One big factor as to why California living is so enviable is the bounty of fine sushi restaurants. The new sushi place in town is Sea Smoke Sushi & Grill. It offers a unique take on sushi with fine grade fish and exceptional menu items. While it is family friendly, it does not compromise on sophisticated tastes and great service. With menu items such as Kobe Carpaccio, Chilean Sea Bass and Foie Gras, you will be pleased with a dining experience that is not in the least ordinary.

Located in the Talega Village Center off of Avenida Vista Hermosa and Avenida La Pata, Sea Smoke is versatile enough for a quick lunch or a romantic dinner date. For lunch you can choose from a variety of Bento Boxes or a five ounce grilled New York Steak. If you plan on dinner, you will be happy with the well-balanced menu of sushi and grilled meats. You will find that the surf and turf are on equal grounds, hence the name “Sea,” for the fruits of the sea and “Smoke,” for the grilled meats.
There is also a broad sake and wine selection. True to its Japanese roots there is a whole page of the menu devoted to different types of premium sake. The wine prices are very reasonable and the wide selection is a pleasant surprise since it is usually atypical of a sushi restaurant to offer wine.

Entering the restaurant one encounters a modern décor, complemented by the soft beat of slow tempo dance music. The color theme is mainly black with streaks of red and white, reminding me of the Japanese flag. To the left is a full bar manned by bartender and manager, and to the right a sushi bar harboring a row of sushi chefs ready to pipe “Irasshaimase,” as you walk into the main part of the restaurant.

If you elect the Omakase, which means Chef’s Selection, you will be given the freshest picks of the night in a six course meal. We started off with an appetizer sampler offering four different items: a chicken patty sandwiched in a thinly sliced grape tomato and a spring roll filled with fresh vegetables. The Shiso Leaf Tempura was very lightly battered and tasted like a crispy Japanese basil potato chip. The Scallop Ravioli was definitely my favorite. It had no starch (despite its name), but was a scallop folded to look like a ravioli and drizzled with basil oil.

Next we were served the Sashimi Salad and it looked like edible art. The fish tasted very fresh, and the pickled radish and fresh greens paired well with the fish’s texture. The burst of lemon in the salad dressing was refreshing, opening up the palette for the variety of sashimi. The carrot cut in shape of a flower and the cucumber salad cup were just a few of the details that brought pleasure to both sight and taste.

Sashimi Salad
The creativity and thought behind each of the dishes really transferred to the palate with each bite. It was evident there was conscious knowledge of which flavors would bring out the subtleties of others.
We next sampled the Lobster Claw and Grilled Red Snapper. The beauty of this dish, as with most of the food presented at Sea Smoke, was that certain senses were already heightened even before I tasted it. The lobster claw, de-shelled, was cooked perfectly and the way it was mounted on the snapper made the dish look very appealing. Also on the plate were grilled vegetables - one in particular that stood out was the yams. The grill marks on the outside fooled you into thinking there would be a smoky flavor, yet with each bite there was a sweet almost molasses-like taste. The pairing of the crispy outside and the sweet soft inside was another example of a creative combination.

Lobster Claw and Grilled Red Snapper on Potato Puree
Included in the Chef’s Selection were the Assorted Sashimi and Foie Gras with Petite Filet Mignon. The Assorted Sashimi revealed the chef’s boldness since there was a different slant on the basics of sushi. For example the plum wine in the maki gave it a spunky kick. The citrus relish on top of the orange clam gave a very clean, crisp accompaniment. The use of shiso leaves made it very traditional Japanese. And the marinated Bluefin tuna dissolved in my mouth. Each piece had an individual personality.

Assorted Sashimi
Though sushi restaurants can often be a run-of-the-mill, Sea Smoke is able to deliver fresh new tastes and transform the way you view Japanese food. The combination of flavors, variety of foods and array of happy clientele and staff will leave you wanting more. b

Sea Smoke is co-owned and operated by Ted Lee and the founding chef is Takashi Abe of Bluefin in Newport Beach and can be reached at (949)276-5331.

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