Sushi, South American Style at SushiSamba in Las Vegas

The 1 Ounce Roll (with Kobe Beef, Farofa Dust, Edible Gold)

The 1 Ounce Roll Costs $40

The Amazonian (A Totally Vegetarian Treat)

The Yamato Combines Tuna with Foie Gras

Osetra Caviar Sits on Top of the Yamato

Back to SushiSamba, Las Vegas

Sushi.

At SushiSamba.

Is addicting.

Perhaps it’s because of my weak will, my pathological proclivity for consuming all that tastes, smells, and looks good, that drew me back to its only west coast location, strolling past the glitzy Shoppes at the Palazzo and toward the ornate entrance of this colorfully cultural dining establishment that blends Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cuisines.

It’s a feast for the senses in here, an oasis in the desert that offers a respite from the rush of Las Vegas Boulevard out there; it’s indulgent, delicious, and the service is impeccable…what more could I ask for?

Except there is always a surprise here at SushiSamba, some menu update or a chef’s special, such as the week-old inception of the “1 Ounce Roll,” an eight-piece creation that costs $40 but comes with an ounce of seared Kobe beef on atop a roll with avocado and red onions.

The little orbs speckled with real gold, you learn, are an imitation roe made of some jelly-like substance, but this is okay, because it is merely there to decorate the Kobe beef which, as its juicy rich flavor bursts in your mouth, you know is real. You learn of farofa dust, a finely ground version of that popular South American meat seasoning, which enhances this roll while offering a wild variant for the all-too-common tempura flakes, which has a similar look and color. There are charred green strands that make you inquire—Oh, well I would’ve never thought of toasting shiso!—and red tendrils of dried chili that contribute to this bizarre and boldly imaginative statement of a dish. And then, my favorite: pour on the truffle oil…and more of it, please! I ask for an extra saucer of more, more, more white truffle oil, for the ultimate gastronomic delight.

Later that evening, with an almost insatiable desire to rhapsodize about this restaurant, I returned to explore other wonders I had not yet tried on the menu—such as the very South American-sounding Amazonia. Cloaked in leafy dark green Swiss chard, this roll turns out to be a vegetarian one all the way, with two kinds of pickled radishes, Portobello mushrooms, avocado and cucumber. The “wasabi-onion soy” sauce is not overpowering; it’s salty-sweet, with a hint of wasabi flavor.

The gilded flakes of edible gold make their shiny appearance again in the Yamato, a $19 three-piece ensemble that pairs tuna with unctuous foie gras on sushi rice and shiso leaf. A cherry soy reduction sends you swooning as you bite into the sour-sweet notes (there’s just enough Osetra caviar on top of each piece, which provide a salty contrast).

My waiter noted (as I swooned) that even he didn’t like foie gras before trying this dish. And now I, too, am a believer.

Outside the entrance, the hustle and bustle from the adjacent casino and shops can be heard, as the masses feed their own addictions.

SushiSamba Strip

The Palazzo

3327 Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas

702-607-0700 

A Hand Roll-Centric Bar at Kazu Nori of Downtown L.A.

Kazu Nori in Downtown L.A. 

A Very Fun and Casual Hand Roll Bar Serving High-Quality Food

Friendly Chefs Present Hand Roll After Hand Roll

Toro (Fatty Tuna) Hand Roll: All Nozawa-Style

Salmon Hand Roll

Halibut Sashimi with Special Ponzu Sauce

The Popular Ozeki One Cup Sake

Kazu Nori: Not Just A Hand Roll Bar

It’s just a hand roll bar…or is it?

Kazu Nori of Downtown L.A. prides itself in being “The Original Hand Roll Bar,” as their menu states, otherwise known as a place that serves mostly the hand rolls made famous by none other than Kazunori Nozawa, the man behind the “Sugarfish by Nozawa” restaurant chain. Nozawa, who retired in 2012 after working as a sushi chef for 47 years, still oversees his Sugarfish empire, as well as Kazu Nori, his latest addition to “Nozawa Land.”

So let me get this straight: apparently, there’s a sushi bar, sans sushi (nigiri, that is) and sans cut rolls (maki), but which specializes in hand rolls (temaki) and serves alcohol. At the bottom of the menu, you see that sashimi is available (halibut or salmon only); and given that it’s overall a simple menu, it’s no surprise that the only seafood served in hand rolls here are Bay Scallop, Salmon, Blue Crab, Lobster, Toro and Yellowtail. Another twist? Only for orders to go are cut rolls available (a separate To Go menu features cut rolls from three set menus and an a la carte list).

At the hand roll bar, a large square structure that almost fills up this entire tiny space, you can choose from three set menus (three hand rolls for $10.50, four for $13, five for $17.50). Hand rolls can also be ordered individually (as low as $4 for the cucumber hand roll, a refreshingly plain item in a sea of seafood-filled cylindrical projections; and as high as $7 for the one with lobster in it). Each set menu includes a “Daily Hand Roll” or “Daily Cut Roll,” which switches between toro and yellowtail.

