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Archive for Asanebo

Inside Asanebo

Oct15

Restaurant: Asanebo [1, 2]

Location: 11941 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604. (818) 760-3348

Date: March 1, 2023

Cuisine: Japanese

Rating: Very good creative Japanese

_

Asanebo has been a high end valley classic spot for a long time and we come periodically to enjoy the omakase. The previous meal is detailed here.

Chef Tetsuya Nakao came to America in 1982. Him and his younger brother, Shunji, were the original chefs that helped start Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills. After establishing the restaurant as one of the best in Los Angeles, the Nakao brothers ventured out to start their own place. “Asanebo” opened in September 26, 1991. Over the years, “Asanebo” was recognized as one of the top Japanese restaurants from Zagat, LA Times, LA Weekly, and more.

“Asanebo” also accomplished one Michelin Stars in 2008 and the other in 2009. It is part of chef Tetsuya’s standards to provide the best quality fish, meat, vegetables, and other ingredients possible to his customers. Not only is the food so great, but it is his warm character that brings in new customers from all over the world.

1A4A1948-Pano
Unknown
Post pandemic they have this nice outside tend/patio in the parking lot.
1A4A1953
1A4A1954
1A4A1955
1A4A1956
1A4A1957
1A4A1958
1A4A1959
1A4A1960
The menu is big with a mix of traditional and that style of late 1990s and 00s LA Japanese that is heavily Matsuhisa influenced but not focused on the style over substance greatest hits (Katana and Sushi Roku I’m looking at you). It’s much closer in both period and style to Takao.

1A4A5984
Chawanmushi. Santa Barbara uni. Wasabi. Ikura. Strong Dashi flavor. Lovely.

1A4A5993
Carrot Salad. Ruby and Gold Carrot, arugula, portabella mushroom, seared Hoikido Scallop. The texture was nice, although the salad itself lacked acidity. The scallop was great though.
1A4A6001
Seafood stick. Shrimp, White Fish, Shitake Mushroom, Shiso, Citrus Pepper Paste, Sweet Onion Salsa. Really great dish. That salsa would make anything taste amazing.
1A4A6010
Lemon Basil King Salmon Sashimi. New Zealand King Salmon, Marinated Ikura, Olive Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Garlic, and Lemon Basil Dressing. This was incredible, and very zesty. Probably my dish of the night.
1A4A6011
Halibut. Italian Truffle. Sweet ponzu. Pickled cherry tomato. A bit too sweet and distracting.
1A4A6015
Albacore, garlic, ginger, and ponzu sauce.
1A4A6025
Sazae on Fire. Japanese Conch, Quail Egg, Shimegi Mushrooms. Nice little “clam soup” in the creature’s shell. Disturbing if you think abot it.
1A4A6027
A5 wagyu with heirloom tomato and peach. Very sweet classic Japanese flavor.
1A4A6056
A5 sizzled with enoki mushroom, truffle butter, and truffles.
1A4A6034
Small flight of sushi. Mackerel, Blue fin tuna, Snapper, and Chu-toro.
1A4A6058
White fish sushi and crab battleship.
1A4A6052
Toro Takuan Roll (awesome).
1A4A6064
New Flavor — Cherry Bakewell Tart Gelato — While watching every episode of the Great British Baking Show I was introduced to the Bakewell Tart, which I liked it enough to make a gelato — Sicilian Noto Romano Almond Custard Base is layered with house-made Honey Almond Graham Crackers and Cherry Preserves. For extra fun I made an Almond Icing and glazed the Grahams with it in the traditional pattern (first time trying it) — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Sicily #Almond #Cherry #GrahamCracker #BakewellTart #tart #bakewell #jam #icing
1A4A6047
The full wine lineup.
1A4A5981
1A4A6000
1A4A5999
1A4A5980
Sadly a little advanced, had to open the PYCM as backup.
1A4A5982
A little advanced as well, heavy with no acid.
1A4A5992
Very nice and surprisingly young.
1A4A5979
Great.
1A4A5991
Awesome.
Unknown

Asanebo has been around since 1991 and as he was an early chef at Matsuhisa (along with his brother Shunji) the food very much reflects that. Like Takao (also at Matsuhisa) it’s positioned somewhere between a classic broad menu 1980s style sushi place and the more Peruvian influence Nobu style. But it’s definitely got strong California influences from the 1990s in a way I never saw in Japan during that period. While the style here is a bit 1990s (unlike Shunji who has massively “updated” recently) the execution remains excellent. I myself do slightly prefer either the very updated traditional or modern styles at the top end right now but there is no question that Asanebo is a great place and thoroughly enjoyable. It’s also not as expensive as the painfully bleeding edge places at current like Kaneyoshi.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Asanebo Evening
  2. The Inside Story
  3. Inside Game of Thrones
  4. Shunji Sushi – Nonstop Nigiri
  5. Gasping Fish Shunji
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Asanebo, BYOG, Gelato, hedonists, Japanese, Sushi

Asanebo Evening

Sep28

Restaurant: Asanebo [1, 2]

Location: 11941 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604. (818) 760-3348

Date: January 27, 2022

Cuisine: Japanese

Rating: Very good creative Japanese

_

Asanebo has been a high end valley classic spot for a long time, so long that the last time I was here was before I started taking pictures of all my food (which was 2010).

