Marilyn Mon-roll (Sacramento, CA)
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
Sushi Nozawa: Sushi Nazi!!!
This is the best sushi D and I have ever had. EVER. Both of us COMBINED probably wasn't this good.
Thank God for Fridays during Lent. Forced to abstain from meat got us thinking about what fishy dishes we'd try each Friday of Lent. We'd come up with some pretty good ideas, between Popeye's shrimp basket to Mario's Peruvian ceviche and grilled fish. This last Friday, I was craving sushi.
The truth is, my friends and I used to make a college tradition out of going to have sushi on Fridays during Lent. It was a great tradition, a chance to explore a new type of food, and semi-opportunistic, given that Little Tokyo is so close to USC. I was HOOKED.
With a surprising growth curve, I started savoring raw fish with almost as much zeal as raw meat (I always order steaks and hamburgers the rarest they'll let it get out the door without the Health police tackling them to the ground). There was something about the textures, the richness, and the subtly fishy flavor that made it... deliciously quirky. Like cheeses, I liked my sushi with a slight bit of stinkiness, funk and scents and flavors that reminded you that at some point, this was "game" food. Raw, wild, and fresh from the outdoors.
What I found in my sushi journey was subtle to the point of bland. To be honest, I like salmon nigiri a little more than tuna or yellowtail nigiri if simply because I could taste something. Most cuts of sushi just weren't fresh enough to give that zingy, fishy FRESHNESS.
...Until Nozawa.
Sushi Nozawa is hidden away in the corner of a strip mall, two doors down from a nail salon and hiding behind a parking lot with about 10 spots total. Walk inside and it looks almost like a retrofitted greasy spoon--torn seats from Asian restaurant chairs and tables sparsely decorated, with kitschy decorations that all declare one central message: "Trust Me." But what it lacks in ambiance, it MORE than makes up in flavors. The menu? Whatever the chef wanted to serve you. Seriously. You sit yourself at the bar and you take what the sushi nazi serves you. And according to Zagat, ask for a California roll and you might get kicked out.
The chef served us:
- Chopped ahi
- Yellowtail nigiri
- Crab hand roll
- Halibut nigiri
- Toro hand roll
- Black cod nigiri
- Lobster hand roll
- Oysters
The fish itself was outstanding. Good flavors, perfect amount of fishy smells and flavors, and perfect texture. Even the cuts were consistent, down to the angle at which the slices were cut. The striations were exactly the same width. The texture was delicate and yet firm. The cuts overhung the rice--every single piece looked and tasted like the fish was the focus, not just an afterthought on the rice, cut small enough to save money. These were generous cuts, amazing flavors. No soy sauce needed.
I loved that the chef had the flavors down to a tee. He interspersed yuzu, ponzu and other sauces in moderation, careful not to let any single flavor overwhelm any type of fish. If the fish was stronger flavored, the sauces were delicate, and if the fish was delicate, the sauces were even more delicate. Even the nori was high quality nori--thicker, slightly funkier-ocean smelling, and simply better quality. I didn't even know there was any such thing as a better quality nori until I had the hand rolls. It truly made the hand roll taste better, accentuating the flavors of the sea and delicately playing a salty-sweetness to the delicate zest of the fish.
Our favorite part was the personal touch, or almost lack thereof. The chef, Chef Nozawa, is known as the Sushi Nazi, and he lives up to his name. He hardly smiled at all, with our compliments greeted only by a grunt in our general direction. He didn't take any of the sake we offered him and he barked orders to the Mexican sushi chef next to him (who kept good pace and prepared just as well as he did!) and the Mexican server, who learned to speak to him in Japanese. Occasionally, he'd show a sign of empathy and barked orders in Spanish: "[Order.] Dos."
