If you like sushi (and who does not?), you will love the latest restaurant/lounge on Prospect, complete with firepots, modern black and white décor and, most important, food to die for.
Developed by the family who brought you the fabulous Sushi on the Rock on Girard, it is managed by Beau Griffin, formerly manager of said S.o.t.R. as well as the one in Carlsbad before he opened the latest jewel in the crown, Bamboo. Presiding over this gem is head chef Robert Cassidy, bringing his expertise to this one as he did to the others since 1999. Young sophisticates will flock here when word gets out about the high-caliber food quality and chef Cassidy’s fresh fusion approach.
The menu descriptions alone are bound to entice you, making your mouth water in anticipation. Happy hour items are a steal and a perfect way to sample an array of items, including shrimp shumai, edamame hummus, chili poppers and sliders, made with salmon, crab or Kobe beef with a side of shoestring fries. Then there is a selection of sushi and hand rolls, most of them in the $2 range. As for drinks, sake and beer can be had for $2 with well drinks and martinis a bit higher.
Regular menu items feature everything from salads to tease your appetite to entrées such as garlic-crusted halibut, blackened salmon and filet mignon and tapas of every kind, including soba noodles, chicken lettuce wraps and the chef’s favorite, his mother’s secret recipe of short ribs. All he’ll reveal is that it includes pineapple juice and soy sauce, but I can vouch for how delicious it is. I had still not explored the extensive list of specialty rolls, which run the gamut from Co-Co featuring coconut shrimp; the Amigo, made with shrimp and spicy tuna, topped with chili-lime sea salt along with mango salsa; all the way to carne asada ” my favorite skirt steak is in it along with shrimp, cucumber and avocado. I was so bedazzled by the choices that I took the coward’s way out and threw myself upon the mercy of the chef, and all I can say is that it was absolutely incredible!
Among the offerings that appeared on the table was a bowl of mac and cheese, made with lobster broth and chunks of that delightful crustacean, and octopus carpaccio, touched with just the right amount of lime juice and sea salt and bits of jalapeno to awaken the deep sea denizen, albacore, fresh from the Fiji Islands with hoisin, garlic and ginger, and hamachi sided with spicy sesame, yuzo and ponzu.
But we were not done yet. Robert stopped by to talk about the art of preparing sushi. While training to become a chef, students are taught to incorporate mountains, rivers and lakes into their creations, and Robert has learned his lessons well. Presentation at Bamboo is superb.
There was more to come, as it turned out: a crab salad atop cucumber salad, decorated with caviar of every hue, then a diver scallop topped with Mexican prawn, flavored by ponzu garlic butter and a bit of aonoi (seaweed, for the uninitiated like me), every mouthful an absolute delight.
Just when I had reached a point of no return, or so I thought, a trio of desserts appeared. One was called sugar chopsticks, a churro-like dessert filled with Bavarian cream; a coffee-flavored gelato and then, my favorite, grilled banana, covered in crunchy glazed sugar with amazingly beautiful décor caramelized on the inside rim of the bowl, like an explosion of lava. I didn’t want to touch it ” wanted to take it home like a fine work of art to admire time and again.
Just a tip: besides the beautiful food, there is an exotic drink list; just reading it made me feel happily drunk and satiated. Do go for the food “” chef Cassidy is at the top of his game.
Bamboo is located at 1025 Prospect St. (up the escalator) ” call (858) 459-3208 for hours, special orders or orders to go.