A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Toro Go Down

Good sushi is simple, fresh and no frills. At least, that's the opinion of Chef Nozawa, the mastermind behind sugarFISH, a new Marina Del Rey strip-mall installation. Nozawa hopes to popularize the traditional Japanese style of omakase, which roughly translates to "trusting the chef," and obviously was the inspiration behind the cleverly titled menu choices: Trust Me 1, 2 & 3.

The restaurant plans to include specialty items and more variety in the future, but nothing like your average sushi joint. You're not going to find a crunchy roll at sugarFISH, but I dare you find a place without pretention, where the fish melts in your mouth and the homemade ponzu and soy sauces deserve their own spot on the beverage menu.

Another perk: tip and tax are included, so even with the most expensive of the 3 choices, you're only spending $39 - and trust me, you'll leave full.


NOTE: if you can't eat your sushi without a beer or sake chaser, wait until July when their liquor license kicks in.


sugarFISH
4722 1/4 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
(310) 306-6300
$$$-$$$$

Kiichi Kiichi Koo!

Photo Courtesy of sagehen_93

Sometimes your in the mood for a nice heavy meal, and sometimes, you'd rather spend the calories on beer. But why must you sacrifice flavor and quality (you can only beer batter SO many things) when you want to have a mostly liquid meal? Well, you don't.

The izakaya, or Japanese "snack bars," revolution has swept over Los Angeles like it's famous brothers before: cupcakes, frozen yogurt, "shmancy" pizza. Izakaya has spread all over the city from east to west, and is even featured in January's Los Angeles magazine. So with a desire to stay with the times coupled with my equal desire to drown my day with sake and cold beer, I headed to West Hollywood's Kiichi with one of my best dining partners, Sam (wait - didn't I call him a drunk the last time I blogged about our food adventure? I'll try to be kinder).

I'm always a little weary when I'm one of 5 people in a restaurant, which was the case with Kiichi on a Saturday night. However, I was there so I was going to give it my all - and I'm glad I did. Luckily we made it right before last call on Happy Hour, which opened the door to $2.50 beers and $3 bottles of Sake. They also were happy to have us order more than one drink to take advantage of the happy hour prices, but were kind enough to keep the beers chilled until we required a refill. I guess that's one of the benefits of a slow night at Kiichi.

One of the other benefits was fantastic service. Not only did Sam and I enjoy a 3 hour dinner/drinking fest (heavy on the latter), but everything we ordered was recommended by the staff (I left it up to the experts), and everything was fantastic. So, let's get down to it:
We started with Yellowtail & Jalapeno Sashimi ($8.50) which was on the special menu. If you like a little spice in your life, you will love this dish. The yellowtail is so fresh, it basically falls apart in your mouth. This was my favorite part of the whole meal.
Next we moved on to the Sashimi Tortilla ($6) also on the specials menu. Anytime I can combine my two loves: Mexican and Japanese, I'm one happy chica. Here, tortilla chips are topped with tuna sashimi, fresh cilantro, avocado and chili sauce. Taka me to the border!
Next, Raymond's favorite dish: Everybody Loves Spicy Tuna Roll ($7.50). A crispy rice cake is topped with spicy tuna and jalapenos in a bite sized treat (actually, it's two bites - these honkers are huge). There's really yummy and creamy, spicy and crispy. I'm starting to sound like a Taco Bell commercial but you get the deal.
I swear this next roll was created by a mom trying to get her husband to eat vegetables - Teriyaki Beef Roll ($7.50). Crispy grilled asparagus is tenderly wrapped in thin slices of beef and drizzled with teriyaki sauce. Oh man, this dish was rich and delish. I should note that their portions are huge for tapas style food, and by this time Sam and I were stuffed. I should ALSO note that somewhere in between these dishes and our second bottle of sake, I also had the Scallop Ceviche ($5) which jumped into my mouth faster than I could take a photo. Another refreshing fish dish that I couldn't get enough of.

So there you have it. Sam and I left Kiichi full of good food and good drinks and ready to take on the night. If you're in the mood for light fare, and great service, than hit up this West Hollywood spot for a meal you won't forget.


Kiichi
8351 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, 90069
(323) 654-4404
$-$

Neighborhood Sushi

I'm always in search of no-frills neighborhood restaurants that aren't too pricey to necessitate a special occasion, but aren't too cheap to warrant over indulging. I think I found just the place. Ninjin Sushi in Santa Monica is a great spot with a great vibe. Although Ninjin has been opened for 3 years, it took a "break" between year 1 and 2, and has been reopened under new fervor for the past year. The management certainly knows what they're doing, offering complementary edamame, and a chef's special (which in our case were fish cakes). Maybe they were just in a good mood on that night, but I fell for them like Beyonce.

