A taste of Japan in Newport Beach

Greer Wylder

930 Sushi (the name inspired by the restaurant’s address on the Coast

Highway) is a fledgling restaurant in the former Galeos Cafe spot,

across from the revamped Balboa Bay Club. It appeared out of nowhere

in early April and is becoming one of Newport’s best Japanese

restaurants.

Galeos Cafe’s former proprietor, Andrei Leontieff, also co-owns

930 Sushi. Leontieff closed down the original restaurant when his

line of Galeos miso-based salad dressing took off. It now sells

800,000 bottles monthly around the world, including locally in

Gelson’s, Mother’s Market, Ralphs and Albertson’s.

Leontieff has more time for his salad dressing now that he has

three partners. Two of his partners are married to each other -- one

is a sushi chef and the other acts as a waitress.

It’s a small, inviting minimally decorated restaurant with enough

room for about six tables and a sushi bar. Guests are greeted by a

Japanese gong reverberating behind the sushi bar, and by a cheerful

“irashaimasu,” or welcome. Guests get an “arigatou,” or thanks, when

leaving.

Seating choices range from the sushi bar, the indoor or tiny

outdoor tables (for summer) or the popular single table on the floor.

Leontieff says the floor table can seat six, but that’s stretching

it.

The menu offers many old favorites found at most Japanese

restaurants: teriyaki chicken, sushi, tempura and sashimi. The more

adventurous items are their cold and hot appetizers, yummy tuna with

sliced cucumber topped with spicy tuna, smelt egg, cilantro and

sesame seeds; fish jerky; renkon chips, which are visually stunning

lotus root wheels sliced thin, fried and topped with shredded

seaweed.

Co-owner Deborah Sado, an Australian native, recommends her

favorite, the green mussel appetizer for $3.65. Baked mussels are

served in a rich, spicy sauce. They’re a nice contrast with the

delicious, slightly sweet mussels. Sado won’t share the secret

ingredients in the “special mayonnaise.” It could be cayenne pepper

or wasabi. Asparagus maki ($3.95) is grilled and wrapped in bacon, a

perfect combination.

Rolls are also creative and fresh. The crunchy roll tempura shrimp

with avocado, smelt eggs, tempura crumbs and a sweet sauce -- so

thick it could have been molasses -- is ideal for tempura lovers. The

beautifully presented 930 special roll has an artistic leaf carving

on the side of the cucumber. The exceptional roll is cucumber, smoked

salmon, crab, avocado and smelt eggs.

The oversized salmon skin salad is excellent, served with crispy

salmon skin over mixed greens with gobo, an orange pickled root.

Sesame seeds and sprouts top the salad, along with shaving of bonito

and a miso-based house dressing ($7.95).

Entrees can even please those who won’t touch fish. There’s a

teriyaki rib eye steak, very spicy sesame chicken, teriyaki chicken

and gyu-niku maki, which is asparagus, carrot, long beans and onion

wrapped in a thin slice of rib eye steak and topped with special

sauce.

Ask for the special desserts not found on the menu. Cheesecake,

made by chef Andrei, is always a favorite, as well as the tiramisu.

The tempura ice cream, which is a scoop of tempura fried green tea

ice cream served in a hollow orange and drizzled with dark chocolate,

is surprisingly good -- perfect for sharing. The mochi ice cream --

try mango or green tea -- is the right size for a dessert -- not too

filling. Don’t mind the starch content -- they’re small.

For a good deal, order the combination plates. They come with miso

soup, rice and salad. Lunch plates start at $7.25, dinner plates at

$9.95.

There is also sake, wines, beer, sodas, juice and interesting

coffee drinks that could be dessert like cafe glasse, a cold

cappuccino with vanilla ice cream, topped with whipped cream and

chocolate.

Appetizers cost $3 to $9.95. Main courses cost $7.95 to $17.95.

930 Sushi is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and for

dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday. It’s open an hour later

for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays, and open during regular dinner

hours only on Sunday. The restaurant is at 930 W. Coast Highway in

Newport Beach. Call (949) 645-6500.

*

California Juice Cafe opened last month at Eastbluff Village

Center in Newport Beach. It offers healthful breakfast, lunch,

snacks, dinner and even desserts to satisfy hunger quickly.

For breakfast, there are fresh squeezed fruit or vegetable drinks,

Kellogg’s Breakfast Blends, Quaker Oats Breakfast Blends, fresh

fruit, baked goods or breakfast smoothies, and always specialty

Deidrich Coffee drinks. For meals on the go, there are almost 30

classic blends, ice blends, tea blends, fresh fruit, hot smoothies,

seasonal drinks and other snacks. Fresh, pre-wrapped foods include

crisp salads, healthful sandwiches and hot soup.

California Juice Cafe is open from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. It’s

in the Eastbluff Village Center at Vista del Oro and Vista del Sol,

off Eastbluff.(949) 640-0630.

* BEST BITES appears Fridays. Send information to Greer Wylder at

[email protected]; at 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; or by

fax at (949) 646-4170.