In the wake of a great dining experience at Chaya Venice, it’s hard to decide which is better– the food or the service. Both are superb.
All month long, Chef de cuisine Yuichi Natori has been creating exciting venison dishes, and the tenderloin in a blueberry sauce with chestnut puree was the highlight of the evening – an evening that included Chilean sea bass so moist and flaky it practically melted on the fork, a venison sausage appetizer (the venison is New Zealand farmed and is not as gamey as foraging deer), a delightful flour-less brownie and the best bread pudding (of which I’m not normally a fan) I’ve ever tasted.
The menu is simple but exciting. The French-Japanese fusion restaurant, of course, is renowned for its sushi. There is also wide array of signature cocktails. The wine list is excellent and there are often specials of which to be aware, for instance, the restaurant had recently purchased a supply of exceptional zinfandel from a family-owned vineyard that was closing shop. The wine was thus acquired at an enormous discount, which was generously passed along to patrons.
But there’s more to the Venice incarnation of Chaya than just great food. The staff is friendly and very knowledgeable. Jeffrey Weisberg, who has been graciously delighting diners at the restaurant for nearly 20 years, recognizes every dish by sight and is able to expertly pair wines to accompany every morsel.
In addition, the ambience is pleasant. There is the gentle din of a couple of dozen background conversations that serves perhaps better than the artifice of pumped-in music. The lighting is soft, filtered and easy on the eyes. The décor is a little overstated, but not over the top. The bar can get overly crowded and there seems to be a constant traffic jam at the door, where people very much in need of a cocktail may jostle their way past anyone or anything acting as a roadblock.
If there’s a downside to the venue, it’s probably the parking situation. For those who valet park, disregard. But if you want to put your car in the lot, good luck. There is a really convenient lot on Navy Street just south of Main Street and it’s a mere $3 for a couple of hours. The problem is finding a spot. Maybe during the week, it isn’t as bad. Just be prepared.
Chaya Venice is at 110 Navy St., Venice. For reservations, call (310) 396-1179. For more information, go to thechaya.com.
Scott Bridges is a member of the Southern California Restaurant Writers (southerncaliforniarestaurantwriters.com). Email him at editor@culvercitynews.org and follow him on Twitter @GScottEnt.