Japanese Food with a Filipino Twist at Kazuyo Sushi

It's amazing how circumstances can sometimes bring a new restaurant into your radar. If I hadn't been part of the whole Bay2LA experience, I wouldn't have met blogger, Asian Clark Kent, who told all of us about Kazuyo Sushi, a Filipino-owned restaurant where Chef Joe Cubangbang merges a little bit of Filipino into some of the Japanese dishes on their menu.  You can read Asian Clark Kent's own blog post about Kazuyo Sushi by clicking here.  There's actually quite a back story as to how Kazuyo Sushi came about and you can see that story at the YouTube video below.



After hearing all the raves about Kazuyo Sushi, I knew it was a place I wanted to check out, so once a date and time was set, a lunch at Kazuyo was soon on the books for yet another Filipino Tweatup. Suffice to say, it was an epic tasting menu where we were able to sample a lot of delicious bites from their menu, starting with the Calamari Salad made withspicy mayo glazed calamari, spring mixed greens, kaiware (sprouted daikon radish seeds), cucumber and tomato with a ponzu dressing. Forget the salad part, I could have easily just eaten that glazed calamari in a bowl of rice and I would have been perfectly happy.

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Following the Calamari Salad came their Miso Soup. The Filipino twist to this soup is more about the addition of vegetables that aren't traditional in miso soup, but are traditional in Sinigang, a Filipino sour soup. So along with the tofu, seaweed and green onions, you'll also get a spoonful of broth that includes vegetables like eggplant, carrots and onions. This miso soup is also made from scratch without an instant packet in sight.

After enjoying the soup, we were presented with a plate that had two items on it. One was a piece from their Banzai Roll. The Banzai Roll is a loose interpretation of the embutido.  Embutido is basically a rolled pork meatloaf that is formed around a hard-boiled egg and vienna sausages and is steamed. You can see what it looks like by clicking here. However, the Banzai roll is made up of spicy tuna and is formed around avocado and yamagobo (burdock root) and baked with a dynamite sauce. The one piece we got really had me craving for more.

Also on the plate was the Baked Mussel with Dynamite Sauce.  When it came to the Dynamite Sauce for both dishes, I really liked the fact that the sauce wasn't too sweet and had just the right amount of garlic and chili to give it a kick without being too overwhelming.

Up next was a plate that consisted of a Spiced Up Yellowtail Sashimi with jalapeño and mint, served with onion ponzu, a Firecracker Roll with crab mix wrapped in salmon and the Yuzusoy on White Tuna, a white tuna sashimi with yuzu soy, cilantro and garlic chips. When it comes to sashimi, I'm usually fine with it coming unadorned so that I can just dip it in soy sauce.

However, I have to say the sauces for both the Yellowtail and White Tuna Sashima were just enough to add flavor without detracting from the freshness of the fish. Plus the addition of the garlic chip to the White Tuna really added a little something extra. I also liked the creativity of wrapping the crab in the salmon. That's the first time I've ever seen that done.

Another threesome arrived in the form of Spicy Albacore, Seared Garlic Albacore Sashimi and Peppered Tuna Sashimi.

Two of the sashimi items were served with toppings. I don't recall sashimi being served that way before and I liked it. The Spicy Albacore was topped with crispy onions served with wasabi ponzu sauce and I did enjoy the contrasting textures of the fried onions and the fish.

The Peppered Tuna Sashimi was topped with crispy spinach,  momiji oroshi (grated daikon radish) that was seasoned with jalapeno, a japanese spice blend with ponzu sauce. This was one tuna sashimi that threw me a palate party.

A bite of the Seared Garlic Albacore Sashimi quickly reminded me of Adobo, a dish where the basic ingredients include a protein that is stewed with garlic, soy sauce and black peppercorns.

Following this trio was a quintet of items, also on one plate.

One of which was the Red Rock Roll with spicy fried tempura prawns and crab on top of a California Roll.  This particular roll is not regularly on the menu.  It's a special roll that shows up periodically on the specials board and is an inspiration for the time that Chef Joe worked in Las Vegas. In fact, be sure to check out the specials when you go into Kazuyo Sushi if you want to try something original. By the way, I liked the addition of the raw jalapeno slivers to add just a touch of heat.

I also had a taste of their Baked Crab Roll with a crab mix baked in dynamite sauce in soy paper. Considering all the bolder flavors I've been enjoying so far, this one was a little too mild for my taste.

