants that rock.

This quant little place was at the top of the Takashimaya department store. Great food and a view.

I love meals like this that have a bunch of different tastes. While I couldn’t read a thing on the menu, pointing and nodding did me well.
I enjoyed delicate tempura, cold soba noodles, pickled cucumbers and some unknown vegetable.
The waitress told me the sauce in the cup is for the soba.

Later in the day, the snack monster attacked, so I stopped by a bakery on the Ginza Corridor.

Don’t know what these were, but they were good and sweet!
Because almost all signs are in Japanese, I sometimes didn’t know what I was eating. But I wanted to be adventurous and try different things, so I dove right in.

That night, I stopped by a Spanish tapas bar I had seen the night before. Good choice, Deron-san.
Have you ever wondered where prosciutto came from? That is the hind quarter of a pig that has been salt-cured into prosciutto.
When a request came in, my friend would slice your ham to order.

Next on the menu: a selection of cheeses with a fine sherry.

I love my cheese.

But the best dish was a well done, sizzling garlic and shrimp plate:

I was sopping up the oil with a biscuit!

I had a great time at this place. He didn’t speak English that well and my Spanglish needs work, but we had a fine time chatting about this and that.

On my last night in Tokyo, I had already done so much walking during the day that I didn’t want to go far.
So I stopped at the diner within the Imperial Hotel, and enjoyed the fried prawn sandwich - so good!

You can’t believe how a simple sandwich like this can taste so good.

At this place, I came to realize something about the Japanese people. I was observing my waiter put together an ice cream sundae.
At my seat was a little picture of what he was making, so I knew what the result should look like.
He spent 10-15 minutes, painstakingly putting together this treat. The sauce was ladled on just so, the cookies were placed in the correct areas, the chocolate straw inserted perfectly, the strawberry placed at a 45-degree angle.
The attention to detail and the pursuit of perfection really hit home for me.

Oh and when he was done, it looked like the promotional picture at my seat.

Whether it was this waiter, the bellhop, the guy raking leaves at the park, or the bartender, I realized that no matter what the job, whatever level the person, the only thing on their mind is doing that job at the highest level possible, with the highest level of professionalism and pride.
I appreciated this and really think Americans can learn from this work ethic and pride in their work.

My last day, I had a snack at the Imperial Hotel lobby bar: Champagne, scones and finger sandwiches.

There's nothing better than a cucumber sandwich on white with the crusts cut off.

This was a great trip.
I met some really nice people, ate great food, shopped at some fine stores and saw amazing art, shrines and temples.

If you ever get a chance, go to Tokyo. It’s expensive, but worth every yen.

And by the way, I finally found my cherry blossoms - I’m happy!

Sushi Saurus: Take 2

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:01:00 +0000

Sushi Saurus in Belmont Shore has reopened!
The small, reliable sushi joint closed around the end of 2008 for renovation, amid word of new ownership.
I got several local tips (thanks to Claudia, and the ever-dependable Yelp) that it had reopened in recent weeks, so I was anxious to get over there and see if the food had changed.

I'd avoided the place for a long time because of the name - and, to be honest, the location in trendy Belmont Shore.
But I finally visited about a year ago, after reading Yelp reviews that mentioned the small size of the place and a focus on traditional sushi more than crazy rolls.

The food won me over on that first visit.
It was a good "every day" sort of place - not the most sublime, incredible sushi in the world, but solid quality, when you need a quick fix but don't have the time or money to go for out-of-this-world omakase.

But under new ownership, would Sushi Saurus still satisfy, even on a weeknight?
I rallied gal pals Susan, Erika and Brooke to go check it out with me.

The physical renovation is an improvement, indeed.
Compare just the exterior shots: the old sign and awning (pictured at right) was ugly and hard to read, while the new sign is clean and clear on the stucco wall (left):
Inside, I found a mural along one wall very distracting and ugly, but I really like the wooden dragon piece on the wall behind the sushi chefs (pictured at top of post).

I also like the lanterns.

The new owner has kept the sushi chefs from before, which is a relief.

And most of the menu is the same - a good mix of traditional sushi and other dishes, with a short list of rolls (some of them unfortunately involving cream cheese, garlic butter and jalapenos) for the sushi novices.

