“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare once asked. The truth is somewhere between a little and a lot. A joint called “The Dirt Shack” could be a treasure, while a uppity spot called Tout Suite or The Loft could be memorably horrible.
The bottom line is that an eatery with a lofty name should deliver.
Enter Kaviar Sushi, and with a “K,” no less. This two-year old, second-story hideaway above Raymond Avenue in Old Pasadena is shrouded in darkness from the entrance to the romantically lit tables. There is chill lounge music (that’s a musical type, not an opinion) thumping throughout the restaurant, and tables along the northern wall sit chock-a-block next to each other, perhaps placing couples a little too close to each other for intimate conversation.
Maybe that’s just me. We can agree that the spot pushes hard on the upscale vibe.
As Gavin, the on-duty manager during our visit, described it, ‘We wanted to do a type of New York-esque ambience here. It’s nice and dark, it’s a nice date night, anniversary night or a birthday kind of place. We like to do fine dining, and an upscale version of sushi.”
Which is where the menu comes in, and that’s when I was won over.
The DineLA menu, pricier than other local spots, is impressive up and down the list. We began with fatty toro sushi topped with Black Russian Sturgeon Caviar and edible 24K gold flakes. You read that right. And gold doesn’t really have a taste, at least not at that tiny size. The musky and salty taste of the caviar instead battles the sweeter toro sushi to a delicious draw.
Next up was Amberjack, which is often regarded as a winter delicacy, born in Toyama and the Hokuriku region. Frequently listed on menus as “yellowtail tuna,” it is a fish of the Carangidae family, rather than the family Scombridae that includes tunas, mackerels, and bonitos. It melted away in two bites.
We also sampled the restaurant’s crispy and delicious tacos grudos with their in-house jalapeño guacamole.
The fist-sized oysters went down smoothly with just a drop of tabasco. While, as you remember, class, oysters can be a bit briny, and ocean-ish, but some tabasco and some lemon juice evens all that out. Adding to the show was a small silver dish filled with dry ice. A bottle of water poured on it all created small clouds of that horror show/stage fog rolling across our table, for some more of that whole ambience thing.
Speaking of fist-size, the jumbo Japanese scallops, topped with Kizani wasabi, a sweeter variety of horseradish, were just a lot of deliciousness in perhaps two bites.
A soy paper hand roll filled with blue crab confirmed our position that every culture has a burrito. (Think about it.) This one was about the size of the one you used to get in your grade school lunch, but was seriously nothing like the one you used to get in your school lunch.
In the middle of it all, a small serving of Seafood Truffle pasta featuring truffles, shrimp, and mussels in a fettuccine alfredo sauce, was rich and satisfying.
And then, oh yes, the Denver Wagyu. Wagyu (wah-gyoo, not wah-goo) strictly means “Japanese cow,” but of the four breeds of cows in Japan, only one breed genetically produces the rich, overwhelming flavor the brand is known for. The American Denver Wagyu was likely a strain mixed with Angus beef. Whatever the combination, it was buttery and delicious.
A Hana Crunchy three layer cake topped with chocolate sauce, a berry compote, a mint leaf and whipped cream, along with an edible flower, topped the evening.
While Kaviar Sushi offered the priciest DineLA meal at $99 per person, the food was high-quality and served with attention in a unique environment. Yes, it was absolutely worth the price, if that’s what you’re waiting to see.
DineLA Week runs through April 15, and the Kaviar Sushi deal is available for lunch every day from noon-3 p.m., and available for dinner Sunday through Wednesday from 6 to 10 p.m. and Thursdays from 6 to 11 p.m.
Kaviar Sushi Bar is at 70 N Raymond Ave #250, Pasadena (626) 605-0330. kaviarsushi.com