One of the most popular dishes at Kazuyo is their Popcorn Lobster with crab, avocado, cucumber rolls topped with deep-fried lobster tossed with chef’s special sauce.  Although I couldn't necessarily taste the lobster underneath the frying and the sauce, I still liked this dish.  There's a texture to the fried lobster that reminded me of Kyochon fried chicken that I love and again, the sauce is on the money.

Another offering was the grilled eggplant served with miso sauce. Nothing fancy, but I liked how it was prepared so simply and also tasted good.

The last item on that plate was the Spicy Tuna Biscuit which is spicy tuna and pepper on top of  crispy rice.  The texture of the tuna biscuit is similar to Bibingka Malagit, a dessert made with sticky glutinous rice; however, Chef Joe adds wine so that the caramelization of the rice will be a better flavor match to the spice of the tuna.

You'd think we were done, but then we were presented with the gorgeous looking Kazuyo Roll. The work that went into putting this roll together must have been so time consuming. Basically, this roll consists of yellowtail, salmon, tuna, white tuna, shrimp, and soft-shell crab, avocado and tobiko (flying fish roe) wrapped with cucumber. The presentation was so pretty that no one even wanted to touch it at first. If you want a little bit of everything, this is a must order.

After the eye-catching Kazuyo Roll, the beef and chicken teriyaki plate that came next seemed so ordinary in comparison.  In truth, I don't remember much about the teriyaki because I was really full, so I just had a small bite of each protein. It's good to know that if you're dining with someone who doesn't like fish, at least, there are other options available.

Dessert came in the form of Banana Won Ton and ice cream.  The Banana Won Ton is just as it sounds like.  It's banana fried in a won ton wrapper and topped with caramel.  It's definitely a cousin to Turon, which is banana and sometimes jackfruit wrapped in a sugared (for caramelization purposes) lumpia wrapper and fried. This was definitely a great way to end the meal.

But no, we're not done yet. Curiosity drove us to also try their ramen, which apparently is soup that is prepped like ramen, but with seasonings that are usually used to make Filipino Mami Soup. I did taste this soup, but I think my palate was just overloaded, because I can't remember what it tasted like.  So if you happen to go to Kazuyo Sushi and try their ramen, let me know what you think.

Overall, I really enjoyed my meal at Kazuyo Sushi and I definitely want to go back and try even more of their dishes.  I loved how Chef Joe added some touches of Filipino culture to his food. It was obvious that he wasn't doing that just for the sake of being different.  He really thought it out and that resulted in a delicious Filipino-Japanese fusion in his dishes that made sense and made my taste buds happy. So thanks to Chef Joe for his food and to his lovely wife, Angie, who I made the arrangements with for this meal.

Here's to another successful Tweatup and with more to follow.

Kazuyo Sushi
7160 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 939-3816


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There's Something Simple, Fresh and Different about the Sushi at Sugarfish

I find it interesting that while I enjoy sushi, it's not something I necessarily crave. In fact, when I'm trying to decide where I want to eat out and I'm going through the files in my head of cuisines and restaurants, a sushi restaurant doesn't usually make a blip on my brain waves. But when I received an invitation to dine at the new downtown location of Sugarfish, how could I say no to a restaurant owned by celebrated sushi chef Kazunori Nozawa? After all, if I'm going to have sushi, a Nozawa-owned restaurant is the definitely the place to be.

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I was also told that I could bring a guest, so when my friend arrived and we were seated, we first took a look around the decor. I liked the use of the natural woods, the lights enclosed in globes that reminded me of water bubbles and the back wall that had a wave pattern that made me think of ocean waves.

Soon we were joined by co-owner, Emmanuelle "Lele" Massimmi, who sat with us and ordered the first part of our meal. This more one-to-one exchange was a little different from the usual media dinners I've attended in the past where there were usually 10 or more other bloggers in attendance. What I liked about this approach was the personalization of the whole experience where he was able to share info as a part of a dialogue that also allowed me to ask questions where I could get an immediate response. I'll share some of the info I learned as I talk about the food.

For dinner that night, Lele ordered for us"The Nozawa", a tasting menu that included 9 items from their current menu and a 10th item, which is a daily special. The cost runs between $35-$38 and is dependent on what that daily special is. Earlier, Lele mentioned their food utilizes only between 2 to 3 ingredients. That was evident in our first course, a Big Eye Tuna Sashimi. The dish was comprised simply of the tuna, a sprinkle of green scallion and their house ponzu sauce and it was absolutely delicious.

