"Studio" at The Montage Resort

Although it has been since January 27th that I last dined at “Studio” at the luxurious Montage Resort in Laguna Beach, it seems as if it was just yesterday that I was able to experience the wonderful flavors I savored that special evening. I must tell you, the fact that I shared the evening’s culinary treats with my daughter Monica, herself a classically French trained chef, made it an even more spectacular food adventure…we both felt like kids in a candy store waiting for the next awesome bite of yummy goodness!

Welcome to lovely Laguna Beach Chef Craig Strong! Formerly of the Ritz Carlton in Pasadena, Chef Strong has been serving gastronomic delights at Studio since May of 2009. Laguna Beach is also fortunate to have Chef Craig and his lovely wife reside in town. Guys, that way we have him in very close proximity to the restaurant to oversee quality control and maintain consistency in his kitchen! You may even “run” into him sometime since he takes advantage of this town’s numerous beautiful hiking and biking trails (note to self…that’s probably why he appears so lean and fit under his chef’s coat!).

Our evening included a six course tasting menu which Monica and I thoughtfully customized. Where most restaurants are sticklers to their printed menu and what is to be served that evening, Studio is very accommodating when it comes to satisfying their dining guests allowing you to mix and match their menu. There is NO SPLIT CHARGE and complimentary Sole Sparkling and Figi bottled waters (oh..."SNAP" all other restaurants that charge for quality bottled water)! In addition, the freshly baked crusty bread rolls are delicious and served with organic, lightly-salted butter. Heck, I could eat crusty bread rolls all day long (with a lovely dry Chardonnay, of course).

Although the amuse bouche of grilled asparagus, Serrano ham and red pepper couli was wonderful, I won’t describe it in detail. Our first course was “Chilled Kusshi Oysters” from British Columbia which were lusciously plump, moist and I could taste the fresh ocean in each bite. Chef Craig floats the oysters in a tomato consommé and serves them with a quenelle of Bloody Mary Sorbet. Utterly delightful!

The “Roasted Beet Salad” was served two ways and it was unlike any other beet salad I have ever tasted. First and foremost, the visual presentation was almost too pretty to eat with ultra thin slices of fresh red beet wholesome, goodness which were then shaped into gentle flower raviolis and filled with cauliflower cream then topped with gracious amounts of caviar which was spooned onto a bed of horseradish dressing. Oh Lord, please have mercy on my gluttonous soul! The thicker yellow beet slices each had a trout fillet which were perfectly seasoned with salt and blended well with the sweet fresh root slices.

I could go on and on about how fabulous the remainder of my meal was but decided the four other “tastings” were all pretty spectacular in and of themselves. That being said, the dishes were: “Pan Seared Monterey Calamari”, “Dungeness Crab Leg Risotto”, “Sautéed Hudson Valley Farms Duck Breast”, and a “Toasted Meringue (which had the appearance of a fat, luscious, toasted, marshmallow) with Passion Fruit Crème, Banana Fritter and Passion Fruit Banana Sorbet”.

In all fairness to all you serious foodies in blog land you deserve to know every detail about the mouth watering Crab Leg Risotto I experienced! For those that love and appreciate risotto, Chef Craig makes a killer version. First of all, this particular dish is very difficult to perfect…there is a lot of stirring involved and attention to detail in making it and the grain (Arborio rice) needs to be served al dente. Chef, job well done! Your risotto was perfectly creamy and ‘al dente’ at the same time with mega chunks of sweet Dungeness crab legs, essence of preserved lemon, vanilla bean and mascarpone cream. In addition to the fabulous flavors, this dish is served with teeny tiny eatable baby orchids (from the vanilla bean family). If you click on the accompanying photo you will see the beautiful teeny orchid flowers. Heck, go to Studio for this dish alone…worth the trip!

I have only one complaint…my preference would have been to have a tad bit more “acid” flavor in my naturally spicy arugula salad which accompanied my stuffed calamari dish since the garlic aioli was a little too creamy for my palate (I prefer a more tangy aioli...a personal preference). A dash of lemon juice would perfect an otherwise wonderfully emulsified salad dressing andother than that, I am back to Studio as soon as I drop a couple of fatties. This whole blog thing is conflicting with my fitness goals. Oh well, a gal has to prioritize…right?!?!

In a nut shell, the service was great (alas, I do expect great service at a high end resort such as The Montage), the food very well prepared, visually intriguing and wonderfully delicious.

