To start the new year and a new chapter of Monster Munching, I am counting down my top five favorite restaurants in the next few posts. And when I say "favorite", I mean it. Over the last year, I ate at these restaurants more than I can count. In fact, not only are they in my regular rotation, I visited all five again within the last two weeks of 2019. The last on the alphabetical list:Sushi Noguchi The Japanese word omakase means "chef's choice," giving sushi masters a free license to serve you whatever they think best. But lately, the word has come to mean something more: an ultra-expensive, multicourse meal that can tick up to the triple digits. This is certainly the case at a certain Costa Mesa sushi restaurant that recently earned a Michelin star. But at Sushi Noguchi, the prix-fixe meal called "Jun's Omakase" has always retailed for under $60. There's a seared albacore salad to start, then a carpaccio of the day. Next is a sampler plate with a trio of cooked items; among them may be a fish-stuffed shishito tempura, a braised pork belly with hot mustard, or a crispy-fried shrimp katsu on a stick. After that, expect another raw fish dish to precede a four-piece nigiri. This might then be followed by a baked blue-crab hand roll so sweet it could double as dessert.
Since what's served varies according to the season, you're almost guaranteed not to get the meal I described above when you visit. But one thing remains constant: Jun's Omakase proves not only that you don't have to pay a premium for a quality experience, but also that omakase can mean "bargain."
Sushi Noguchi 18507 Yorba Linda Blvd. Yorba Linda, CA 92886 (714) 777-6789 http://www.sushinoguchi.com