My Meal Cost: $25.59 plus tip. Health Rating A. Yelp 4 stars
I saw this going up on a recent trip to the Phillips Mansion and my interest was piqued. Then I read about it on Next Door and knew that this would be my next blog posting.
Located in the old Espiau's Restaurant (later El Siete Mares) space on the south side of west Holt near Dudley, this is a large, well appointed sit-down restaurant. The interior has been created with an open kitchen area, much like any sushi bar but, at least on this lunchtime visit, there were no stools.
Upon arrival, I was seated with a menu and quickly asked about a drink preference. The waiter was very pleasant. I took some time perusing the very large menu which includes appetizers including oyster shooters, Edamame's, won tons, and tosaditas, among many others.
Also on the menu are a variety of rice dishes, a wide range of Mexican seafood dishes, tostadas, and a large number of dishes which include ceviches, tenpanyaki, teriyaki options, noodle dishes, and shrimp quesadilla.
Of course what interested me were the various "sushi" options. These were mostly cut rolls, some baked, some "natural" more like traditional sushi but with cooked ingredients, and "Hornados" which I'm not really sure what the difference is but they are also cut rolls.
The first thing that I ordered was iced tea. I didn't look at it on the menu, it's just my goto when I'm not drinking wine. What I got was a VERY sweet drink that my receipt called Jazzmin Tea. It tasted like some kind of fruit tea, and had a peachy flavor that I couldn't quite identify. It was very good, but I fear that it probably had a deleterious effect on my blood sugar.
I then decided on the relleno appetizer, and the Gratinado De Los Mochis roll.
The relleno was a very mild yellow pepper filled with cream cheese and in my case shrimp (also available with chicken, beef, or mixed). All of this is wrapped up in a light (tempura) batter which is a golden brown. When you break into it the cream cheese oozes out but the crust remains crusty and didn't get soft at all. A very different take on a chili relleno.
The Gratinado De Los Mochis roll was ordered from the "Hot Rolls" portion of the menu and looked just as you would expect a cut sushi roll to look, except that it had monterey cheese melted all over the top of it. This made it quite difficult to maneuver with chop sticks but fortunately they provided a fork which would be used to pull the pieces apart so that they could be grabbed with the chopsticks. These were made by taking cream cheese, small slices of avocado, beef, chicken, shrimp, and bacon, rolled in nori (seaweed) and then rolled in sticky rice.
The whole thing was cooked so that the outside of the rice was a nice crispy brown while just under that was a creamy layer of rice with the nori and fillings. Since there was no wasabi, I found that adding a little of the spicy mayo condiment provided went really well with the combination of flavors in the roll. Each dish also included fine carrot sticks which appear to take the place of ginger in a traditional sushi environment and served well as a palate cleanser.
A down side to the way that I ate this was that I came in as a single. With that, I was limited in the amount that I could eat. I found that the relleno appetizer was just right. The roll was a little bit too much of a good thing. While the flavor was initially quite good, by the time I got to cut 5 of the 10 in the order, it was a little heavy and filling. This would be a great place to go with a group where you can order 4 or 5 different rolls and appetizers and share around the table. I think if I go back as a single that I would probably order only an appetizer or two, or go for one of the Mexican seafood plates.
A note about service: The waiter was very friendly on my arrival and helpful in discussing the menu options. However, once I was served, I didn't see him again until it was time for my check. It was not like the place was over crowded as I was there a little late for a lunch rush. My iced tea was empty and I was never asked if I would like more. I didn't even get the always timed so your mouth is full "is everything all right?" Again, he was not rude, just inattentive.
If, unlike me, you're still not full after your meal, they have a variety of interesting looking desserts including banana tempura, tempura ice cream, ice cream in a fried won ton, and homemade flan and cheesecake.
All in all this was a welcome change to the Pomona dining scene. Something different that should appeal to a wide number of diners. I think I'll go back with The Lovely
Mrs. C, who is not really a sushi person but might appreciate some of the dishes offered here.
Mrs. C, who is not really a sushi person but might appreciate some of the dishes offered here.
While I was skeptical, this "fusion" of sushi and Mexican seafood works and makes sense. I'll certainly be back.
