RESTAURANT REVIEW:

Eating for the masses has always been about convenience rather than quality, and speed often trumps other considerations such as luxury and ambience.

Fortunately, there is a movement promoting the concept of enjoying food rather than merely consuming it. There are about 70,000 members in 45 countries since it was established in 1989.

It is an unusual idea, and some of the tenets are healthy cuisine that does not harm the environment or diner’s health and that food producers should receive fair compensation for their work.

It is a counter attack against the fast food establishment, which is so deeply entrenched in the minds of Americans. Life apparently has gotten too hectic, and we are all too important. So we order curbside food from chain restaurants as we call someone else on our cellphone while waiting impatiently for the five minutes it takes to bring the pre-ordered meal to the car.

John Lee, owner of Slow Fish in Huntington Beach, has rebelled against that philosophy. The restaurant has been open since June 2007, and the slogan for the restaurant is “Don’t eat fast. Eat slow, eat right.”

Lee’s restaurant is part dining establishment, part Zen retreat and it is nearly impossible not to feel satisfied in both mind and tummy.

The soft lighting sets the mood and makes you instantly forget that you are in a shopping mall. The windows are tinted, but the enemy is within eyesight — a Carl’s Jr. that shares the same strip mall.

Slow Fish is a smaller room, 10 tables, but it provides a more intimate dining experience and enables the staff, who will warmly greet you when you enter, to be more attentive.

The menu is classified as Cal-Korean fusion and there is a mix of Asian influences including Korean and Japanese, with other touches apparent in some of the dishes. Award-winning chef Sean An has given care and attention to every aspect of the menu.

The evening’s tone was set with the appetizer that many who have been there have raved about its taste and uniqueness.

Simplistic, but elegant, the fat avo could be one of the best appetizers I have had this year in any restaurant. It is definitely in the top five. Fresh seasoned albacore tuna is stuffed inside slices of skinned avocado that looks like an apple and provides an incredible and distinctive taste.

The appetizers could easily be made into a meal. There are so many that my friends and I who accompanied me are planning on going back and just ordering from the 18-item appetizer menu.

On a first visit, though, sample from all areas of the menu. The starters that shouldn’t be missed are the ascon, asparagus wrapped in bacon, shrimp and cream cheese wrapped in rice paper and soft shell crab.

Five of the seven salads have mixed field greens topped with such meats as ahi, chicken or pork. The one salad I liked was the seaweed crab salad, which had Alaskan crab and tofu with a house combination spicy ponzu sauce, sesame oil and sesame dressing.

We were in a state of culinary nirvana at this point, and then the entrees began arriving.

The first was one of the house’s specialties, the dancing porky. The pork, marinated in chili paste, soy, green and onions onion, garlic and sesame oil, is spicy, but not overpowering. Another outstanding dish is the slow beef tender rib in a rich marinade. It was so incredibly tender I almost didn’t have to chew.

The sushi is a large part of the menu and the mainly nigiri-style sushi is extremely fresh, as is the sashimi.

Among my many firsts was trying the black rice with my sushi. This rice, which allegedly was eaten only by emperors, has shown benefits such as lowering cholesterol and is rich in vitamins and minerals.

It is my hope that the trend of slow eating catches on with more people. It’s never going to topple the fast food giants and chain restaurants, but it would be nice to see restaurants like Slow Fish make a dent.

Address: 16051 Bolsa Chica Road, Huntington Beach

Phone: (714) 846-6951

Cuisine: Cal-Korean

Specialty dish: Slow beef tender rib

Alcohol served: sake, wine and beer

Dress: casual

Family friendly: Families welcome, but probably not best choice for children

Credit cards accepted: Visa and MasterCard

Rating: *** 1/2

JOHN REGER reviews restaurants for the Independent.