At Kazu Nori, fans of Nozawa can look forward to enjoying the same legacy of high quality and freshness carried on today by Sugarfish locations, and for years by Sushi Nozawa. And though this is a much smaller, more modest version with a limited menu, at Kazu Nori you'll find the same marriage of crispy seaweed with warm, perfectly seasoned—almost sweet—sushi rice. But unlike the fine dining vibe at Sugarfish by Nozawa locations, the atmosphere here is casual, and therefore hand rolls are the emphasis, as they can be speedily wrapped, as opposed to time-consuming cut rolls and nigiri.

Each hand roll is placed on a sheet of what appears to be tan-hued butcher paper, which serves as some sort of placemat and plate at the same time. Pop music emanates and random sushi bar mates converse—rather easy to do, given the friendly ambience and affordable alcohol ($5 for a Sapporo, $6 for an Ozeki One Cup Sake).

I have always been a fan of hand rolls because the seaweed is guaranteed to be on the outside, which means you're in for a crispy bite and you get to taste the seaweed first—at times a nice change from the "inside-out" cut rolls many sushi bars make, with the sushi rice covering the exterior of the roll and the seaweed tucked inside. At Kazu Nori, the hand rolls are slender, neat and clean, not overflowing with sauces and condiments, not overburdened with extra chunks of fish. They are standardized in shape, like tapered cylinders, and the chefs here don't fuss over sealing the flap with a stipple of sticky sushi rice or making the hand roll look like an ice cream cone, as is the style of some chefs at various sushi bars.

Kazu Nori also maintains the same service charge of 16% as does Sugarfish by Nozawa; a gracious reminder of "Please, no tipping" follows the service charge note on the menu. After your hand roll overload, bring your check to the cash register by the front door, as this is the easygoing style at Kazu Nori which, fortunately for us, happens to be an affordable place with high-quality food.

Kazu Nori
421 S. Main St., Los Angeles
213-493-6956

MoonCat Japanese Sushi Bistro in Monrovia

MoonCat in Monrovia

Chef's Special: Spicy Tuna Roll with Shrimp Tempura,
Eel Sauce, Spicy Mayo and Fried Onions on Top

Lime Albacore Roll with Pink Soy Paper, Mango and Apple Puree

Shabu Shabu Beef Sushi

Scallop Hand Roll with Tobiko

By the Light of the Moon...

MoonCat Japanese Sushi Bistro is one of those quirky, rinky-dink places with a whole lot of personality: not quite a sushi dive, but not exactly a fancy restaurant either. As you part the blue Noren curtains and enter this tiny space—and I mean tiny, as in five-seat sushi bar tiny—you are greeted by Lucky Cat figurines, colorful decanters, and the obligatory outbursts from those who work here as they try to out-bellow one another in welcoming their guests.

But what MoonCat (formerly Moondog’s, a hot dog joint) lacks in space, it makes up for in great taste and enthusiastic service, so even on a weeknight it can get packed, as patrons linger on inside (socializing and watching the flat screen TV mounted in the corner) or enjoy sushi al fresco, dining by moonlight at tables on the sidewalk.

If you’re lucky, you happen to be there on a day when the ever-rare (at least on the west coast) conch sushi is available ($4 for the two-piece nigiri), and if you’re really lucky, Chef Naoya may just be there, whipping up a random, off-the-menu special—such as a spicy tuna roll covered with chopped-up shrimp tempura smothered in creamy spicy mayonnaise, eel sauce and dark, aromatic, fried-to-a-crisp onions.

This sushi bar’s homespun charm can be noted even in its miniature notebook-like menus with covers of idyllic images; these menus suggest starters like Popcorn Lobster for $7.50, or “specialty sashimi” such as Ceviche for $13 or Yellowtail Jalapeno for $17.

To tantalize you, Chef Naoya presents a little appetizer comprised of vegetables and fried lotus chip in a roasted sesame sauce. And if you want more exotic sauces, try ordering the “Lime Albacore” roll ($12), which features a unique mango and apple puree on a roll with spicy tuna, imitation crab, pink soy paper, slices of lime and bits of colorful fried noodles.

For something else that’s unusual, try the "Shabu Shabu Beef" sushi for $6. It’s unusually tender and sweet, and embellished with toppings such as green onions, momiji oroshi and ponzu sauce. And if you want something authentic, how about the Aji Fry (fried Spanish Mackerel), panko-crusted and served with Tonkatsu sauce?

For such a small place, MoonCat’s possibilities seem boundless.

MoonCat Japanese Sushi Bistro

108 E. Lime Ave., Monrovia

626-256-6500

Kudos to Sushi Karen of Culver City

Crunchy Roll

Lobster Roll

Kanpachi Jalapeno Citrus Sauce

Freshwater Eel Sushi

Jumbo Scallop Sushi with Yuzu