The sake menu remains diverse, with very good offerings, and the beer lineup had a good, lesser-known option: Yebisu.
But there were three very noteworthy (and alarming, for us) omissions on the food menu:
* No unagi don (broiled freshwater eel served in strips atop rice)
* No agedashi tofu (fried tofu in a light broth)
* No monkfish liver

Brooke and Erika, in particular, were fans of the unagi-don on the old menu: a big bowl of rice with strips of unagi freshwater eel on top, teriyaki sauce drizzled on top.
This is a food staple in certain parts of Japan - very yummy, filling and comforting food.
But here in California, it's not easy to find an eatery serving unagi-don.

It's clear to me that the new owner is trying - understandably - to streamline the menu for cost and efficiency.
I'm guessing that besides Brooke, Erika, Susan and I, there probably weren't many other diners who ordered these three dishes.
The clientele is mostly young (20- and 30-somethings) and white, adventurous diners but probably inexperienced in authentic Japanese food.

Cutting monkfish liver from the menu isn't such a tragedy: it's a delicacy that can be costly, and monkfish is listed as a fish to "avoid" on sustainable fish guides.

But the ingredients for unagi-don and agedashi tofu are among the most inexpensive and readily available.
This is a sushi place, with plenty of unagi in stock for sushi, and a kitchen stocked with tofu and tempura fixings (for those ever-popular "crunchy rolls" and such).

So ... I asked if we could still order unagi don and agedashi tofu.
And sure enough, they delivered.

The unagi bowl looks a bit messy in this photo, but it's a good kind of messy - a complete meal in a bowl.
As I expected, I'm already craving this bowl as I write this, a day later:
The big bowl is filled with rice and topped with (clockwise from top):
* The requisite strips of unagi, served with a much-appreciated light brushing (not a dousing) of the sweet sauce, and topped with slivers of nori (dried seaweed) and bonito flakes.
* Slices of tamago (the ubiquitous, slightly sweet egg omelette). Several of us thought these were mango slices because of their unusual shape; tamago is usually cut in small rectangular pieces.
* Pickled cucumber salad
* Octopus salad

I've never had such a cornucopia of an unagi bowl (unagi-don is typically simple, just unagi on rice) but this combination worked, thanks to a balance between milder, slightly sweet flavors (rice, egg, unagi) and stronger tastes (pickled vegetables, salad).
Of course, I wanted MORE unagi - which, Brooke noted, is how everyone feels even after a regular unagi bowl. You just can't get enough unagi!

The agedashi tofu was good - nothing spectacular. Comforting, as it should be:
I also ordered an appetizer that sounded refreshing: salmon radish roll - "Salmon wrapped in reddish pickle," says the menu.
But no, you don't get raw fish served up in a pickle dyed red.
What you get for $9 is a lovely cut roll of silky salmon sashimi wrapped in daikon radish, sliced paper thin:
Brooke ordered a salmon-skin salad, anticipating a small, simple dish of greens and crunchy, salty salmon skin. What we got was Tranny Hot Mess Salad:
In contrast to the unagi bowl, this was too much of everything - including clashing flavors (strong salmon and super tart pickled vegetables).
And to add insult to injury, it was served on a bed of iceberg lettuce - blech.
It was like a bad Cobb Salad, when we were expecting a simple yet sophisticated, fresh dish to whet our appetites. The four of us each took a few bites before abandoning it.

Call this "What NOT To Order" at Sushi Saurus.
I'll provide another WNTO example later.

Luckily, the rest of our meal was a stellar lineup of very good cuts of fish - all melt-in-your-mouth quality with clean, subtle flavors:

Bluefin tuna

Albacore: our favorite of this bunch.
So tender, enhanced with just a dab of ponzu. Heavenly.

Amaebi (sweet shrimp)

Aji (spanish mackerel): Another meaty but tender morsel.

I've been enjoying so much good aji lately, I was happy that Sushi Saurus kept up and didn't disappoint.

The total bill for all this great raw fish, plus some beers, came to about $40 each (including tip!).
So glad Sushi Saurus has come out of hibernation.