The fish was fresh and the presentation was fantastic. Most of the specialty rolls were $8-$11, and some of the highlights were the Ninjin Roll, Spicy Tuna Crunch Roll, Caterpillar Roll, Spicy Tiger Roll (my personal favorite with jalapenos inside), Volcano Roll and Rose Roll. Unfortunately, I wasn't warned that I would be eating with Cris Angel, so before I had a chance to shoot all of the rolls, they had disappeared from the plate. Here's a couple for your enjoyment:

Spicy Tiger Roll

Chef's Special Fish Cakes

Caterpillar Roll

Ninjin Sushi
607 Colorado Blvd.
Santa Monica, 90404
(310) 451-9800
$$

This One's Just Rice

When a co-worker and I were desperately craving Sushi in Santa Monica, we really didn't have anything coming to mind that was close by. Plus we didn't want to break the bank. So, I did like any adventurous woman would do, and googled "sushi" near "my office" and came across Hakata (check out the site for a coupon).

This place immediately intrigued me as the outside of the restaurant exclaims "ALL YOU CAN EAT SUSHI" and "SPORTS BAR." I thought, this could either be really fun, or I would be recalling my lunch over the toilet for the rest of the afternoon. Luckily, it turned out to be the former.

The lunch special is out of this world. For $12 you get 18 pieces of sushi and miso soup. The sushi really good quality, especially for the price. This is probably one of the best California Rolls I've ever had, as they use fresh crab meat and it's definitely well-crafted.

Although we didn't partake in the all-you-can-eat, I did inquire more. For $28.95 you can have regular sushi, and for $49 you get your pick from a premium sushi list, which has a few more options. The catch is, you only have an hour to make your choices. I don't think they kick you out after 60 minutes, but I think there's an added cost attached if you order more past that time. I certainly will come back and check that feature out the next time I'm feeling like a challenge and/or I'm wining and dining Kobayashi.


Hakata
2830 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310)828-8404
$

Road Tested: San Diego

Although this blog is first and foremost about Los Angeles dining, I ocassionally hit the road and would like to share some not-to-miss spots in areas outside of the city. This week, San Diego, and more specifically, the adorable town of Hillcrest. Here are two breakfast spots and a sushi restaurant that you must try if you're in the area.

CREST CAFE
A popular local haunt, Crest Cafe is a great eggs place - and you have plenty of options. I'm a fan of Mexican, so if I can get my "A.M. Ole" (as the menu section is so cleverly called), then I am a happy girl. Carolenas Corn Tortilla consists of 4 lightly fried corn tortillas filled with scrambled eggs, fresh salsa, jalapeno jack cheese, and avocado with a side of chopped mangos (which I sprinkled on top of the individual tortillas). This dish was a great mix of sweet and savory and didn't weigh me down. The salsa was fresh and chunky, as it should be (no Pace in sight) and the cheese was perfectly melted and gooey good!


You also can't go wrong with Cafe Eggs, which are scrambled with cheddar cheese, scallions, and bacon, served on a croissant. You have to be ready to make a mess with this flakey sandwich. Crest lets you choose between house potatoes or fresh (and they mean it!) fruit as a side.


Another great b-fast sandwich is the Morning Scrambled, taking the Cafe Eggs up a notch. Scrambled eggs are mixed with avocado, mushrooms, jack and cheddar (because two cheeses are always better than one), bacon, scallions and tomatoes. Now you're in the driver seat with the bread, choosing from wheat to a croissant and almost all that's in between.


Crest Cafe
425 Robinson Avenue
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 295-2510
$

THE MISSION*
You can smell the baker racks filled with freshly baked rosemary bread as soon as walk in the door. Prepare for at least a 20 minute wait, and they definitely won't seat you if your whole party isn't present. But trust me, the wait is well worth it. Unlike Crest, The Mission specializes in items fresh off the griddle. The Mission French Toast is as light and fluffy as French Toast can get. Not overpowered with an eggy taste, the cinnamon bread really shines in this dish. Every plate at Mission is a work of art, almost too pretty to eat. The restaurants signature berry puree dances against the white plate - and it tastes pretty darn good too.


The Cornmeal Blueberry Pancakes are moist and good to last bite. Served with two eggs and bacon, you better come hungry.


If you're feeling a little feisty, try the Plato Verde con Huevos. I'm not going to lie, these just barely missed the mark, but I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. The one thing that brought this dish down were the slightly dried out sweet corn tamales. The tamales are served with black beans and two eggs over medium with a tangy roasted tomatillo sauces coating the eggs. Even with the slightly overcooked tamales, I managed to make this dish disappear pretty fast.


Other notable treats: $3 Cinnamon Roll or $2.50 Pecan Banana Bread

The Mission
2801 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92104
(619) 220-8992
$

*technically located in North Park, about a 5 minute drive from Hillcrest


SUSHI DELI ONE
You know the saying, "you get what you pay for" - well, at Sushi Deli, you get a lot more. The most reasonably priced and great-tasting sushi I've had in a long time. Whether you're in the mood for a $2.95 California Roll, or one of their specialty rolls (most between the $5 and $9 mark and all unique), you really can't go wrong. Their creative menu includes tempura sweet potato rolls and Mexican inspired, cilantro infused, sushi. Delicious and worth every penny and then some. Get your Japanese fix without breaking the budget.

Sushi Deli One

228 West Washington

San Diego, CA 92103

(619) 231-9597

$