And then came the miracle. After we drank a whole bottle of sake and ate more sushi than we thought we could consume, the chef asked if we were done. Hardly ones to admit defeat in the face of orgasmic food, we croaked past our bloatedness and said, "One more." The nazi, who had previously reserved all words for the servers and assistants, spoke those rare words that dared to show a hint of (dare I say it?) RESPECT: "Your choice." Shocked, I turned to all the decorations on the wall and said, "No, but we trust you!" ...No response. Not even a smile. (My goodness, he IS a nazi. Quick, order something before he kicks you out.) D did the proverbial bow back to our chef and asked what he recommended. After naming a few options, we opted for oyster.
At first, I was disappointed at the choice, scared that it would be a single cooked dish in my delirium of raw ecstasy. It wasn't until I fished out one of the two pieces of oyster from the little cup of sauces and put it past my lips that I realized--the oyster is RAW. This oyster was easily 2-3" large, and had the flavors and texture of a Kumamoto oyster. In the meat world, this is the equivalent of a wagyu steak the size of your head, served rare. This oyster was easily the best oyster I have ever had in my life, and I've had oysters freshly caught from the California north shores only a few hours old. Tender, almost al dente, and wildly flavorful without being sour. It was perfectly sweet, with several different textures that played with your tongue and reminded you that you were eating a complex organism that God himself created. Slightly firmer, then softer, then thicker, then soft again, it plays, like a choir singing hallelujahs. Delicious.
In short, while the price tag was high for a single dinner, when split by two and calculating the fact that we tossed in a damn good bottle of sake, it was a STEAL for the quality of the meal. This was easily the best sushi we'd ever had, followed by the best oyster we'd ever had, and on retrospect, it was refreshingly relaxing not to have to worry about deciding what we would like next--we simply liked everything that was handed to us. There's something about being able to place your life in someone's hands that's such a comfort, and to me--being able to place my stomach in someone's hands is almost just as much of a relief. Chef Nozawa took good care of it. Despite being, well, an unsmiling, uncompromising nazi.
Sushi Nozawa
11288 Ventura Blvd Suite C, Studio City, CA 91604 - (818) 508.7017
http://www.sushinozawa.com/
Read more »
Thank God for Fridays during Lent. Forced to abstain from meat got us thinking about what fishy dishes we'd try each Friday of Lent. We'd come up with some pretty good ideas, between Popeye's shrimp basket to Mario's Peruvian ceviche and grilled fish. This last Friday, I was craving sushi.
The truth is, my friends and I used to make a college tradition out of going to have sushi on Fridays during Lent. It was a great tradition, a chance to explore a new type of food, and semi-opportunistic, given that Little Tokyo is so close to USC. I was HOOKED.
With a surprising growth curve, I started savoring raw fish with almost as much zeal as raw meat (I always order steaks and hamburgers the rarest they'll let it get out the door without the Health police tackling them to the ground). There was something about the textures, the richness, and the subtly fishy flavor that made it... deliciously quirky. Like cheeses, I liked my sushi with a slight bit of stinkiness, funk and scents and flavors that reminded you that at some point, this was "game" food. Raw, wild, and fresh from the outdoors.
What I found in my sushi journey was subtle to the point of bland. To be honest, I like salmon nigiri a little more than tuna or yellowtail nigiri if simply because I could taste something. Most cuts of sushi just weren't fresh enough to give that zingy, fishy FRESHNESS.
...Until Nozawa.
Sushi Nozawa is hidden away in the corner of a strip mall, two doors down from a nail salon and hiding behind a parking lot with about 10 spots total. Walk inside and it looks almost like a retrofitted greasy spoon--torn seats from Asian restaurant chairs and tables sparsely decorated, with kitschy decorations that all declare one central message: "Trust Me." But what it lacks in ambiance, it MORE than makes up in flavors. The menu? Whatever the chef wanted to serve you. Seriously. You sit yourself at the bar and you take what the sushi nazi serves you. And according to Zagat, ask for a California roll and you might get kicked out.
The chef served us:- Chopped ahi
- Yellowtail nigiri
- Crab hand roll
- Halibut nigiri
- Toro hand roll
- Black cod nigiri
- Lobster hand roll
- Oysters
The fish itself was outstanding. Good flavors, perfect amount of fishy smells and flavors, and perfect texture. Even the cuts were consistent, down to the angle at which the slices were cut. The striations were exactly the same width. The texture was delicate and yet firm. The cuts overhung the rice--every single piece looked and tasted like the fish was the focus, not just an afterthought on the rice, cut small enough to save money. These were generous cuts, amazing flavors. No soy sauce needed.