Oh, one more WNTO (What Not To Order) tip: The Stinky Roll.
The young couple next to me ordered it and kindly allowed me to take a photo:
It's a California roll topped with albacore (OK, so far not bad, right?) and then topped with daikon radish slivers and a garlic butter sauce - hence, "The Stinky Roll."
I like each of those individual ingredients on their own (even a good California Roll on occasion), but this combination sounds like another Tranny Hot (Stinky) Mess.
As Brooke noted, wouldn't garlic butter sauce ruin the delicate raw albacore?

Sushi Saurus
5260 E. 2nd St.
Long Beach, CA 90803
562-439-1950

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Will sashimi soon be extinct?

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:08:00 +0000

I just noticed this interesting feature out of Washington, D.C., on the "sad state of sushi," and non-raw-fish sushi trends.

It brings up the question of sustainability of fish, too.

Yes, sushi actually isn't about raw fish. It's about the rice. So technically, raw fish isn't necessary for a good sushi bar.

But will raw fish disappear completely from sushi bars soon?

Will I eventually need to change the name of this blog?

Sad thought for this raw fish fiend ...

La Mar: Tasty Peruvian raw fish

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:17:00 +0000

Leafing through the latest issue of Travel + Leisure magazine, I was excited to read their list of "50 Best New U.S. Restaurants."

Of course the list was annoyingly heavy on New York City restaurants - always the case with East Coast-centric magazines.
There were only two Los Angeles spots noted (Palate Food + Wine in Glendale and The Bazaar by Jose Andres on La Cienega, both of which I've been meaning to try), and of course NO MENTION of any O.C. eateries that opened in the last year or so. (Ayame?)

But San Francisco garnered prominent coverage with eight freshman eateries, and I was delighted to see La Mar Cebicheria Peruana among them.

This may be the first time a non-Japanese-cuisine eatery has rated posting in RawFishionado!
But it's almost shameful that I haven't posted it earlier, since La Mar is all about high-grade raw fish, served up deliciously.

I had the pleasure of trying La Mar when I was in San Francisco during New Year's. It's a beautiful restaurant on The Embarcadero, next door to that foodie paradise, the Ferry Building.

As the full name implies, the restaurant specializes in Peruvian cebiche (ceviche), the Latin-American method of "cooking" seafood with a citrus bath.
I had never tried the Peruvian version until I ate at La Mar.

Peruvian cebiche is typically prepared with shark and other white fish bathed in lime juice, peppers and onions, and served with chunks of cooked potato or yam and corn.
The lime-and-peppers marinade is also typically served up in shot glasses - and called "leche de tigre" (tiger's milk) - at cebicherias.

Of course, I also love Mexican ceviche, which is often prepared with a mix of seafood, especially shrimp and octopus, and can include tomatoes and avocados as garnishes.

While La Mar focuses on Peruvian style, the menu reflects variations that give an admiring nod to other cultures, from Asian to Central American.
A tasting of five "leche de tigre" shots is also offered.

My girlfriends and I got a nice table in the bar area, next to a big window looking out at the city. We ordered several of the different types of cebiche so we could conduct our own taste tests and see which we liked best.

Needless to say, I liked the entire lineup we ordered, a very small sampling of the menu ...

Cebiche Mixto: Mahi mahi, calamari, octopus, habanero pepper in aji amarillo with cilantro, red onion, Peruvian corn (the big white kernels that look like pearls in the pic) and yam.
Fresh tasting, with a nice hot KICK. Didn't even taste the cilantro!

Cebiche Clasico: Halibut and red onion in a habanero leche de tigre with Peruvian corn and yam. Melt-in-your-mouth goodness and surprisingly mild despite the habanero and lime bath.

Cebiche Nikei: Ahi tuna, avocado, cucumber, red onion in tamarind leche de tigre bath.
Very Japanese in flavor - yum.

Cebiche Chifa: Yellowtail with peanuts, scallions, ginger, pickled carrots, daikon, wonton strips and habanero pepper in a cilantro-sesame leche de tigre.
Yummy Thai-South Asian sesame flavor.

We also tried a potato dish:
No, this isn't dessert. It's Causa Cacera: mashed purple potato forming the base, topped with artichokes, asparagus, avocado and tomato confit with basil-cilantro oil.
Loved the flavors, which mingled perfectly in a balanced, comforting way, with no one taste dominating the dish.

Sitting in the airy, lovely restaurant with good friends, nibbling on these refreshing tastes and sipping on a glass of Latin American wine or a cocktail made with Peruvian Pisco (a liquor made with grapes), is a little slice of heaven, indeed.

