Dining Out

Mary Furr

There’s a bento box in your future whether you’re train traveling in

Japan or cruising Bolsa Chica and dropping in for lunch at Shogun Sushi

the storefront Japanese restaurant.

The “bento” is an inch-deep lacquered tray divided into small

compartments containing your lunch. The tempura and pork cutlet ($5.50),

“a working man’s meal” according to the menu, has the tender pork lightly

coated and deep fried in one partition, with sticky rice and a crisp

lettuce salad in one and a mix of sliced cucumbers in a spicy dressing in

other sections. It’s a neat way to serve a quick lunch and seems popular

with business people dining at Shogun.

Domburi served from the a la carte menu means “rice bowl” and that’s

exactly what it is. Shrimp domburi ($6), one of six variations, is served

in a deep bowl with steamed rice at the bottom, and zucchini topped with

finger-long, batter-dipped shrimp. Chef owner Charlie Hoh has seasoned

the whole dish with tempura soy sauce, a thin dip also used with tempura

vegetables and shrimp.

Beef Teriyaki (Lunch $5.50 or a la carte $9.50) has slices of tender

beef in a flavorful soy gravy with an apple sliced and carved by Hoh in a

clever artistic shape. The beef is so tender it can be cut with a fork.

Its flavor is light but intense.

Another architecturally designed dish was fried shrimp and vegetables

($9.50), with each individual vegetable, a green bean, cauliflower,

broccoli, slices of carrot -- battered and deep fried, topped by a tepee

of six long, fried shrimp. This is a great tasting and attractive dish.

Each vegetable and shrimp is piping hot as if just taken from the hot oil

-- a very light, crisp tempura batter with well-done vegetables.

A la carte orders include bowls of lightly dressed crisp iceberg

lettuce with strips of carrot and bowls of hot soy bean miso-flavored

soup -- no spoons -- just pick up the small lacquer bowl and sip its warm

contents. It’s said that the sound of sipping in a Japanese restaurant

attests to good flavor.

The only dessert is a subtle flavored green tea ice cream ($1), a

small scoop but just right to finish the meal.

Shogun Sushi’s young owners, Charlie Hoh and his wife B.J., have

created a quiet sanctuary from a very ordinary storefront. Both were born

in Korea and emigrated with their families more than 20 years ago to

America. Charlie worked and learned with his father, chef Sam Hoh, in

Dai-Ichi, the restaurant he owned in San Diego.

Charlie began as sushi chef at Shogun Sushi and bought the restaurant

in 1994. He says he has his customers to thank for his success. In

appreciation he has not raised his prices and continues to serve some of

the freshest and best Japanese food around.

* MARY FURR is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have comments

or suggestions, call (562) 493-5062 or e-mail o7 hbindy@latimes.com.f7

FYI

Shogun Sushi

WHERE: 16561 Bolsa Chica Road (across from Lucky’s Market)

HOURS: lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., dinner: 5 to 10 p.m.; closed

Sunday

PHONE: (714) 840-0666