swimming with the sugarFISH

bitterMONKEY, sourPUSS, sugarFISH? i think sushi master kazunori nozawa and his team of sushi enthusiasts picked a winner with the name sugarFISH. nommmm...and this sugarFISH is not your average swedish fish either. more than anything else, it is like sexy, grown-up sushi candy for your tastebuds, seriously.

this past friday, i was invited to a media tasting at the newly opened SUGARFISH by sushi nozawa in downtown l.a. we were warmly greeted by emanuele massimini, one of the partners in the steadily growing SUGARFISH empire. the dinner was a treat for my mouth and my ears as all sorts of nozawa secrets were leaked out, none that can be told to you unfortunately unless you want to end up sleeping with the errr....sugarfishes.....

our meal promptly began with the theNozawa menu ($35- $38) which is comprised of ten items. the organic edamame, the quintessential starter for most sushi meals, were al dente salted pods. what a great way to busy the hands and the mouth as we waited.

next up was the big eye tuna sashimi which lounged in a shallow pool of tangy ponzu sauce.

the trio of albacore, salmon, and snapper sushi were delectable as they laid on delicate mounds of fluffy, warm rice. the quality of the fish were duly noted as i popped them in my mouth, slowly savory them one bite at a time.

very quickly, the toro hand rolls and the crab hand rolls were presented to us. the fragrant nori sheets reminded me of korean laver which instantly tickled my nose in the most delightful way. as soon as these hand rolls were brought to our table we were urged to consume them since the softened nori would ruin the taste and texture of the hand roll itself. (below is a pic of the crab hand roll).

the large scallop sushi was the "daily special" of the night. sweet, tender, and plump, just the way scallops were meant to be appreciated.

the toro sushi was unctuous in a most delightful way. the buttery, fatty fish intermingled with the tart rice perfectly. a wonderful bite for any sushi lover.

the halibut fin sashimi ($7.50) was a textural surprise. the strips of sashimi rested in a light ponzu sauce and were slightly crunchy and limey to the tongue. if you get the chance to order this, i urge that you do. it is a nice departure from the typical dishes one finds at a sushi restaurant and to up the exclusivity factor, it is not always available either.

look at this beautiful, translucent strip of fishy flesh.

one of my favorite sushi items of the night was the halibut sushi. the yuzu ponzu sauce was tart, tangy, and delivered a subtle prick of heat to my tongue. this particular sushi definitely left me craving for more.

i ended my tasting as i do with all sushi dinners by popping two pieces of uni into my mouth. the delicate, creamy, sea tofu was the perfect way to cleanse my palate at the end of a yummy sushi meal.

thank you emanuele for your invitation. sugarFISH is an absolutely chic and tasty addition to dtla and for sure this visit will not be my last. the value and quality i find here is hard to beat!

SUGARFISH
600 W. 7th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 627-3000

www.sugarfishsushi.com

verdict: tasty, try it!

fall prix fixe menu at roy's

do you know how to speed up a slow work week? lottsa alcohol and a media tasting at roy's restaurant in downtown l.a., that's what. woot! an invite back to roy's to try their fall prix fixe menu was a breath of much needed fresh air especially after painful meetings that run themselves into the ground. yes. renew my tastebuds and my spirit please? roy?

my spirits were immediately lifted with a glass of these spirits, the original hawaiian martini which encompassed a whole lotta vodka and a touch of rum...not to mention a tasty splash of pineapple juice that's always a welcomed element. this is definitely a drink one drinks when one is drinking on a beach. preferably on the lovely sands of hawai'i and wearing a tiny drink umbrella behind the ear....

or perhaps this one? the 1988 tasted like a naughty version of ocean spray grapefruit juice. the delicious combi of pomegranate and grapefruit juice, lychee liqueur, and vodka makes it dangerously addictive. without divulging too much info, let's just say smuggling a water bottle of this stuff during one of my meetings may actually make it an interesting and productive one. hmmm.....

the tasting started off with the delicious "elaine's" kabocha squash salad. yums in the tums. imagine a thanksgiving turkey dinner sans the turkey and a whole lot healthier. i really enjoyed the traditional cranberry vinaigrette, toasted pumpkins seeds, and a hearty piece of kabocha squash to start this fall meal.

the blackened rock shrimp and red bean soup was a favorite amongst a lot of folks that night. the petite cup was an explosion of favors, one that reminded me of a happy orgy of flavors between a bowl of chili, salsa, and gumbo.

the artichoke and goat cheese crusted salmon laid on a bed of sauteed spinach. although the salmon was tasty, the sauteed spinach clearly stole the show for me. seriously, make the spinach into a side dish please? if it's good for popeye, it's good for you roy! come on....

my favorite bite of the night was the cilantro grilled tiger shrimp with stewed curried lentils. the shrimp was perfectly cooked and the lentils was love, love. i kinda wished i inhaled two or ten.

the tender braised short ribs was indeed tender. tender like a lover's kiss but a lot beefier than one. yum.

the night ended with a plate of dessert, just like how all yummy dinners should end. the signature roy's melting hot chocolate souffle provided the perfect chocolate touch and the pumpkin and ginger cheese cake was spicy and creamy to the tongue.

and of course, no roy's restaurant posting would be complete without an uber cute pic of chef partner garrett mukogawa, the captain of this downtown l.a. branch. to the embarrassment of my dinner companion, i HAD to snap an adorable mug shot of chef garrett while calling him a cutie. yes, that's what two cocktails will do to this belly! thanks for humoring me chef!

so a delicious fall prix fixe menu at roy's for $35.95....so what the heck are you waiting for?! i told you the secret to speed up the work week, now didn't i? so go now and get it rolling!

