How Is San Diego Sushi Different?

(Source: Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine Instagram feed)

SAN DIEGO SUSHI

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of sampling sushi at Lionfish..

HOW IS SAN DIEGO SUSHI DIFFERENT?

(Source: Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine Instagram feed)

SAN DIEGO SUSHI

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of sampling sushi at Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine, then you know it’s an experience unlike anywhere else in the world.

Location is key to our sushi success. San Diego’s serendipitous placement along the California coastline allows us access to fantastic seafood; combined with the culinary creativity of our Chefs, it becomes a delicacy like nothing you’ve ever tasted before. Suffice it to say that at Lionfish, you’ll enjoy a San Diego sushi experience that is truly unique. Here are just some of the reasons why our sushi stands out:

(Source: Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine blog)

LOCAL FISH

San Diego is blessed indeed with its bounty of fresh fish and seafood. This is reflected on our sushi and sashimi menu, where you’ll find a variety of items which are sourced locally, including our Baja hiramasa from Baja, Striped Bass from Baja, and Uni from San Diego and Santa Barbara. Additionally, our Big Eye Tuna and Albacore are sourced from Hawaii, which can be delivered quickly and efficiently to our establishment for optimal flavor and freshness.

(Source: Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine Facebook page)

CREATIVE PRESENTATION

San Diego is a city of foodies. Our creative Chefs know that our discerning customers eat with their eyes first. As such, when it comes to sushi, you can expect to be treated with visuals that are as beautiful as the flavors are delicious. Our sushi and sashimi always arrives beautifully cut and arranged on the plate, often featuring elegant garnish. At Lionfish, we believe that thoughtful details like this can heighten the overall experience of enjoying your meal.

(Source: Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine Facebook page)

A COASTAL AND CALIFORNIA CUISINE STYLE

 In San Diego, two of the dominant styles of cuisine are Coastal and California cuisine, respectively. Lionfish’s menu is the perfect fusion of both styles.

To the uninitiated, Coastal cuisine is an approach to cooking that is reverent to fresh, simple ingredients. When you have superior ingredients like excellent seafood, there’s no need to “process” it or mask it with heavy sauces or flavorings.

California cuisine is also an approach to cooking which emphasizes simple preparation and high quality and local ingredients. However, California cuisine is also marked with an element of culinary fusion, incorporating inspiration from different cultures, including European, Asian, and South American cuisines.

Our sushi menu reflects both Coastal and California cuisine sensibilities, with a distinct reverence to high quality and local ingredients and simplicity. Yet at the same time, there’s a sense of curiosity, creativity, and yes, a bit of fusion which shines through in the finished products. Which leads to the next point…

FUSION ROLLS

As noted above, Lionfish has a strong element of California cuisine inspiration reflected on the menu. Nowhere is this better showcased than in our Specialty Roll offerings! Our fusion rolls combine traditional sushi sensibilities with a global flair.

On the menu, you’ll find items like our “Golden Boy” roll, which is made with spicy tuna, salmon, striped sea bass, cucumber, radish sprouts, meyer lemon kosho, and white garlic ponzu, or our “Surf and Turf” roll, which features seared wagyu, avocado, Maine lobster, grilled asparagus, garlic ponzu, and crispy shallots. These creative rolls reflect the creativity of our chefs, but also a prowess about world cuisine and creativity of combining different facets from different cultures to form a truly unique fusion food experience that is unlike any other sushi you’ve tried.

NOT JUST SUSHI!

Since San Diego is such an international and cosmopolitan city, we know that our customers are interested in taking their cultural experience a little beyond the expected sushi offerings. As such, Lionfish does something a little different with our sushi menu…we offer more than just sushi! We also offer Nigiri Flights.

In case you’ve never tried Nigiri sushi, it’s configured a little differently. Instead of being served in rolls, it’s served as slices of fish (raw or cooked) layered on top of small portions of rice. It’s a great way to branch out without departing too far from the world of traditional sushi.

At Lionfish, we offer several Nigiri flights, including our Baja Hiramasa, which is made with kumquat marmalade, soy glaze, horseradish creme fraiche, caviar, and shiso-green onion gremolata; you’ll also love our Big Eye Tuna variation, which is made with sherry ponzu, foie gras, charred scallion, finedeni, and bone marrow butter.

SAKE…AND BEYOND

When you eat sushi, what should you drink with it? The most obvious choice, for many, is sake. If you’re team sake, we have plenty of delicious options for you! Our drinks menu features a variety of options, including sparkling sake, Junmai Ginjo, Junmai Daiginjo, and Nigori styles. But if sake isn’t your thing, we have plenty of other beverage options. We have a full selection of red and white wines, plus a comprehensive cocktail list, and plenty of beers by the bottle or can or on draft.

HAPPY HOUR OPTIONS

 Love the idea of feasting on sushi while putting forth minimal investment? Be sure to make time for Happy Hour at Lionfish, wherein every Monday through Friday from 5-7pm, we offer a variety of hand rolls for just $8 each! With options like our Spicy Baked Crab and Spicy Salmon rolls, the hardest part is deciding which one to try first. Of course, you’ll want to wash it down with one of our drinks, which are also on special during happy hour: select cocktails are $8 each, glasses of wine are $7, and beers just $5.

As you can see, enjoying sushi in San Diego is a little different from anywhere else. Come sample some of the best sushi in the Gaslamp Quarter at Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine, where you can enjoy the full creativity of our chefs combined with the bounty of our local flavor!

Have you ever tried sushi in San Diego?