La Mar Cebicheria Peruana
Pier 1.5
The Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94111
415-397-8880

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Origami Bistro & Bar: Get happy, for cheap

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 17:33:00 +0000

If you work or live in or near Downtown L.A., Origami Bistro & Bar's Happy Hour is a good way to enjoy good food and a cool vibe during these recessionary times.

Origami offers Asian fusion food served in the now ubiquitous "small plates" style (aka tapas or izakaya style, long before the current mainstream trend).
And the raw fish offerings are pretty good - not premium, but good enough quality to warrant regular visits by RawFishionado - but only at Happy Hour, when you can get two fist-sized Hama Hama oysters on a half shell for $2.95 and decent salmon and snapper nigiri for $2.50 (2 pieces per order).

I'm afraid I don't have any photos of our Happy Hour eats late Sunday night because my friends and I dropped by on a whim and didn't have a camera with us.
My two gal pals and I headed to Origami for drinks after enjoying several hours of great music, dancing and people watching at the Cuban Festival just up Spring Street, at the 740 club.

I'd passed by Origami several times in the past and admired the decor (sleek woods, pretty lighting and a wall of subtly sparkly mosaic tiles), and wondered how the food stacked up.
Post-Cuban Festival seemed a perfect time to stop in for a snack.

It WAS a perfect time: we stumbled into their weekend Happy Hour, which goes from 5:30 to 11 p.m. (Weekday Happy Hours are 5 to 7 p.m. and 9 to 11 p.m. Monday-Friday.)

There are 23 items (some raw, most cooked) on the Happy Hour menu, ranging in price from the $1 Kobe Beef Taco to the $8.95 Super Tuna Roll.
Besides the aforementioned nigiri sushi and oysters (which were topped with green onions and a dash of wasabi, garlic and ponzu sauce), my friend Stacey also enjoyed an order of the Shrimp Tempura Tacos (2 pieces for $2.95) that were satisfyingly tasty.

There was only one other table of three in the dark, lounge-y spot on this Sunday night. We had a very green, new waiter (just two days on the job) but he won us over with his enthusiasm and honesty.

With Little Tokyo's authentic Japanese food just a few blocks down the way, I can't see myself ever going to Origami for a full meal.
But I'll definitely return to Origami for Happy Hour - especially the late-night version, when it's harder to find inexpensive but craving-worthy food in a nice atmosphere.

Origami Bistro and Bar
257 S. Spring St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-687-8606
(Also a location in Valencia, Santa Clarita area)

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Chiba: Carrying on a family tradition

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:30:00 +0000

Sitting at the counter at my favorite Long Beach breakfast place, I got into a conversation with fellow counter diners about good, homemade corned beef hash vs. the canned stuff.
That chat eventually led to talking about good sushi. (Isn't that where all my food conversations end up eventually?)

Anyway, one new acquaintance, Dr. Hal, told me about a place in North Hollywood, Chiba, that's been his favorite sushi place for many years.
A family-run place, he said, the best sushi he's had anywhere.

Of course, I felt a smidgen of skepticism when I heard that lofty statement. I didn't really know Dr. Hal's sushi credentials.
But from our conversation about corned beef, I got the sense that Dr. Hal, a Jewish guy originally from New York-New Jersey area, knows good food.
Plus, I liked what I heard about the family running Chiba for a long time in one of those crowded little strip malls in North Hollywood.
Sounded promising.

So this past Saturday, Dr. Hal, my friend Susan and I ventured up north for a Chiba visit.

It was definitely worth the drive.
(Lots more PHOTOS and VIDEO follow.)

Yes, Chiba is in a pretty ratty-looking strip mall that has a sliver of a parking lot.
To me, that's a good thing: a true mom-and-pop original that doesn't rely on awe-inspiring ambience or architectural brilliance to distract diners from the food itself.

But the parking situation is so bad that Chiba actually hires a hardy gentleman to provide valet parking.
Smart, if a bit surprising to see a valet sign in this shabby strip mall.

We walked in and the place was bigger than I expected, with two sushi bars plus a good number of large-party, family-size dining tables.
The sushi bar that runs along the wall left of the entry had 3-4 sushi chefs manning it, while chef-owner Shigekazu Chiba held court alone at the squared sushi bar in the center.
Dr. Hal had gotten us a reservation at Master Chiba's sushi bar. Sweet.

