Sushi California: Memorable experience served up with beautiful food

Chef Sam Kim told us that dining at his Sushi California restaurant should be as visually satisfying as the taste and nutrition of the food.

"It is the whole experience," he said. "Much of Japanese food is edible art."

This is not the least expensive way to eat sushi or sample Korean and Japanese entrees, but it certainly is one of the most elegant and memorable.

Sam Kim, his wife, DaYoon Kim, and son Joon Kim purchased the 2-year-old restaurant earlier this year and launched their own menu in early April. Sam Kim has been a sushi chef for more than 30 years, and Joon Kim has seven years' experience as a hibachi chef.

We selected a Korean-style entree in bul-go-gi ($14.95) and a Japanese-slanted one in shrimp tempura ($14).

Bul-go-gi is the Korean version of American barbecue, and I've had a ton of it, both here and in South Korea. It features marinated, slow-cooked beef, and the fine, thin slices served at Sushi California were among the most tender and flavorful I ever have had.

It came with a bowl of the Korean national dish, kimchi, basically fermented cabbage. It can be prepared hundreds of ways, and some of this stuff would make a suitable substitute for dynamite. Mine came with a red sauce that had only a little bite.

The tempura dish came with five skewers of shrimp criss-crossed like tepee poles and supported by pieces of onion, zucchini, sweet potatoes, broccoli and mushrooms, all covered in a light-golden, fried tempura batter. It came with a mild miso soup.

My wife ordered the Mt. Fuji roll ($14.95) that included cream cheese and crab inside and topped with sliced avocado and a "volcano" topping that had a crunchy texture.

I asked for a chef's choice roll ($19.95), which proved to be a delicious combination of cooked bul-go-gi and eel, raw tuna and salmon, mango and asparagus, all wrapped in rice paper.

The rolls came with house-made soy sauce and the standard wasabi. We also received a bowl of "pink lady" sauce made with wasabi and cream cheese that would go well with just about anything.

Sushi California isn't the easiest restaurant to spot. It sits a half-block south of 71st Street in a strip center behind a QuikTrip and a Sonic. A street light at 92nd East Avenue makes it easy to access.


Long sushi history Sam Kim said he has a history as a sushi chef that goes back many years.

SUSHISAMBA strip at The Palazzo | Taste As You Go

If it weren't for my coworker's birthday, which coincided with our trip to Las Vegas back in April, I would have skipped sushi altogether. But the sushi craving was strong, too strong to ignore. After freshening up after a full day at the trade show, we hopped in a cab, headed to The Palazzo , and prayed that the way for a table at SUSHISAMBA strip  wouldn't be too long. When I wasn't trying to disguise the rumbling sound in my stomach, I was psyching myself up for the meal, hoping that it would be a repeat of the dinner I had at SUSHISAMBA park  in New York. I vowed to be more careful upon ordering and took my time poring over the menu . To start, I had the Berkshire Pork Gyoza  ($14) with kabocha pumpkin puree and su-shoyu dipping sauce. These dumplings were everything I wanted them to be. The filling had tremendous flavor and the meat stayed moist within the dough, which was just the right thickness to provide heartiness and that little bit of chew. The pumpkin puree provided a pleasant sweetness and helped balance out the saltiness of the dipping sauce. I'd eat this dish every day for the rest of my life if I could. In addition to the traditional  Salmon Roll , I ordered one of the specialty Samba Rolls -- the Samba Strip Roll  ($19). Maine lobster, mango, tomato, chive, and crispy rice are wrapped in soy paper and served with a peanut curry sauce for dipping. It only took eating one piece of the Samba Strip Roll  for me to fall in love with it. The lobster's succulent sweetness was accentuated by the mango, and the chive added the right amount of bite to balance out the flavors. Tying everything together was the peanut curry sauce, with its moderate level of heat. Crazy  good!

Sushi House Goyemon, Las Vegas, Nevada friendly

Sushi-Mon W. Sahara will be open all weekend regular hours. On Monday the 4th we close at 10pm! 8320 W. Sahara Ave. Las Vegas 89112

I'm at Kaizen Fusion Roll & Sushi (4480 S Paradise Rd, Harmon, Las Vegas)

I'm at Oyshi Sushi (7775 S Rainbow Blvd , Las Vegas)

6 month anniversary date was amazing! Las Vegas is definitely my new favorite sushi of all time, thanks to ! :)

Night+Day Las Vegas

Mix that with world-renowned sushi masters, and get ready to experience ... Opened in 1999, Las Vegas Nobu, which earned a four-star rating from Mobil, ...

Frommer's Las Vegas with Kids

This is sushi supreme (the fish is flown in daily from Tokyo), and you'll want to ... in Nevada by Zagat's and the readers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. ...

Frommer's Las Vegas 2010

In Caesars Palace, 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S. & 877/346-4642. Reservations recommended. Sushi $6–$10 per roll or piece; main courses $25–$60. AE, DC, DISC, MC, ...

Eating Las Vegas: The 50 Essential Restaurants

What's wrong with sushi in Las Vegas? Not much, if you head to Sen, where Japan- born Hiro Nakano, a Nobu alum, treats his product with the proper respect ...

The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas 2011

SUMMARY AND COMMENTS This is the best sushi restaurant in Las Vegas, and prices are about half what they would be in comparable sushi restaurants on the ...