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Sashimi and aguachile meet at Tsunami
A taquero/sushi chef adds magic to Santee's dining scene
Sushi toast: crispy pats of rice topped with smashed avocado, sashimi, spicy garlic mayo, and ponzu, served in a pool of Peruvian Leche de Tigre.
Video:
FEAST!: Sashimi and aguachile meet at Tsunami
Smoke fills the small plastic dome before me, obscuring my guacamole and the glistening chunks of raw salmon that sit on top of it.
It's a tasty little bit of theatrics served with the salmon guac ($18) at Tsunami Modern Cuisine. When the dome is lifted, and the smoke clears, there's my ring-pressed serving of sashimi and guacamole, dressed with pickled red onions, micro cilantro, and tajin, sitting in a pool of green salsa. The subtly smoky appetizer may be scooped up with crispy corn tortillas or saltine crackers provided.
The chef making it, Enrique Ibarra, explains to me he's taken on a couple distinct roles in the restaurant business: making sushi at spots including Harney Sushi, and operating a couple of taco shops. Ibarra figures if he was going to open his own sushi spot as a Mexican-American sushi chef, he might as well own it. Other appetizers include jumbo shrimp flautas ($12) and mini tostadas ($17), featuring ingredients such as Oaxaca cheese and macha salsa.
A sushi meets mariscos restaurant, new to Santee
But make no mistake—this is primarily a sushi restaurant. You can limit your appetizers to edamame and veggie tempura, and dip right into the familiar litany of maki rolls: rainbow, dragon, caterpillar, California, and etc. If you want to take it further (to the special rolls menu), you'll find Ibarra's more elaborate signature seafood combinations, the most popular being the OMG Roll ($20), with shrimp tempura, snow crab, salmon, and jalapeño.
And if you want to get really wild, he offers a couple sushi options that leave out the fish altogether, including El Vegan Roll ($17), each bite a veritable salad packing in tempura sweet potato, asparagus, cucumber, cherry tomato, avocado, tofu, green onion, jalapeño, and a sliver of lemon.
A vegan sushi roll, loaded with eight fruits and vegetables plus tofu
Which should make Tsunami welcome news for both sushi and plant eaters in Santee, where it can be found in the same complex as Costco and Home Depot.
But not to be left out are fans of mariscos. It gets hard to tell if these are sushi-inspired mariscos or mariscos-inspired sushi, but you will find plenty to munch with crispy tortillas, whether black, green, or mango aguachiles with raw or ceviche shrimp ($16 or $30 trio); yellowtail, albacore, or blue fin tuna crudos ($22); or hokkaido scallop in a leche de tigre ($23).
A loungy sushi venue in Santee
That leche de tigre, spiced with the Peruvian rocoto pepper, returns as a delicious base for another new-to-me sushi formulation: sushi toast ($15). The "toasts" consist of pats of sushi rice fried to a crusty crisp, then topped with avocado and a choice of sashimi (I went with albacore). It's avocado toast made into a crunchy nigiri, and the delicious Peruvian heat puts it over the top.
Tsunami has a loungey dining room with a small bar serving beer, wine, and sake, as well as patio seating, and occasional live music. As you walk in, an animated neon sign reads, "Let the Magic Happen," and I think there probably does need to be some magic to make all of this work. And with or without the flash or smoke, I think it does.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Sashimi and aguachile meet at Tsunami
A taquero/sushi chef adds magic to Santee's dining scene
Sashimi and aguachile meet at Tsunami
A taquero/sushi chef adds magic to Santee's dining scene
Sushi toast: crispy pats of rice topped with smashed avocado, sashimi, spicy garlic mayo, and ponzu, served in a pool of Peruvian Leche de Tigre.
Video:
FEAST!: Sashimi and aguachile meet at Tsunami
Smoke fills the small plastic dome before me, obscuring my guacamole and the glistening chunks of raw salmon that sit on top of it.
It's a tasty little bit of theatrics served with the salmon guac ($18) at Tsunami Modern Cuisine. When the dome is lifted, and the smoke clears, there's my ring-pressed serving of sashimi and guacamole, dressed with pickled red onions, micro cilantro, and tajin, sitting in a pool of green salsa. The subtly smoky appetizer may be scooped up with crispy corn tortillas or saltine crackers provided.
The chef making it, Enrique Ibarra, explains to me he's taken on a couple distinct roles in the restaurant business: making sushi at spots including Harney Sushi, and operating a couple of taco shops. Ibarra figures if he was going to open his own sushi spot as a Mexican-American sushi chef, he might as well own it. Other appetizers include jumbo shrimp flautas ($12) and mini tostadas ($17), featuring ingredients such as Oaxaca cheese and macha salsa.
A sushi meets mariscos restaurant, new to Santee
But make no mistake—this is primarily a sushi restaurant. You can limit your appetizers to edamame and veggie tempura, and dip right into the familiar litany of maki rolls: rainbow, dragon, caterpillar, California, and etc. If you want to take it further (to the special rolls menu), you'll find Ibarra's more elaborate signature seafood combinations, the most popular being the OMG Roll ($20), with shrimp tempura, snow crab, salmon, and jalapeño.
And if you want to get really wild, he offers a couple sushi options that leave out the fish altogether, including El Vegan Roll ($17), each bite a veritable salad packing in tempura sweet potato, asparagus, cucumber, cherry tomato, avocado, tofu, green onion, jalapeño, and a sliver of lemon.
A vegan sushi roll, loaded with eight fruits and vegetables plus tofu
Which should make Tsunami welcome news for both sushi and plant eaters in Santee, where it can be found in the same complex as Costco and Home Depot.
But not to be left out are fans of mariscos. It gets hard to tell if these are sushi-inspired mariscos or mariscos-inspired sushi, but you will find plenty to munch with crispy tortillas, whether black, green, or mango aguachiles with raw or ceviche shrimp ($16 or $30 trio); yellowtail, albacore, or blue fin tuna crudos ($22); or hokkaido scallop in a leche de tigre ($23).
A loungy sushi venue in Santee
That leche de tigre, spiced with the Peruvian rocoto pepper, returns as a delicious base for another new-to-me sushi formulation: sushi toast ($15). The "toasts" consist of pats of sushi rice fried to a crusty crisp, then topped with avocado and a choice of sashimi (I went with albacore). It's avocado toast made into a crunchy nigiri, and the delicious Peruvian heat puts it over the top.
Tsunami has a loungey dining room with a small bar serving beer, wine, and sake, as well as patio seating, and occasional live music. As you walk in, an animated neon sign reads, "Let the Magic Happen," and I think there probably does need to be some magic to make all of this work. And with or without the flash or smoke, I think it does.