The place was packed, with multi-generational families filling the sushi-bar seats and the tables, enjoying both raw fish and the homestyle dishes prepared in the kitchen.
I was impressed with the diversity of customers - varied ethnicities and ages - and all the KIDS, some as young as 4 or 5, enjoying sashimi sliced lovingly for them by Shig.

A couple speaking Hebrew and their adorable daughter, about age 5-6, sat next to me at the sushi bar, and I watched with delight how the little girl slurped up a little plate of yellowtail nigiri (trimmed to kid size portions by Shig) and proceeded to chow down her mother's albacore sashimi, too.
At the other sushi bar, I spotted two tow-headed kids (probably 8 to 10 years old) enjoying some type of roll with varied sashimi slices on top.

Every customer is clearly a regular. And despite the decent size of the restaurant, you'll have a wait if you come after 6 p.m.

Clearly the reason for the popularity is Shig Chiba and his mother, who are both so warm and welcoming and make good food accessible to everyone.

Shig grew up at the restaurant - it was his late father's.
Shig was born in Japan but came to the U.S. when he was 11, the year his father started the restaurant.
(Read the full family story here.)
Eventually Shig returned to Japan to train and become a sushi chef.

His sushi pedigree clearly proved itself in our omakase meal. The fish was exceptional quality, his flavor touches understated, spot on, sensational.
But what makes Shig Chiba an exceptional chef is how he casually and subtly, in a very friendly manner, teaches his clientele about quality food. He raises their standards and expectations by offering the best, no matter what their Japanese food knowledge.
He respects each customer - even the little ones, judging by the fine cuts of fish he offered up to the little girl sitting next to me.
If she's consuming such high-grade fish at her young age, she will demand nothing less when she gets older.

So here's what he served us ...
First up, a trio of tuna: toro, maguro and ...

... albacore belly topped with micro arugula and a dash of ponzu (citrus soy sauce).
The toro and maguro were perfect. I didn't dip either piece in shoyu so that I could fully enjoy their clean flavors, each enhanced with just a small dab of wasabi inserted by Master Shig.
But the albacore belly was the clear champion of this first plate: buttery and mellow, with the arugula an unusual but perfect garnish, adding a nice nutty flavor.
Ranks in the Top 3 of the night.

Next was another trio - halibut, yellowtail belly and red snapper/sea bream, each splashed with a dash of ponzu sauce:
The halibut had my FAVORITE shiso leaf tucked inside. Lovely - a clean fish taste enhanced with the sweet tang of the shiso.

The yellowtail belly was another morsel of buttery goodness, with a dab of yuzu providing a slight kick. YUM.

The tai snapper also got a nice kick from some yuzu - but nothing that overwhelmed the smooth goodness of the fish.

Next was a trio of slightly stronger-flavor fish ...
The shima aji (amberjack) was my favorite of this bunch. It tasted as beautiful as it looks: clean and sophisticated, with a shade more flavor than the earlier courses.
Another Top 3 sushi of the night.

The kanpachi was like a palate cleanser between the two ajis, but the dab of yuzu brought out the mild flavor to a perfect level.

The regular aji (Spanish mackerel) was perfect, especially with that sliver of shiso leaf tucked inside - you could taste the mackerel flavor, but it was so subtle that Susan, who doesn't enjoy stronger flavored fish, remarked on it.

Moving right along ... next came a plate of seared salmon, seared scallop and amaebi (sweet shrimp):
The seared scallop (left) had a smoky flavor enhanced by the dab of yuzu. And the seared salmon was an utter delight, moist and flavorful, topped with caviar. I haven't enjoyed salmon seared this perfectly in a long time - most places sear it too dryness.
The salmon is my third choice for Top 3 of the night.

Another sushi favorite of mine is amaebi, and Chiba-san topped it with shrimp roe. Sweet and meaty, almost like lobster. Sigh.

Then, instead of serving the shrimp heads in their ubiquitous fried form, Shig served them in a perfect miso soup, garnished with Japanese parsley. Delicious:
This is REAL miso soup, comforting and flavorful, not just salty.

