The Gossiping Gourmet: You’ll want more at Hamamori
I had the great pleasure of dining as the guest of a friend at Hamamori, the wonderful Japanese restaurant on the third floor of the satellite building across the bridge at South Coast Plaza.
We sat at the sushi bar, where we feasted on plate after plate of wonderful sushi and sashimi prepared by chef James Hamamori. It was equal to the best I have ever tasted anywhere, including Japan. What was most impressive was how exquisitely fresh everything tasted. All too frequently, sashimi and sushi taste a bit lifeless. Not so here. The fish was bright and vibrant.
I decide to return to do a review, but I wanted to try offerings from the dinner menu to see if they were equally good, and they were.
As my dining companion and I waited for the appetizers, our waiter brought us a simple but delicious little salad with red, green and white lettuce leaves topped with bright orange carrot strips and two red raspberries, all in a miso dressing. What made it so pleasant was the colorful presentation and the absolute freshness of the lettuce.
We then enjoyed the trio of sashimi, featuring three different fish, each with a different sauce. The albacore tuna was cut into small pieces and accompanied by crispy fried Maui onions all served in a soy sauce. The salmon was also cut into small pieces and bathed in a sweet lemon mignonette. The third offering was two scallops in sweet miso and topped with two slivers of black truffle. Each one was quiveringly fresh and delicious.
We didn’t know that miso soup came with the entree but were delighted with a wonderful rich broth that was laden with onions, potatoes, scallions, chewy mushrooms and cubes of tofu.
Chilean sea bass is my favorite fish, and I order it whenever I can. Hamamori’s was memorable. It was cooked to perfection: silky, moist and tender with a light brown crust and served with a sweet soy-based sauce. It was complemented by a mound of flavorful white rice mixed with black seaweed and overall was exceptionally good.
My dining companion tried the giant shrimp tempura, and the crunchy, light batter that was almost airy. On the plate, and beautifully arranged, were slices of tempura eggplant, potatoes, two kinds of squash and yellow tomato. A big green leaf added yet more color. The shrimp were huge and, once more, perfectly fresh and perfectly cooked.
Desserts are not usually the best thing in Asian restaurants, but one of the two that we ordered was really quite good. Yuzu cheesecake had a nice, dense texture, and the yuzu (an East Asian fruit) lent a subtle hint of citrus. The bottom was a traditional cheesecake crust, and the plate was finished with candied orange rind, blackberries and a raspberry.
The less successful offering was a kabocha squash and pumpkin flan. The mild taste of the squash and pumpkin didn’t lend enough flavor to the flan.
All in all, it was a delicious meal, and the presentation of each of the dishes was lovely.
The room itself also reflects the Japanese aesthetic. The main dining room is all white with padded white leather chairs, hanging transparent globe lights, dark wood accents, a marble bar, wavy walls and ceiling in one corner, and big glass windows with thick steel dividers. The restaurant also has another dining area.
Tasting menus are available with options ranging from $38 from $80. The Omakasi VIP, for example, features four courses starting with mushroom salad, miso soup, chef’s choice of eight different sushi and ice cream for dessert.
Kudos to Chef Hamamori for setting a high standard for this excellent cuisine.
TERRY MARKOWITZ was in the gourmet food and catering business for 20 years. She can be reached for comments or questions at m_markowitz@cox.net.
Hamamori
Where: 3333 Bear St., South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa
When: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9:30 p.m. Fridays, noon to 6:30 p.m. Sundays
Prices:
Appetizers: $5 to $13
Salads: $7 to $17
Entrées: $12 to $36
Desserts: $4.25 to $9
Wine:
Bottles: $36 to $350
By the glass: $10 to $16
Corkage fee: $25
Information: (714) 850-0880 or hamamorisushibar.com