If you haven’t been to Sushi Roku lately, you haven’t been to Sushi Roku. Gone are the staid formalities of the traditional sushi restaurant. Gone are the old world uniforms. Sushi Roku 2.0 is a hip, modern dining affair with an up-to-the-minute makeover.
As I’m not a sake aficionado, I asked my lovely server (ask for Debbie Wittenberg if you’re so inclined) to bring me something she liked. She made a couple of brief inquiries about my preferences and returned with 10 ounces of Dewazakura Dauasansan, a dry sake with a lot of floral notes and a crisp green apple tang. Next time, I will opt for the sake sampler to begin to distinguish the sake varieties. My date enjoyed the tasty Champaign St. Germain cocktail, delicately sweet without tasting sugary. There are a variety of exotic cocktails on the menu, so go wild (for those who prefer their usual, there is a full bar).
We dove right in, opting for the monkfish liver sushi, and if you like monkfish (sometimes referred to as poor man’s lobster) and you like foie gras, imagine combining the two into a single, irresistible taste. The flavors of each are woven together, creating a delicious, albeit extremely rich, delicacy.
To sample the restaurant’s variety of sushi, I chose one of the chef’s specials – it included salmon topped with cucumber and caviar, king crab with a side of butter sauce (addictive as crack), albacore with onions and garlic, yellow tail with cilantro, tuna with arugula avocado and shaved parmesan. For $80 per person, you can try the chef’s Omakase – a multi-course tasting menu. For the casual sushi fan or the experimental type, I strongly recommend trying everything, especially, if it’s something you’ve never tried before.
Sushi is a great meal to enjoy among friends. Unlike a steak or a burger, which the first bite and the last are essentially the same – and which one presumably doesn’t pass around the table – sushi provides an opportunity to share favorite tastes and take chances on something new, which might otherwise be to risky a venture for something unknown. And if that kind of gamble sounds like an experience you’re interested in, Sushi Roku is perhaps the best bet on the Westside.
Sushi Roku is located at 1401 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica. Valet parking is available (so is street parking if you’re so lucky) and there are several garages in the area. Catering and take-out are available.For reservations, call (310) 458-4771 and for more information, go to sushiroku.com.