Restaurant: The Brothers Sushi Santa Monica
Location: 1008 Montana Ave #1, Santa Monica, CA 90403. (424) 330-0270
Date: July 28, 2022
Cuisine: Modern Sushi
Rating: Awesome (and close)!
Our Foodie Gang has been going to the incredible “The Brothers Sushi” in the valley for some time now, and it was with much glee that we welcomed in the brand new (and somewhat delayed) Montana Santa Monica location.
The space used to be the repulsive Louise’s Trattoria, serving not exactly Italian for decades. But Brother’s has given it a major new makeover.
This particular visit was during their soft opening and Chef Mark Okuda was there to personally handle our omakase.
The build out is gorgeous. Here the bar is for omakase only and the tables are for à la carte only.
More details.
Chef Mark Okuda on the left and his chef de cuisine Moriyuki Kanamaru.
2014 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly Cuvée Nicholas et Mathis. 93 points. Flinty nose, but not very giving. Lemon infused palate, crisp and acidic with lemon rind elements and a chalky texture. Much more closed than the very open 2013.
What better way to inaugurate a new sushi bar than with coche night!
2008 Coche-Dury Meursault. VM 91. Peach and white flowers on the nose; a real essence of Meursault perfume. Then creamy-rich and sweet, with soft citrus flavors dominating. Finishes with lovely lingering sweetness of fruit. Ridiculously sexy village wine.
2011 Domaine & Selection Meursault Coche-Dury. 92 points.
2012 Coche-Dury Meursault. 94 points. Sexy aromas of orange oil and brown spices. Bright and penetrating, with peach and soft citrus flavors firmed on the tactile back end by saline minerality. Really excellent texture and length for village wine. (Incidentally, don’t hesitate to snap up Coche’s 2012 Bourgogne Blanc if you can find it. This ripe, fruit-driven wine, from rocky soil around Coche’s house, is as good as most Meursault village wines. The very rich, tactile, classic Meursault Narvaux, which is usually sent to the U.S., was just at the beginning of its malo, and the Rougeot hadn’t even started at the end of May.)
2013 Coche-Dury Meursault. 93 points. Pale, bright yellow. Stone fruits and a honeyed nuance on the inviting nose. Concentrated, ripe and dry, conveying a musky complexity to the flavors of peach, pear and minerals. Finishes with excellent energy and a positive phenolic edge. (Burgundy lovers who routinely snap up the Coche-Dury Bourgogne Blanc when they’re lucky enough to spot it in a retail shop or on a restaurant wine list will love the very sexy 2013 version, which offers intense white peach and lime flavors framed by lemony acidity and finishes with noteworthy refinement for its humble appellation.) (Drink between 2017-2023)
2016 Coche-Dury Meursault. 93 points. A cooler and more restrained nose features notes of spicy green apple, acacia blossom and the hallmark hazelnut wisps. There is excellent density to the finer and more mineral-inflected flavors that possess almost painful intensity on the focused, powerful and strikingly persistent finish. This too is a seriously good performance for a villages level wine that should age effortlessly for at least a decade. (Drink starting 2026)
Marinated Seaweed, Scallop, and Okra. Sunomono sweet and tangy quality with beautiful textures.
2 week aged King Salmon, Marinated Momotaro Tomato, Ponzu Jelly, and Ice Plant. Delicious.
Smoke infused dry aged medium Chu Toro with wasabi. The smokey flavor is lovely.
Chawanmushi with Dungeness Crab and Santa Barbara Uni. A very lovely sweet and briny custard.
Maryland softshell Blue Crab, lightly fried and marinated with pickles. The acidity served as a nice offset to the grease of the fry.
Spring snapper.
5 day dry aged Amberjack.
Shima Aji from Kushu Japan.
Golden eye snapper. Had a touch of char as he blow torches some charcoal over it.
Marinated Maguro (blue eye toro).
Sweet Ebi from Japan.
Special brined Ikura over rice and topped with wasabi.
Sea Perch.
O Toro. Some of the softest, fatiest otoro I have yet had.
Anago Sea Eel from Kushu. Lovely soft texture.
Another round of chu and o toro
Clam miso. Lovely briny flavor. Very satisifying.
Tamago.
Hokkaido uni “wrap”.
A5 Wagyu nigiri.
Hokkaido scallop.
Toro Takuan Handroll.
Hamachi.
Ikura.
Ngawa. Haven’t heard of this fish but it was super tender and delicious, almost unctuous.
Seared Chu Toro “Zule” with homemade soy sauce.
Matcha Cheesecake.
Leche Quemada Gelato — “burnt” some milk with Cinnamon and Vanilla and then cooked into the mix a light Water Caramel. I didn’t have any Animal Crackers so I decorated with Stroopwafel — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #cookie #cinnamon #vanilla #BurntMilk #stroopwafel #caramel
Chef enjoying some gelato.
Bonus!
Overall, another perfect night of sushi and white burgundy!
Instantly Brother’s Santa Monica has leapt into the top tier of westside sushi bars along with Miyagi and Shunji. It’s combination of perfect nigri and very refined “other dishes” are really great. It’s slightly different from woodland hills in personality, with some dishes in common and some specific to each — just enough to keep things interesting.
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