I loved that the chef had the flavors down to a tee. He interspersed yuzu, ponzu and other sauces in moderation, careful not to let any single flavor overwhelm any type of fish. If the fish was stronger flavored, the sauces were delicate, and if the fish was delicate, the sauces were even more delicate. Even the nori was high quality nori--thicker, slightly funkier-ocean smelling, and simply better quality. I didn't even know there was any such thing as a better quality nori until I had the hand rolls. It truly made the hand roll taste better, accentuating the flavors of the sea and delicately playing a salty-sweetness to the delicate zest of the fish.
Our favorite part was the personal touch, or almost lack thereof. The chef, Chef Nozawa, is known as the Sushi Nazi, and he lives up to his name. He hardly smiled at all, with our compliments greeted only by a grunt in our general direction. He didn't take any of the sake we offered him and he barked orders to the Mexican sushi chef next to him (who kept good pace and prepared just as well as he did!) and the Mexican server, who learned to speak to him in Japanese. Occasionally, he'd show a sign of empathy and barked orders in Spanish: "[Order.] Dos."
And then came the miracle. After we drank a whole bottle of sake and ate more sushi than we thought we could consume, the chef asked if we were done. Hardly ones to admit defeat in the face of orgasmic food, we croaked past our bloatedness and said, "One more." The nazi, who had previously reserved all words for the servers and assistants, spoke those rare words that dared to show a hint of (dare I say it?) RESPECT: "Your choice." Shocked, I turned to all the decorations on the wall and said, "No, but we trust you!" ...No response. Not even a smile. (My goodness, he IS a nazi. Quick, order something before he kicks you out.) D did the proverbial bow back to our chef and asked what he recommended. After naming a few options, we opted for oyster.
At first, I was disappointed at the choice, scared that it would be a single cooked dish in my delirium of raw ecstasy. It wasn't until I fished out one of the two pieces of oyster from the little cup of sauces and put it past my lips that I realized--the oyster is RAW. This oyster was easily 2-3" large, and had the flavors and texture of a Kumamoto oyster. In the meat world, this is the equivalent of a wagyu steak the size of your head, served rare. This oyster was easily the best oyster I have ever had in my life, and I've had oysters freshly caught from the California north shores only a few hours old. Tender, almost al dente, and wildly flavorful without being sour. It was perfectly sweet, with several different textures that played with your tongue and reminded you that you were eating a complex organism that God himself created. Slightly firmer, then softer, then thicker, then soft again, it plays, like a choir singing hallelujahs. Delicious.In short, while the price tag was high for a single dinner, when split by two and calculating the fact that we tossed in a damn good bottle of sake, it was a STEAL for the quality of the meal. This was easily the best sushi we'd ever had, followed by the best oyster we'd ever had, and on retrospect, it was refreshingly relaxing not to have to worry about deciding what we would like next--we simply liked everything that was handed to us. There's something about being able to place your life in someone's hands that's such a comfort, and to me--being able to place my stomach in someone's hands is almost just as much of a relief. Chef Nozawa took good care of it. Despite being, well, an unsmiling, uncompromising nazi.
Sushi Nozawa
11288 Ventura Blvd Suite C, Studio City, CA 91604 - (818) 508.7017
http://www.sushinozawa.com/
Gyu-Kaku: Hollywood, LA
Last night D and I went to Gyu-Kaku, which was my first time there. While we went to the Sherman Oaks location, it was still ominously "L.A.", ultra-trendy, crowded, and borderline pretentious crowd. Despite this, we were seated in half an hour (ugh) and we ordered from the happy hour menu, which was heinously cheap. And while there were some really good dishes (try the Bistro Harami), it was hardly worth the fact that there were probably only two servers for the entire restaurant. Our server took 10 minutes to do the simplest of tasks (drop off the check, pick up the check, etc.), and took probably 30-45 minutes to bring me a water.
