.jpg)
Sawtelle is one of my favorite streets in all of LA, as it is chock full of wonderful and usually inexpensive Japanese eateries. My friend Christie, who is away in DC at the moment and I miss terribly, pointed out this restaurant one day. We were actually planning on eating there but they were closed for what was basically a Christmas sabbatical (honestly, 2 weeks closed???). Undeterred, we went across the street for some AMAZING ramen which will appear in a later post. The following week, after Christie departed for her sojourn to the east, I went to her sushi spot with my boyfriend and I have to say that her good taste was once again validated.
Hide (pronounced hee-day) is a smallish up and down sushi place. The lights are on bright, it's cash only, very popular, and very fresh. All of the nigiri (where a piece of fish rests on an oval mound of rice) ranges from $4 to $6 for 2 pieces and are absolutely delicious. The highlight of the evening was the albacore, which comes seared and topped with thinly sliced scallion and ginger. It melts in your mouth and is the perfect balance or smoke, aromatics, and the sea. The toro roll with scallion was outstanding as well. With my first bite I was hit with the nutty scent of the sea weed and the tangy-sweet flavor of the rice. The fish itself tasted like an ocean breeze. I'm not waxing poetic here, it really did taste like the ocean breeze: salty, light, and possessing that subtle can't-put-my-finger-on-it quality (see how hard I tried not to say je ne sais quoi?). Anyway, it was a great experience. Thanks for the tip Christie!
Albacore Nigiri with Scallion and Ginger and Halibut Nigiri with Scallion and Chili
Toro with Scallion Roll
The fun Cherry Blossom ceiling.
:.