By this time, Susan and I were huffing and puffing. I let Shig know we'd hit our limit.
Dr. Hal was willing to go another course, so for this longtime friend, Shig offered to make something "special" that he could share with us, if we wanted to taste it:
We watched him fashion this creation and definitely wanted a taste: asparagus and avocado roll with a delicate cucumber skin, topped with a lobster and snow crab salad.
It was yummy, and proof that Master Chiba is as fluent in modern creations as he is in traditional tastes.

The bill: the omakase sushi cost us about $60 each. Incredible value for the quality we enjoyed.

Chiba
11713 Saticoy St.
North Hollywood, CA 91605
818-765-9119

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Shin-sational sushi

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:00:00 +0000

One of my foodie friends requested I find and review some authentic sushi places in south Orange County.
Quite a challenge, I thought. The only South County place that I could rave about is Sushi Wazen in Lake Forest.

But I love a challenge, so I started looking.
And thanks - again - to Yelpers, I learned about a gem of a sushi spot tucked among the sprawling residential neighborhoods of Mission Viejo (who knew?).

I found Shin Sushi in a roundabout way: first, I searched on Yelp for Sushi Plantation, a terrible-sounding place that I briefly considered checking out, in case it was a great place with a bad name.

But after reading Yelper raves about the crazy rolls and viewing the photos of the awful Tranny Sushi served up there, I knew Sushi Plantation was NOT worth my time.
Some of the reviews DID mention other Mission Viejo sushi places, including Shin.
So I checked out the Yelp page on Shin, which indicated Shin was a subdued, intimate place with a limited menu focused on fresh fish.
Sounded like my kinda place, the antithesis of Sushi Plantation.
I rallied my RawFishionado friend Lisa to join me.

Shin is another small place tucked in a strip mall (the standard description for most good sushi places), this time at the northeast corner of Oso and Marguerite Parkways.
On a recent Wednesday night around 6:30 p.m., there was only one or two other couples in the tiny space, and Lisa and I were easily seated at the sushi bar.

The "YES! This place IS Japanese!" proof of authenticity came in rapid succession:

1. The waitress came to take our drink order and responded in Japanese to my questions in Japanese.
2. They had Echigo beer. A lesser-known label in the U.S., Echigo Beer Co. is based in Niigata in northern Japan, where the rice fields and heavy snowfall also contribute to the production of premium sake.
3. Next came the hot towels - steaming hot and very refreshing.
4. The short sake menu was also perfect, natch. I'm afraid I can't remember the name of the sake we ordered, but it was on the sweeter, floral side, yet still dry enough to taste clean - perfect with our sushi.
Of course, the real stamp of authenticity was the itamae (sushi chef) serving us: Mr. Shin himself, the owner, pictured in the photo at top.

The specials board confirmed that Master Shin runs a tight ship that doesn't cater to every roll-loving novice sushi eater.
The list of fresh fish and specials was short and discriminating - nothing too unusual, but the short list indicated to me that the standards - i.e. toro, Spanish mackerel, yellowtail - would be top-quality here.
Aside from ordering one unusual item on the specials list ("Tea Pot Soup"), Lisa and I went omakase and left the sushi choices up to Shin-san.

As I expected, the sushi was perfect:
From left: yellowtail, salmon, halibut and toro. Each piece was buttery, so-fresh-and-so-clean-clean in taste.
I didn't dip any of the pieces in soy sauce so that I could truly savor the flavor of each fish.

Then came white tuna and albacore:
The white tuna was the Top Sushi of the night: flavorful in a subtle, sublime way, it literally seemed to melt in the mouth.
The albacore was lovely too, but the white tuna was truly crave-worthy.

Next up, the Spanish mackerel:
The aji was perfectly flavored with just a dash of ponzu over the onion and ginger garnish - a far cry from the oversauced Tranny Aji I've experienced at other places.

We enjoyed watching Master Shin slicing the raw fish so expertly:

Then, our Tea Pot Soup came out, a very light broth with scallops, shiitake mushrooms and mitsuba (Japanese parsley) leaves, served in a lovely ceramic teapot.
We poured the broth into tea cups and then fished out the pieces with chopsticks:
Satisfying in a sophisticated, subdued way.

