Jay Eats Worldwide

If you're a fan of Katsu Manhattan Beach, you know the restaurant has closed and reopened under a new name. Photo Courtesy of Sushi Akatora The space was taken over by restauranteur Michael Cardenas of Sushi Roku and Lazy Ox.  Sushi Akatora has a new rustic look and the menu has an izakaya focus. Don't worry, you can still get sushi. See What Jay Eats... Arrived for dinner and sat at the sushi bar. Halibut Carpaccio Thinly sliced halibut sashimi with yuzu pepper and pink peppercorns. I love a good Halibut with a simple preparation.  Brussels Sprouts Quick sautéed with Akatora original Asian rya-yu A bit crunchy  Kobe Beef Corn Dogs Kobe beef corn dog with dijon mustard and ketchup Not exactly fair food, but an upscale version of this American favorite. I really liked the house made Kobe beef corn dog. It was good seeing my friend Chef Katsu  and having him se...

International Sushi Day! June 18th Not really sure what that means, but it's on the #foodcalendar... Although sushi originated in China in the 3rd Century as a way to preserve fish, the sushi we know today is from Japan. Here's the funny thing, the California Roll, which began the sushi revolution around the world, originated in Los Angeles. So, I guess in Japan the California Roll is International and thus today's celebration. Other than that, that's all I got... Sushi Combo Sushi Dragon Sun Valley I'll celebrate by visiting my friend Tommy at Sushi Dragon. Tommy Kosaka is one of those chefs who visits the fish market every day and selects the very best for his customers. I like Sushi Dragon, it's one of those small neighborhood places that does the old skool way that you don't find anymore. Seems like most places have gone fusion or what I call "confusion" and can't make a decent tempura. Funny how you can find those places around, but ...

Whales have been in the news lately, a Killer Whale trainer dies at Sea World in Orlando and a trendy sushi restaurant in LA is caught serving whale meat. The Hump in Santa Monica is being investigated for illegally serving Sei whale, which is endangered. A few people have asked me what I thought about serving whale meat? Besides being illegal in many places in the world, the taste in my opinion is HORRIBLE ; I did try piece of whale meat while visiting Japan in 2001. The taste was very gamey, after all it’s a huge wild animal. I didn’t like it at all and even said I would donate money to save the whales when I got home, I did by the way make a donation. I remember it was on the expensive side too, 6 slices for about $15 (retail), I can imagine it would be doubled or tripled in a restaurant. In my opinion, there’s so much legal exotic seafood out there, it depends on a chef’s skill and experience. The term “sushi chef” is used too often in my opinion. A chef is someone who can create i...

Last week I was listening to the World Ocean Day Celebration Webcast from the Monterey Bay Aquarium with Julie Packard and Alton Brown. I’ve been a fan of Alton Brown and of the Monterey Bay Aquarium for years and truly enjoyed this webcast. Now that they’ve taken on the sustainable seafood issue, I’m glad that they’re one of many who are making consumers aware of the current situation. As a sushi evangelist, I’m always being asked about my thoughts about the seafood supply. It’s been almost 2 years since I’ve had Blue Fin Tuna (BFT) and it was Kindai tuna, the first tuna ever raised in captivity. It’s an expensive alternative and not available in many places. Why is BFT popular? Over the years, Japanese chefs have promoted premium items to their customers, such as the BFT red meat or the Toro – the fatty belly. They’ve educated their customers about toro and charged a premium price too, rather than other fish served with an exotic sauce. Taking a fish that needs to be marinated before...