Ozumo cues up fresh take on grilling

Greer Wylder

Restaurateur Jeremy Umland says his life changed 26 years ago when a

friend mentioned she was moving to Japan. On the spot, he decided to

do the same, beginning the greatest adventure of his life.

The 6-foot-2, blond-haired, blue-eyed Umland left the Bronx and

says he became the first American to play baseball at a Japanese

university.

What started as a one-year sojourn turned into a 15-year stay.

After college, Umland’s pitching ability got him drafted by the Seibu

Lions of the Japanese Pacific League.

Umland’s years as an expatriate also trained him well for his

current venture: Ozumo, Newport’s newest upscale Japanese restaurant

at Fashion Island. Only a month old, it features a Japanese robata

grill, sushi bar and sake lounge.

In 2001, Umland opened the first Ozumo in San Francisco’s

Embarcadero district, earning high praise in a competitive culinary

scene.

Irvine Co. execs admired Ozumo and asked Umland to open a second

restaurant at Fashion Island. Plans are also underway to open a third

restaurant at an undisclosed casino in Las Vegas.

Umland’s fluency in Japanese took three years, but his love of

Japanese cuisine happened overnight.

“The food was phenomenal,” Umland said.

He had his first introduction to sushi, which was more of a

rarity, in 1979, and discovered robata, or Japanese grill cooking,

and the pleasures of sake.

“Living in a big seaport, we had the freshest fish, and even then,

I thought, wow! Wouldn’t it be great to have a robata grill in the

U.S.?” Umland said.

“Every American loves a barbecue.”

Umland said robata is an undiscovered treasure of Japanese

cuisine. The robata cooks at a higher heat than conventional grills.

Imported pre-charred sumi (Japanese oak) sticks replace pre-fab

charcoal briquettes. The robata sears meats and fish quicker, sealing

in the juices while enhancing inherent flavors.

Now 45, Umland also learned to appreciate premium sakes and

quickly found out that the boxed sakes served warm, familiar to

Americans, are just low-grade sakes.

“You don’t waste the subtleties and flavors of sake by heating

them,” Umland said.

“Fine sakes are served chilled.”

At Ozumo, 19 of Japan’s top sake-producing prefectures are

represented. The sakes are organized into varieties, depending on the

way rice is milled and the brewing methods. The sake menu features

Junmai (pure rice wine), Ginjo (at least 40% of rice polished away),

Daiginjo (at least 50% of rice polished away), Namazake

(unpasteurized sake) and sweet varieties.

The sake lounge serves premium sakes by the glass, sake samplers,

wines, teas and specialty “sumo” cocktails, including a Tokyo glow

($10) with Ketel One Citroen vodka, lemon juice and mandarin liquor

in a sugar-rimmed glass; and an Ozeki ($8), a Sake Mai Tai with fresh

lime and orange juice with a splash of orgeat (sweet almond) syrup.

At lunch, a bento box with an Ozumo roll and spicy tuna roll; and

tofu pudding or green tea ice cream is just $11. Other sushi bar

lunches range from $9 to $15. All robata lunch specials include a

rice bowl or Japanese green salad with sesame dressing; miso soup;

and tofu pudding or green tea ice cream ($8 to $12). Choices include

Atlantic salmon with Yuzu-citrus seasoning and mirin-miso reduction

($9); tender beef with teriyaki blend ($12); and free-range chicken

with seven-spice teriyaki sauce ($9).

The dinner menu offers choices in zensai (cold appetizers and hot

appetizers), from $13 for half a dozen Kumamoto oysters served with

jalapeno yuzu vinaigrette to $17 for grilled freshwater eel and

Sonoma foie gras with a Grand Marnier reduction or a tartare of

Spanish big-eye tuna with avocado cream and tofu, served with gyoza

chips and endive for dipping.

Salads range in price from $9 for an aoba salad with watercress,

endive, baby Romaine, mizuna and cucumbers tossed in a miso-Caesar

dressing, to $15 for a soft shell crab tempura with butter lettuce,

julienne of apple and a spicy garlic miso dressing.

Prices on sashimi, Nigiri sushi and sushi rolls range from $5 for

two pieces of tobiko (flying fish roe) or tako (octopus) to $19 for

10 pieces of amebi (sweet prawn).

Robata grill items range from $14 for Mori-san, grilled bamboo

shoots, white asparagus, Japanese eggplant, zucchini and snap peas;

to $38 for Ippin, a hand-cut, Kobe-style beef fillet with a daikon

radish ponzu dipping sauce and served with a simmering pot of dashi

and saikyo miso broth.

This contemporary Japanese restaurant stands apart from

competitors, with its selection of robata grill items, sake

selections and attentive service.

* BEST BITES runs every Friday. Greer Wylder can be reached at

greerwylder@yahoo.com; at 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626;

or by fax at (714) 966-4679.