After all this lovely, traditional Japanese food, we were a bit surprised when Mr. Shin presented this cut roll of unagi and snowcrab:
But it showed that he was willing to create dishes that appeal to hakujin tastes, and the roll was definitely tasty, not oversauced and overdone. You could actually taste the unagi and crab and avocado.
NOT Tranny Sushi.

By now, Lisa and I were getting ready to signal to Mr. Shin that we were full. But he presented one more dish we could NOT turn away: tempura scallops garnished with a sprinkling of spicy salt:
The scallops were meaty and juicy, the tempura treatment providing a satisfying, salty crunch.

Lisa and I sat back with big smiles on our faces.

Of course, Mr. Shin and staff wouldn't let us leave without some refreshing, oh-so-Japanese dessert: fresh fruit and slices of strawberry-flavor mochi ice cream:

Total bill for the classy omakase meal, including beer and sake: just over $100, or $50 each. What an incredible deal for the high quality of food we enjoyed!
This meal emphasized that we were truly ripped off at the other place where we recently spent $50 a piece on omakase.
I wish I could get my money back from that place!

Shin Sushi
26002 Marguerite Pkwy #C
Mission Viejo, CA 92692
949-582-1011

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Why Costa Mesa is Good-Sushi Central

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 03:28:00 +0000

So you may have noticed that many of RawFishionado's favorite authentic Japanese eateries are in or near Costa Mesa.

And in an earlier post, I lamented the lack of REAL sushi places in Long Beach.

I have a half-educated, theoretical and mostly observational explanation for all this:
The Japanese just love Orange County.

They love the newness of the suburban cities, the master-planned, safe communities and schools ... and the golf courses and South Coast Plaza!

So Orange County has become the favored settling place for the more recent immigrants from Japan - those who've come here over the last 20 years - and the eateries and other businesses that serve them.

Costa Mesa and Irvine are particularly popular communities for Japanese immigrants, thanks to shopping empire South Coast Plaza (a frequent destination for Japanese tour buses), and the highly rated schools and master-planned neighborhoods of Don Bren-land.

These attractions weren't that prominent when my parents first came to Orange County. My parents immigrated to Los Angeles in the late 1950s, and by the 1970s, they were among the many Angelenos seeking refuge from the urban sprawl, drawn to Orange County for its affordable housing and open space.

My parents moved in 1970 to Garden Grove (where lots of affordable tract homes had sprouted to house aerospace-industry families), and about five years later, our family moved to Santa Ana, where my parents and one sister still live.

While we were growing up in "suburban" O.C., my family still had to trek to Los Angeles for Japanese grocery shopping and dining in Little Tokyo.

Of course, the situation is almost the opposite now, with large Japanese companies and other Asian businesses now more numerous in Orange County.
Interestingly, my parents' decision nearly 35 years ago to buy a new house in west Santa Ana - about two miles from the Costa Mesa border - seems prescient or visionary now, when you consider all the Japanese businesses in this area.

Los Angeles County still boasts many Japanese businesses and restaurants, but they've clustered in West Los Angeles and the South Bay cities of Gardena and Torrance, close to large Japanese employers like Toyota and Panasonic.

Somehow, Japanese enclaves never took hold in Long Beach, a large sprawling city sandwiched between Los Angeles and Orange County. I remember a few Japanese restaurants, and some Japanese family friends living in Long Beach during my youth, but in recent years, most Japanese immigrants - and the businesses that serve them - have typically bypassed this city, lured by the shiny glow of Orange County.

So, alas, any RawFishionados in Long Beach must leave our 'hood to seek out sublime sushi.

Tokyo: Foodie heaven!

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Just learned that a friend is going to Tokyo in a few weeks for business - how fun!
And what perfect timing - he may be able to get a good dose of the famous cherry blossoms in bloom during their brief yet dazzling annual appearance.

He and his wife solicited my suggestions for what else to see, and to eat, in Tokyo - a challenging request when you consider this megalopolis of fun and food.
I almost didn't know where to start. So I relied on a couple of online resources that I've come to count on for these types of requests.

Since I was pulling them out of my Bookmarks library anyway, I thought I'd share them with all you RawFishy readers. Perhaps some of you may be headed to Japan, too:

* A good Japan reference site is japan-guide.com. I especially like the suggested excursions, like these itineraries for Tokyo.