Roy's Restaurant
800 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 488-4994

www.roysrestaurant.com

verdict: tasty, try it!

aloha roy's ohana tour

this past thursday, i was invited to a media tasting at roy's restaurant in downtown to kick off roy's l.a. ohana tour. if you're excited about roy's food AND like sweepstakes on top of that, then this tour might be just the thang for you:

• An inaugural trip to a participating Roy's restaurant, where guests are awarded an Ohana Tour card to present at the next Roy's location.
• On the second visit, guests will receie a complimentary Chocolate Souffle (with purchase of entree).
  
• At the third location, guests will receive a $20 gift card (with purchase of entree) and entry into the Hawaii sweepstakes.
• Restaurants participating in the tour include Roy's Anaheim, Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Pasadena and Woodland Hills locations.

since roy does not have the ability to be in a million places at once, he has "chef partners" in all of his restaurant locations. after talking to this cutie, garrett mukogawa, the chef partner at roy's downtown restaurant, i learned that being a "chef partner" meant that he has liberties to create his own items on the menu as well to go along with roy's classics.

i also enjoyed the fact that libations were flung at me and being the good guest, i did not deny them the pleasure of getting me buzzed. i started off with a very strong, highly recommended the original hawaiian martini. it is a favorite at the restaurant and i can see why. hello! fuck me up please :) coconut and pineapple flavors with a good dose of vodka. ooooh la la.

first up was the yellow fin ahi poke which had chunky tuna pieces mixed with guac and topped with tobiko (flying fish roe). i liked this a lot and though it was slightly salty, it didn't stop me from inhaling three. yes, that's right. three. they were small cups ok!

the spiced duck confit tarts were little cups of sweetened shredded duck meat. a bit sweet for my taste, but my guest ate two. oink.

what?! another drink for me? sure! here's a refreshing glass of basil cucumber collins. lovely, refreshing drink full of....vodka. i like.

by that time, the grilled albacore flatbread came out so that i can use it to soak up the alcohol.

the savory side of the tasting ended with the short ribs of beef au poivre. i enjoyed the truffle tator tot capsule. mmmm....

and the night ended sweetly with their strawberry basil panna cotta. the basil presence was strong so thank god i like me some basil. the dessert was quite refreshing.

overall, the tasting was a good introduction to roy's and i even had the pleasure of meeting susan of reservation for three. anyways people, do the tour and win a trip. it's all good. happy eating!

Roy's
800 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 488-4994
www.roysrestaurant.com

o bar and kitchen for happy hora

o bar and kitchen is nestled in the o hotel and resembles a high school hallway but swankier. yes, it's literally that small and tight. you may not see locker doors banging off the walls or teenagers necking in the corner, but you will definitely conjure up images of some kind of HALLWAY.

they have happy hora from 4-7 p.m. daily and serve $4 bites and $4 beer and wine amongst other things. the hh menu was rather limited so don't expect to have a feast for your tongue. DO, however, expect a fair amount of greasy eats and carb filled snackies that will match these rather affordable price points. but if you're not here just for the food, then it's a good place to chillax with a wine glass in hand as you commence your work related bitchings.

my friend and i started off with the ghetto fabulous fried dill pickles with buttermilk ranch. i'm not sure why i expected it to taste good and consequently persuaded her to order them because when i saw it on the menu, i felt we NEEDED them. even though i stand by the "everything-tastes-better-when-fried' rule of thumb, alas, they tasted like regular ole pickles...but er, fried. nothing special here folks.

we also ordered the mozzarella roasted tomato and basil pesto mini flatbread. tasty, but nothing special here either. the toppings were a bit sparse and the mini flatbread was rather mini so order more if you want this carb load to soak up the alcohol in your belly.

we also ordered the chili lime wings which i thought were a bit too tangy and limey. though a great way to pucker up your face, it wasn't the best item to eat unless you want to pucker up your tongue as well. it was also uber salty.

and sweet potato fries off the regular menu. crispy, sweet, thin...just the way i like them. i could have eaten this all night long. yum!

overall, the o bar was a nice place to chillax for happy hora, but the lack of variety on the hh menu limits its appeal to me.

O Bar and Kitchen
819 S Flower St
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 623-9904
www.ohotelgroup.com

price: $$
verdict: it's aight