Next was a trio of fish that included Albacore Sushi with a House Ponzu, Snapper Sushi with a Chili Ponzu Sauce and Salmon Sushi. Again, for each item, only 2 to 3 ingredients were at play, but there was something different about the sushi rice that I've never experienced before. Instead of a cold, white rice, the rice was warm and loosely packed. Apparently, the rice is made in small batches every 20 minutes. I absolutely loved it. The softer, warmer texture of the rice just meshed well with the tender texture of the fish itself. It was as if you were just eating one food. Whereas, fish on top of a rice that is cold and sometimes more tightly packed feels like two separate entities that you just happen to be eating together.

Our next foray into seafood goodness included Yellowtail Sushi, Halibut Sushi and the "Daily Special", which were Scallops with Yuzu Ponzu, all on one plate. Lele mentioned in our conversation and it's also noted in their menu, that the sushi that already comes with sauce should not be dipped in soy. I have to say that the various ponzu sauces that I had tasted up to that point were fantastic, a perfect balance of salty, tart and citrusy flavors. Interestingly enough, even for the fish that didn't come with a ponzu sauce, I steer cleared of the soy sauce. The fish and the rice were just so fresh and tasty on their own that they didn't need the additional embellishment of that soy sauce.

The last two items of The Nozawa were the Toro Hand Roll and the Crab Roll. Eating these two hand rolls were at the same time delicious; yet, also like being part of a speed eating contest. Simply, the seaweed that makes up the nori comes from the deep waters of the Japanese coast and is a very special order that Chef Nozawa makes for all his restaurants. To be really enjoyed, these rolls have to be eaten as soon as they are placed in front of you. Your first bite can literally be a clean bite through that first section of the roll that you can quickly chew and swallow. If you linger too much, the nori will absorb the moisture from the fish and the rice and nori can get quite a bit chewier. According to Lele, three bites does it for him.

After the Nozawa Tasting menu was complete, Lele invited us to order other things from the menu. He personally recommended the Halibut Fin (Engawa), which I've never had before. Of course, the ponzu sauce it came in gave it some great flavor, but I wasn't that enamored with the fins' chewy texture.

My friend also had the Nozawa Shrimp Sushi while I had the Unagi (eel) and we shared the Blue Crab Rolls and Yellowtail Rolls. We liked our respective sushi, but unfortunately, we let our sushi rolls sit for a little too long because we were busy catching up. By the time we got to them, the nori lost its crispness so the overall rolls were more on the chewy side.

Overall, I really enjoyed the sushi at Sugarfish. Although I'm not a regular sushi eater, I can say that based on previous experiences, I definitely haven't had very good sushi. It's as if I've been flank steak all this time when I could have been enjoying a rib eye instead. I love the fact that Chef Nozawa is responsible for shopping for the fish for both his high end restaurant, Sushi Nozawa and all the Sugarfish locations. In fact, the same fish is served at Sushi Nozawa and Sugarfish, although Sushi Nozawa will feature more specialty seafood items that aren't on the menu at Sugarfish. So there's definitely no scrimping on fish quality.

When it comes to Sugarfish, the real emphasis is on "Everyday Sushi as an Everyday Luxury." By keeping to a limited menu and eliminating the presence of a sushi bar, the margins are brought down and savings are passed down to the customers. Of course, this is all done without compromising quality.

With more affordable sushi prices, customers don't have to think of sushi restaurants as special occasion restaurants. In fact, Lele mentioned that Sugarfish locations in Brentwood and Marina del Rey have taken on the mantle of being like neighborhood restaurants where customers dine there several times a week. His sincere hope is that this new downtown Los Angeles location will also attract a regular, loyal clientele and after the wonderful meal I had there, I don't see that as a problem.

Sugarfish
600 W. 7th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 627-3000
www.sugarfish.com


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Sushi Masters Competition 2009

Sunday, September 20, 2009, 2:30-6:00 pm

Aratani/Japan America Theatre
244 South San Pedro St. (Little Tokyo), Los Angeles, CA 90012

The Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) is pleased to present the SushiMasters competition in partnership with the California Rice Commission (CRC). JACCC is the largest Asian American cultural center in the U.S. and CRC is a non-profit organization that represents the growers and handlers who farm and process premium quality rice used in sushi and many other dishes. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit JACCC cultural programs.

Finals competitors include winners of the three SushiMasters Regional Competitions held earlier this year, including Randy Noprapa of Tara Thai Restaurant in Washington, D.C., Toshi Furihata of Moshi-Moshi Restaurant in Miami Beach, Florida and Hyun Min Suh of Sushi Ran in Sausalito. A fourth competitor will be 2008 SushiMasters State Finals Champion, Tomoharu Nakamura of Sanraku Four Seasons, San Francisco.