* This Travel+Leisure article has become my favorite on Japanese food, because it not only lists great diverse places to try in Tokyo, it captures perfectly the schizophrenic gastronomic appetites and interests of my people!

* And Bento.com is a helpful Japanese dining and culture guide, focused on the more popular Japanese tourist areas like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.

More comfort food: Clay pot cooking

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:38:00 +0000

After a glorious-weather day on Saturday that made us all think summer was coming early (my sister and her kids even spent the day at the beach), the temperature gods turned on us today, bringing a chill back to the air.
Which makes this a perfect time to post this
article about donabe (clay pot) cooking, which my friend Hector found online recently.

The article is so articulate, thorough and friendly (complete with recipes), that I don't have much more to add ... just the photo, above, of my own personal donabe, which my parents used for years while I was growing up, and then passed on to me when I set out on my own.

Hope this warms everyone up!

Kaiten sushi ... in Beverly Hills?

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 06:35:00 +0000

In light of my recent post about conveyor-belt sushi, my friend Hector hipped me to the existence of this kaiten place: LuckyFish.

I MUST check this place out, because I have several questions, the main one being:
Isn't there an oxymoron here, opening a kaiten sushi place, typically set up for affordability and convenience, in Beverly Hills?!
The prices (as listed on the web site) and location seem to defeat the "affordable but good sushi" concept ...
And DARNIT, I apparently missed the 1-year anniversary celebration where they were offering up $1 sushi, which some Yelpers posted about.

I'm also intrigued by the touting of a high-tech system set up to guarantee freshness: an "RFID tag embeddded in each plate" so that the conveyor "belt automatically discharges any plate that has been rotating for longer than 60 minutes."

Has anyone out there been to this Robo-Cop Kaiten place yet? I'd love to get your reviews before I head out there.

Sushi on the (Cowboy) Range

noreply@blogger.com (iy) — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 05:23:00 +0000

I apologize, y'all.
I promised in my last post that I would tell you more about "The Pioneer Woman" likin' sushi, and it's taken me a week to get to that.

Anyway, I learned about The Pioneer Woman from my gal pal Monica, during a laughter-filled girls' night out having sushi on St. Patrick's Day. Monica has become a big fan of The Pioneer Woman, and after checking out her site, I'm an ardent new fan, too.
In a nutshell, The Pioneer Woman is the moniker of an articulate, funny, charming woman named Ree Drummond who blogs about her life as a former city gal who fell in love with a sweet cowboy and rode off in the sunset with him.
Her web site is chock full of her well-written musings and her gorgeous photos, focused on her hobbies and experiences - primarily cooking, photography and raising four kids (!) and various ranch animals.
I'll tell you later in this post what really hooked me on The Pioneer Woman, but for RawFishy purposes, I'll tell you now that Ree's "Cooking" section includes several good posts on SUSHI - including this very informative post, complete with photos and video, about sushi rice.
See, The Pioneer Woman in her former life embraced and gorged on the Los Angeles lifestyle while living here as a USC student. She was the ultimate consumer of our multi-culti offerings here. So while she loves her life on the range, she does miss sushi.
So, get this: her adorable cowboy husband got her a sushi chef for her birthday!!

So yeah, I've been drooling over The Pioneer Woman site, not so much because of her sushi postings, but because of the stories she tells about her adorable cowboy husband, known as "Marlboro Man" throughout the site.
In fact, what really hooks us women folk is Ree's recounting of her love story - how she met and married Marlboro Man - in serial novella style. Written with great humor and whimsy, her "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" is an online romance novel in 40+ chapters, written in posts over the past couple of years, started in honor of their 10th wedding anniversary.
But it's not the heavy panting, bodice-ripping, tall-dark-and-handsome type of romance novel (which I DON'T read); it's a truly sweet, charming story that seriously turns even those of us with feminist convictions into mush - and literally has kept me at the computer for hours to read through all the installments.
(I'm obviously not alone, judging by the several hundred comments she gets per post!)

And while she seems to like sushi rolls more than anything, that's OK. She's proven in her posts that she has learned the principles of sushi, and she definitely appreciates and understands good food. (Her other recipes make me drool just reading and viewing the photos.)

In fact, I'd love to take The Pioneer Woman out on a RawFishionado sushi outing if and when she ever makes it out to L.A. again...