I admit I’m prejudiced about Asian foods. If I had to choose one cuisine and one only to dine on, day in and day out, other than Maine lobster, it would be Chinese or Japanese. La Jollans and Bird Rockians are lucky to have Midori in their midst, with Nick Thanasith and his partner Alex Ntuyea running the show. As Nick said, “It’s very mom and pop ” he’s the mom and I’m the pop.”
As the pop, one can count on catching him sweeping and mopping in the morning or after the doors open and if one of the sushi chefs doesn’t show, showing his prowess behind the immaculate sushi bar. Nick admits his family thinks he’s nuts because he has opened up so many places and works so hard, but his mother ” like all mothers ” worries because it takes so much out of him.
Most of the menu is his, based on successes in his other restaurants and his research into other Japanese venues, and 15 percent are selections from his expert sushi chefs, but all of it, at least all that I was able to sample, is absolutely fabulous.
At Nick’s suggestion, I jumped at the dish called ankimc, about which he said, “If you like foie gras, you’ll like this.” Was he ever right! The process by which it is prepared is complex; first, the monkfish liver (for that is what it is) is cooked, then ground, formed and chilled before it is sliced. Mama mia, that is some liver, and truly the foie gras of the ocean. It was served along with a dollop of uni, and my soul soared when I sampled the sweet, smooth, velvety tastes of the two stars of the sea, with an undercurrent of briny flavor in the uni.
While my taste buds were still vibrating over the nuances of that delectable dish, another sampler platter arrived, this time featuring black cod, escolar (first time I tasted those two “” both creamy and sweet) and octopus atop a portion of rice and over that a seaweed salad. The black cod was not on the menu, and it was served raw, with a smidgen of ponzu sauce and jalapeãos to add a bit of sparkle. One of the sushi chefs must have noticed how I was scarfing down these delicacies, because he sent over a platter with thinly sliced raw scallop and citrus sauce. Terrific!
I was sorely tempted to order, from the appetizer list, kinoko (mushrooms stuffed with spicy kani and scallops), or from the sashimi list (more than a dozen selections) live ama-ebi (battered and fried prawn heads) or toro, fatty tuna belly (an order goes for $30) or from the house roll list (20 or more) a flaming hamachi or a La Jollan, but I decided to return another day for those.
For those who prefer to dine out at lunch, there is a special menu of items (top price $10) and a kid’s menu, beginning at $2.50 and topping out at $5, all items served with miso. Another plus at this family-friendly place is the 10 percent discount given locals if you identify yourself as such.
And yes, there is a full bar and a great selection of desserts, including bananas Foster and cinnamon apple egg rolls plus various ices and ice cream.
Midori Bar and Sushi (midori is Japanese for green and Nick likes the color) is open at 5752 La Jolla Blvd. For hours or special orders, call (858) 454-5953.