Melissa Good Taste always goes back "home" to San Juan Bautista at the end of June and that means I get to check out the current local restaurants in the area. I love Japanese food and when I heard it was also fusion I thought, "How cool, let's go!". The inside is modern and clean. We were sat instantly and greeted warmly. Off to a great start!
I ordered a beer on draft without perusing the rest of the cocktail menu...
Our waiter suggested B&R Farms Apricot Sake and I though "Yee-haw! Why not?!" This is dangerously good. Sweet, potent and all the things that make you enjoy a night out. Order this!
First up were the Crab Rangoon Nachos. I will admit I didn't imagine them to come out looking like little raviolis but they were excellent! They were deep fried wontons filled with crab and cream cheese filling - that alone would make them delicious but the addition of both the sweet chili sauce and the citrus aioli made them out of the world. Order these!
Obviously I am a sucker for a deep fried wonton because the Thai Chicken Tacos also caught my eye. Stuffed in the taco shell was lemongrass chicken, cabbage slaw and sriracha aioli. Their sauces really put each dish over the top. This is also another must order.
We veered over to the Sushi menu and decided on the Raiden Roll. Spicy salmon, cucumber, macadamia nuts, unagi, avocado and shredded bonito. It read to be delicious and I really love macadamia nuts so I was really excited to try it. It was good - maybe ask to leave off the bonito flakes if you try it. I think it might have taken away from all the really fun flavors it already had going on. There were other sushi rolls on the menu that I really want to try next time, specifically the Sashi Tataki Roll and the Johnny Tsunami Roll.
Molten Lava Cake? Don't mind if we do. The perfect ending to a fabulous dinner. Chocolate cake, a ooey gooey hot center, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and fresh black berries. Ok-aaaay now that was exactly what we needed to cap off a fun evening.
San Juan Bautista is a small town that certainly benefits from a restaurant like this. The restaurant business is tough and I want to support them so I can go back and visit on my next trip back home. Not only was the food delicious but the service was also really attentive. There are things other than sushi and small appetizers on the menu in fact, steak and pasta dishes as well so don't let a picky eater deter you from giving it a try. I will be back and if you go say Melissa Good Taste sent you.