Points for a $1.50 Sapporo, good tasting meats, excellent Happy Hour prices, and the fun experience of cooking your own meats to your liking, but bad points for the wait to be seated, the poor service, the pretentious crowd, and some of the dishes being a touch too spicy without warning (who makes an ahi poke spicy??). Worth the experience to go at least once to know, but will strongly consider a reservation and an alternative day of the week or time of day.
Gyu-Kaku
14457 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 - (818) 501-5400
http://www.gyu-kaku.com/
Read more »
Points for a $1.50 Sapporo, good tasting meats, excellent Happy Hour prices, and the fun experience of cooking your own meats to your liking, but bad points for the wait to be seated, the poor service, the pretentious crowd, and some of the dishes being a touch too spicy without warning (who makes an ahi poke spicy??). Worth the experience to go at least once to know, but will strongly consider a reservation and an alternative day of the week or time of day.
Gyu-Kaku
14457 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 - (818) 501-5400
http://www.gyu-kaku.com/
The Bazaar: Bizarrely Mediocre
The Bazaar wasn't very bizarre. In a sense, it almost seemed... disappointing.
D and I were totally excited about our date night, sometimes upscale, sometimes low-key, and yesterday, it was dressed to the nines and wining and dining. Maybe that set our expectations high. Maybe it was because E described this place as Heaven coming down in the form of food. Or maybe it was just because I was so hungry. But all in all, we were wildly excited for a wonderful meal that just ended up falling flat on its face.
Don't get me wrong--there were some dishes that were pretty good. Not orgasmic, but pretty tasty. The foie gras was better than your standard cheap French restaurant. In a mini sandwich, the delicate flavors of the foie gras complemented the salty-sweetness of the toasted brioche, with touches of sea salt on the top. In the cotton candy swirl, the flavor of the foie gras managed to nudge its way past the crushed cornuts (yeah, you heard me. CORNUTS. I had to ask the waiter to make sure I heard right). The vanilla cotton candy added a gentle sweet touch at the end and the whole dish was good enough to get D and me to order another portion each, since the order is just one bite and very time-sensitive.
Another one of my favorites was the Japanese eel tacos. The tacos were mini bites wrapped in cucumber and a shiso leaf, with chicharron crumbles on top. Yes, it was eel with cucumber and PORK RINDS. It was light and crisp at the same time.
Dislikes? Well, pretty much everything else we ordered. "The Ultimate Spanish Tapa!" turned out to be mayonnaise slathered all over some hard-boiled egg and mixed with carrots, potato, and all of two pieces of cooked tuna belly (which in my mind is absolute defiling of toro). It almost seemed ready to be sloshed in between two slices of bread and eaten as a "[Blah Blah] Salad Sandwich" at some sad sandwich to-go place with a man in a giant pickle costume holding a sign outside. Needless to say, D and I left half the dish intact.
We also left half of the Bunuelos, the codfish fritters that ended up being little more than crabcakes made with fish. The aeoli sauce made it a little better, but the garlic aeoli that comes with the fries at Comme Ca is waay better. Even the Embutidos platter was mediocre, with very dry salami slices and a dry, almost sour chorizo, which is usually one of my favorite flavor pallates. And it's not that it tasted BAD, it's simply that it tasted..... meh. For the price you pay, you'd expect Iron Chef GENIUS. I actually half expected "foie gras cotton candy" to mean that the cotton candy itself would be made out of foie gras, not cubes of foie gras covered in vanilla cotton candy.
