eating out
H2O SUSHI & IZAKAYA NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
How do you differentiate yourselffrom all the
other kids on the block? By reinventing tradition and being better at the game than everyone else out there. If you look H2O Sushi & Izakaya up online,
here’s what they have to say about themselves, “H2O Sushi & Izakaya was founded on the basis of the most important aspect of hospitality, a sincere passion to serve. The company seeks to reflect the core beliefs of high standards through the use of the finest ingredients and impeccable service.” Helming H2O’s kitchen is Executive Chef Andy Suzuki previously of the RAW Restaurant Group, a place he and General Manager Wonhee Oh, both have history at. “Andy was there before I even joined. He was there from the beginning when there was only one store in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona. They expanded very fast and went up to 25 different locations all across the country. He was at the helm the whole time.” He continues, describing the way Chef Andy Suzuki operates in his kitchen. “He’ll pick what is the freshest for the day in what he prepares. Not only that, he pairs them with different sauces you probably won’t find in most Japanese stores. We call them “toppings” here to make it easier for people to understand.” He continues, “We have a Nigiri which is fish over a rice ball and Andy likes to put different ingredients on top that really pair well with the fish. For instance, we have pickled onions with a homemade soy sauce and sashimi that has pickled onions inside. We put that on top of salmon. It goes really well with any type of fatty fish, especially salmon.
by joel martens photo by jay jones
He has sliced-up onion chips that he deep-fries for the albacore, a little touch that makes a whole difference when you eat the sushi.” A quality that was apparent also when we were
offered samples of a few of the restaurant’s dishes, deliciously flavored by the expert chef. First up, theTriple Lotus Spicy Tuna. If presentation is any indication of palatability, they nailed this one. It was one of the most visually-appealing plates I’ve seen. Spicy tuna on crispy rice with crisp lotus root chips in a house-made sauce; it was delightfully crunchy and fresh, with a perfect kick of heat. TheirBento offered two lightly fried gyoza, a cucumber salad, edamame and a large portion of perfectly cooked rice, plentiful Tempura with three delicate shrimp, an assortment of vegetables all deli- cately battered, including a deliciously-unexpected sweet potato, all served with a light, balanced sauce. Its rich companion, the spicy chicken, was seasoned beautifully in their spicy, house Teriyaki sauce, with onion, bell pepper and mushroom. It was all delicious…And very filling. When asked about what makes H2O different,
Oh had this to say, “The atmosphere is one thing you definitely notice right away, we want it to have sort of a “lounge” feeling. People kind of get intimidated, in the “this looks really nice” sense, assuming that it will be expensive. But, when you open a menu, you’ll see that our prices are very
comparable and even cheaper than a lot of other sushi bars not as nice atmosphere-wise, compared to our restaurant. We really try to focus on the value that the customer gets when they enter our door.” “Starting in the middle of November, we will be
doing an All You Can Eat Brunch on weekends. OurSaturday and Sundaybrunch will have ‘all you can eat’ and ‘all you can drink,’” Wonhee added enthusiastically. “Another thing we do like no other, is to have Japanese Whisky flights. We get premium Japanese Whisky like Hakushu 12, Hakushu 18 and currently, have eight different types that you can try in one ounce pours. A way to taste before you actually decide to purchase.” Another example of the mantra about quality he spoke of earlier. All in all, I give H2O a hearty thumbs up. If you’re looking for a place to experience something new in the Sushi and Izakaya realm and a place to hang with friends in more of an urban vibe, then this is definitely the place to scope out.
H2O Sushi & Izakaya
is located at 3930 5th Avenue. For more information,
call 619.795.9090 or go to
h2osushiizakaya.com.
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RAGE monthly | NOVEMBER 2016
| NOVEMBER 2016
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