Attendees of the Finals Competition will not only be treated to a live, 45 minute professionally judged sushi making competition, there also will be the JACCC Food and Sake Festival, including cultural entertainment, a reception-style sample of cuisine from Southern California’s best Japanese and Asian restaurants, as well as sake tasting.

• America's finest sushi chefs compete to become the 2009 SushiMaster in an “Iron-Chef” style competition featuring celebrity judges and emcees
  
  
• JACCC Food & Sake Festival showcasing cuisine from local restaurants, caterers, food purveyors, as well as a selection of premium sakes
  
  
• Live cultural entertainment and much more

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Tickets:

Advance Sales - $125 VIP / $60 general admission
JACC Members - $100 VIP /$52 general admission
At the Door - $130 VIP / $65 general admission

Promo Code: Use LAFOODIE (all caps) and pay only $112.50 VIP / $55 general admission.

Tickets on Sale Now at Box Office or online at www.jaccc.org.

For more information on SushiMasters, please contact Box Office at (213) 680-3500 or visit www.SushiMasters.com.

No Bacon in Sight at Fukagawa for a Traditional Japanese Breakfast

Traditional Japanese breakfast definitely strays from the Western tradition of bacon and eggs, pancakes and waffles and in fact, is more like a meal you'd have for lunch or even dinner. In doing research to find out what restaurant serves a Japanese breakfast in the LA area, one place came up over and over and that was Fukagawa in the city of Gardena. So one early morning, a few members from my dining group made the trek out with me to this South Bay restaurant.

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Fukagawa is in a large shopping plaza and was a little difficult to find because it couldn't be viewed from the parking lot. It was literally tucked away in the corner at the end of the walkway, which started at the super market. Once you walk in and are seated, the entire breakfast menu can be seen in a small plastic holder.

Basically, you have A through D choices. If you choose A, you get a bowl of rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles, a seaweed sheet and a raw egg. What wasn't mentioned was a small bowl of cold tofu as well as tamagoyaki, a sweetened rolled omelet that was also included. Choice B was everything you got with choice A, but with Natto. Choice C was A + broiled fish or beef steak. Choice D was A + B + C. I opted for Choice D with the grilled fish, which turned out to be a salmon.

One thing that I wish I did beforehand was to get some more information about how to enjoy some of the various components that were on my tray like which I found here and here. First, let me mention something about Japanese etiquette. Apparently, it's custom to have the bowl of miso your right and the rice to your left. I don' t know why, so if any of you know the reason, please leave a comment. When it came to the dried seaweed, I knew that it was to be eaten with the rice. What I didn't know was that if you swirled the seaweed in your miso soup or dip it in soy sauce, it'll soften; hence, it'll be easier to wrap around the rice and eat it that way. That makes perfect sense now.

When it came to the natto, I was actually dreading it. I've tried it 3 different times at 3 other restaurants, but just can't seem to get over the "slimy" texture, but I thought I'd give it one more try. One spoonful and it still turned me off; however, one of my dining partners tried eating it with rice and she said it was better that way. I gave it a go and while it was a bit better, I can still say without a doubt that natto is just not for me. However, my dining buddy was on the right track. I later read that one way to enjoy the natto is to season it with soy sauce and karashi mustard and yes, place some on your steamed rice and eat them both together.

One thing I did know about ahead of the time was what to do with the raw egg and I actually read that as part of a Yelp review. Someone else in our group decided to go the raw egg route and here's how it works. Simply, break the egg in a bowl, add soy sauce, mix and then pour over your rice. Be sure your rice is really hot because it's that heat that help to cook that egg so that it's not completely raw and then enjoy.

If you happen to order the fish, it can be eaten on its own or it can be cut in pieces and added to your rice bowl or even mixed in the rice before you wrap it with the seaweed wrapper. Last, the tamagoyaki can be eaten with or without soy sauce or grated daikon. Of course, these are all just suggestions, but if you're going to eat a meal traditional to a certain country, you might as well go all out.

The breakfast at Fukagawa was a definite departure from what I normally have in the AM, but other than the natto, I could see myself enjoying this type of meal on a more regular basis. Although there are a lot of components, the food seems lighter and not as heavy as standard eggs and bacon fare nor is it as mundane as cereal and milk. Given that Fukagawa is way across town from me, it's doubtful that I'll be having a traditional Japanese breakfast as much as I would like. However, armed with the knowledge I have now, I think the meal will be even better, if I ever make a trip back.

Fukagawa
1630 Redondo Beach Blvd.
Gardena, CA 90247
(310) 324-4306

Click here to see all the pics!




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