I will pay my respects to the sangria, which was a mix of half a bottle of wine, fruit-flavored vodka, freshly sliced strawberry, and Hennessey, mixed using a thinly sliced sugarcane stick. Cute idea, excellent presentation, and a great taste--it was smooth as a fruit juice you'd drink everyday at breakfast. For the types of alcohol that were in it, it didn't seem that strong, but it tasted pretty good. For the price point (~$50 for a pitcher of 6 glasses), it didn't give me enough of a buzz. :)
All in all, we loved the foie gras dishes, but honestly you could find better tasting, home-made foie gras at Saint Amour, in Culver City, just down the street, and better-priced appetizers at Comme Ca. The Bazaar sangria was good, but nothing you couldn't make at home, and half the meal was either "Meh" or unfinished. For a largely expensive meal in a Beverly Hills hotel, I really expected more, but I suppose for that, it's back to Maison Akira for the tasting menu that outright made our toes curl!
The Bazaar by José Andrés
465 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048 - (310) 246-5555
http://www.thebazaar.com/
Read more »
D and I were totally excited about our date night, sometimes upscale, sometimes low-key, and yesterday, it was dressed to the nines and wining and dining. Maybe that set our expectations high. Maybe it was because E described this place as Heaven coming down in the form of food. Or maybe it was just because I was so hungry. But all in all, we were wildly excited for a wonderful meal that just ended up falling flat on its face.
Don't get me wrong--there were some dishes that were pretty good. Not orgasmic, but pretty tasty. The foie gras was better than your standard cheap French restaurant. In a mini sandwich, the delicate flavors of the foie gras complemented the salty-sweetness of the toasted brioche, with touches of sea salt on the top. In the cotton candy swirl, the flavor of the foie gras managed to nudge its way past the crushed cornuts (yeah, you heard me. CORNUTS. I had to ask the waiter to make sure I heard right). The vanilla cotton candy added a gentle sweet touch at the end and the whole dish was good enough to get D and me to order another portion each, since the order is just one bite and very time-sensitive.
Another one of my favorites was the Japanese eel tacos. The tacos were mini bites wrapped in cucumber and a shiso leaf, with chicharron crumbles on top. Yes, it was eel with cucumber and PORK RINDS. It was light and crisp at the same time.Dislikes? Well, pretty much everything else we ordered. "The Ultimate Spanish Tapa!" turned out to be mayonnaise slathered all over some hard-boiled egg and mixed with carrots, potato, and all of two pieces of cooked tuna belly (which in my mind is absolute defiling of toro). It almost seemed ready to be sloshed in between two slices of bread and eaten as a "[Blah Blah] Salad Sandwich" at some sad sandwich to-go place with a man in a giant pickle costume holding a sign outside. Needless to say, D and I left half the dish intact.
We also left half of the Bunuelos, the codfish fritters that ended up being little more than crabcakes made with fish. The aeoli sauce made it a little better, but the garlic aeoli that comes with the fries at Comme Ca is waay better. Even the Embutidos platter was mediocre, with very dry salami slices and a dry, almost sour chorizo, which is usually one of my favorite flavor pallates. And it's not that it tasted BAD, it's simply that it tasted..... meh. For the price you pay, you'd expect Iron Chef GENIUS. I actually half expected "foie gras cotton candy" to mean that the cotton candy itself would be made out of foie gras, not cubes of foie gras covered in vanilla cotton candy.
I will pay my respects to the sangria, which was a mix of half a bottle of wine, fruit-flavored vodka, freshly sliced strawberry, and Hennessey, mixed using a thinly sliced sugarcane stick. Cute idea, excellent presentation, and a great taste--it was smooth as a fruit juice you'd drink everyday at breakfast. For the types of alcohol that were in it, it didn't seem that strong, but it tasted pretty good. For the price point (~$50 for a pitcher of 6 glasses), it didn't give me enough of a buzz. :)
All in all, we loved the foie gras dishes, but honestly you could find better tasting, home-made foie gras at Saint Amour, in Culver City, just down the street, and better-priced appetizers at Comme Ca. The Bazaar sangria was good, but nothing you couldn't make at home, and half the meal was either "Meh" or unfinished. For a largely expensive meal in a Beverly Hills hotel, I really expected more, but I suppose for that, it's back to Maison Akira for the tasting menu that outright made our toes curl!
The Bazaar by José Andrés
465 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048 - (310) 246-5555
http://www.thebazaar.com/
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