Cheers!


Closed: Monday and Tuesday.
Hours: 6:00-10:00 p.m.
Reservations Required and Upscale, Elegant Attire.

San Shi Go

The jewel of a town Laguna Beach has about six sushi bars between north and south Laguna to satisfy your sushi desires. The one that has my heart is “San Shi Go” and my family and I have been loyal fans of San Shi Go for the past twenty-one years. The restaurant is located on the third floor in a three-tiered shopping center at the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Oak Streets. In addition to a full sushi bar menu, San Shi Go offers a complete traditional Japanese lunch and dining menu.

Yuji-San, our sushi chef for this particular evening, has been behind the sushi bar serving his customers for fourteen years and we were pleased to have him wait on us that night. Folks, don’t get me wrong…all the sushi chefs at San Shi Go (Koichi, Taku, Yoshi and Jimmy) are wonderful each with a special creativity and at times it is difficult deciding which sushi chef we want to serve us.

My traditional favorite dish is the “Spicy Seafood Salad” with fresh ginger dressing (a top secret recipe). This refreshing salad is a pleasant mixture of crispy romaine and iceberg lettuce layered with slices of salmon, yellowtail, albacore tuna, octopus, shrimp and crab meat then sprinkled with thinly sliced Thai chili peppers, crispy radish sprouts and drizzled with the famous house ginger dressing. I have had ginger dressing at other Japanese restaurants but San Shi Go’s ginger dressing tops them all due to the hearty flavor and lack of heavy oils in the ingredients.

Another favored of mine is the “Cajun Salmon Roll” which is filled with lots of veggies, crab meat, shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber and a tad bit of spicy mayonnaise then rolled with Cajun seared salmon slices. This cut roll is then drizzled with ponzu sauce then topped with either slivered green onions or crispy fried onions and both toppings add a pleasant, distinct flavor. I could sit here and choose the perfect adjective to describe this cut roll, but you would have to experience it for yourself to get my drift.

The sushi chefs are so creative, any vegan or vegetarian can easily dine at the sushi bar counter and the chefs will make up all kinds of non-fish cut and hand rolls. Although, if you are a veggie head or vegan, you may want to dine in their dining room and save the sushi bar for the serious sushi and sashimi eaters. In any case, all you have to do is have the sushi chef eliminate the bonito flakes from the shishito pepper dish and omit the side of spicy calamari rings from the wonderful spinach salad and you have a dish fit for vegans and veggie heads alike!

A local favorite amongst the non-fish eaters are the “Shishito Peppers” which are vibrant little sweet-hot Japanese peppers. At San Shi Go the peppers are served two ways…one wrapped with seared albacore tuna and the other sautéed and topped with bonito flakes. For those with tender palates, do not let the peppers keep you from ordering them since they are only mildly spicy (humm…could that be an oxy-moron?).

San Shi Go offers a wonderful “Spinach Mushroom Salad” consisting of fresh spinach leaves which have been gently sautéed with sliced domestic and Portobello mushrooms. Crispy thin julienned potatoes and a special dressing are the finishing ingredients for the spinach salad. Occasionally, my spousal unit has an order of Spicy Calamari pieces added to the salad…a nice crunchy bite.

As sushi dishes go San Shi Go has all the traditional fare but another favorite of mine is the “Kampachi Sushi”. Nice size pieces of yellowtail (a firm white fish) are sprinkled with uzu zest (Japanese citrus) then topped with a special black pepper paste. It is a brilliant blend of lemon and pepper and very refreshing.

I had no room for dessert but San Shi Go serves up a good looking “Tempura Ice Cream” which is ice cream wrapped in pound cake then tempura battered and deep fried. This sweet, crispy dish is served to you with a mound of whipped cream…dig in!

This dining establishment has been doing great business in my little town since they opened their doors due to the fact that they have very fresh sushi, creative chefs, great service, an outdoor patio dining area for those sexy summer nights, sake, beer, wine and $great prices$.

In conclusion, two generations of my family have thoroughly enjoyed San Shi Go and, the restaurant is also a favorite local dining spot for the cast members (when they're back home for a visit) of the former MTV reality show, ”Laguna Beach”...bring your autograph book! Thanks San Shi Go and see you tonight for my sushi fix!

Cheers!


Open Daily Serving Lunch and Dinner