Restaurant Review:

Having enjoyed the sushi at Matsu and Tsunami over the years it wasn’t a hard decision to go into Toshi’s Sushi in Fountain Valley.

Owner, Toshi Hosoyo worked as a sushi chef at both of those Huntington Beach establishments.

When he opened his restaurant near the corner of Magnolia and Talbert streets a year and a half ago he took what he learned at those places and applied it to his own cuisine.

One philosophy he has is one I wish more restaurant owners would apply to their places.

“I create with what I hear my customers talk about,” Hosoyo said. “I listen to them and ask them.”

This interaction between the affable Hosoyo and his diners has produced some such mutual benefits as creative rolls, unique specials and solid lunch and dinner menus.

What Hosoyo does so well is create sauces that blend perfectly with his rolls. He has a special onion sauce that is made with ginger and is a great mix with the Flash of Lightning roll.

That roll comes with a spicy tuna, imitation crab, salmon, smelt egg and red chard. I especially enjoyed the chard, the slightly bitter leaf really added another flavor to the roll and countered the sweetness of the sauce.

“I’m thinking which fish is good with which sauce,” Hosoyo said. “This I see what vegetable goes with the sauce and the fish.”

In every dish I tried the process works flawlessly. Hosoyo is not bound by any sense of what sushi should be, even though he has worked in both traditional and fusion sushi houses.

That goes for the décor and mood of the restaurant as well. The long hallway leads to the restaurant that looks like a back room where a poker game might break out. But there was Hosoyo smiling and greeting every customer warmly, many of whom are devoted regulars.

When I was there for lunch, Bob Marley was playing in the background and I think that is a first for me at a sushi restaurant.

Unconventional though is what Toshi’s is all about and it seemed every dish I have had there has a definite uniqueness to it.

One of my favorites was the Kobe Beef roll and this coming from someone who eats steak maybe twice a year. The roll had the quality beef on top of imitation crab and avocado inside and had been lightly seared. There was no hint of any gristle or fat, and the meat was so tender it almost had the same texture as the avocado.

Another roll that I quickly grew fond of was the First Love. It has salmon on top, eel sauce and miso sauce and was heated with a torch.

The beef carpaccio I had was a nice appetizer and utilized the melding of sauce and beef. The thinly sliced pieces of meat mixed with a garlic ponzu sauce.

A good way to introduce yourself to Toshi’s might be to take advantage of the specials the restaurant offers.

Tuesday is 2 for 1 rolls and daily there is a happy hour with $1.50 draft beers and 2 for 1 sake. Saturday select rolls and appetizers are $5 a piece. My guess is however, once you experience the food and Hosoyo’s charm, the specials won’t be the only time you visit. I know I’ll be back more often.

Toshi’s Sushi and Dining

Address: 18041 Magnolia St., Fountain Valley

Phone: (714) 963-8800

Website: www.toshissushi.com

Cuisine: Japanese

Specialty dish: One of the specialty rolls

Alcohol served: beer, wine and sake

Entrée price range: $5 to $29.95

Family friendly: yes if they like sushi

Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard and Visa

Rating: *** 1/2

JOHN REGER reviews local restaurants and may be contacted at [email protected] or P.O. Box 2984, Seal Beach, CA 90740.