Chef Tetsuya Nakao came to America in 1982. Him and his younger brother, Shunji, were the original chefs that helped start Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills. After establishing the restaurant as one of the best in Los Angeles, the Nakao brothers ventured out to start their own place. “Asanebo” opened in September 26, 1991. Over the years, “Asanebo” was recognized as one of the top Japanese restaurants from Zagat, LA Times, LA Weekly, and more.

“Asanebo” also accomplished one Michelin Stars in 2008 and the other in 2009. It is part of chef Tetsuya’s standards to provide the best quality fish, meat, vegetables, and other ingredients possible to his customers. Not only is the food so great, but it is his warm character that brings in new customers from all over the world.

1A4A1948-Pano
Unknown
Because of the pandemic they have this nice outside tend/patio in the parking lot.
1A4A1953
1A4A1954
1A4A1955
1A4A1956
1A4A1957
1A4A1958
1A4A1959
1A4A1960
The menu is big with a mix of traditional and that style of late 1990s and 00s LA Japanese that is heavily Matsuhisa influenced but not focused on the style over substance greatest hits (Katana and Sushi Roku I’m looking at you). It’s much closer in both period and style to Takao.

1A4A1962
2000 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Millésimé. JG 94. The 2000 Charles Heidsieck Brut Millésime is comprised of a blend of sixty percent pinot noir and forty percent chardonnay and spent more than ten years on the lees in the les Crayères cellars here prior to disgorgement and release. I had the good fortune to taste this beautiful vintage twice in preparation for this report, and it continues to deepen and add more complexity with the passing of time. The deep and very refined nose offers up a classy mélange of apple, pain grillé, peach, a marvelously complex signature of salty soil tones, orange zest and a dollop of summer truffle in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and shows off lovely tertiary layers of complexity, with a rock solid core, great focus and breed, refined mousse and a very long, pure and perfectly balanced finish. Stellar juice. (Drink between 2014-2030)
1A4A1963
2004 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 97. The 2004 Cristal is superb today. Bright and focused, the 2004 shows all of the tension and energy that has always been one of its signatures. The first hints of aromatic maturity are starting to develop, but the 2004 remains quite young and full of energy. I have always admired the 2004 (along with the best wines of the vintage) for its focus. In this bottle, the interplay of freshness from the recent 2018 disgorgement and richness gained through added time on the lees (which also results in lower dosage of 7 grams per liter) opens another window into the personality of Cristal. In 2004, the Pinot Noir is 57%, or a bit lower than normal, while the Chardonnay at 43% is correspondingly a touch higher. (Drink between 2019-2039)
1A4A1964
2008 Claude Cazals Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs extra Brut Cuvée Vive.
1A4A1982
NV Jacques Selosse Champagne Exquise Sec. JG 94. I had never had the pleasure to taste this limited release bottling of Demi-Sec from Anselme Selosse, which he crafts with an eye to matching with dessert and which it paired beautifully with at the end of a vertical Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche dinner that I will be reporting on in the next issue. Monsieur Selosse only makes a thousand bottles of Exquise, with this particular iteration disgorged in May of 2015 and finished off with a dosage of around twenty-four grams per liter. This is the same base wine as his Brut Initial cuvée, which hails from the lower sections of the slope of his top vineyards in Avize, Oger and Cramant, and simply finished off with a more generous dosage. The current release of Exquise is really lovely, offering up a complex nose of pear, patissière, chalky minerality, custard and a pungent topnote of spring flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and beautifully balanced, with and excellent spine of acidity to carry the additional sweetness, fine focus, refined mousse and a very long, crisp and moderately sweet finish. Just a lovely wine. (Drink between 2016-2030)
1A4A1969
Chawanmushi. Santa Barbara uni. Wasabi. Ikura. Strong Dashi flavor. Lovely.
1A4A1972
Baby Spinach Salad. Seared scallop, fried potato. Quite nice and fresh.
1A4A1989
Seafood stick with homemade sweet salsa. Really great dish.
Unknown-1
Dave and Annie enjoy their sticks.
1A4A2016
2009 Henri Boillot Corton-Charlemagne. VM 96. High-pitched aromas of fresh peach, crushed stone, violet and lavender. Dense, sweet and rich, with very ripe pineapple fruit leavened by smoky minerality and given cut and focus by strong (4.5 g/l) acidity. Offers an uncanny combination of depth and high pitch for the vintage. The building, extremely long finish titillates the taste buds and leaves the mouth vibrating. Normally harvested on the late side, these vines were picked on September 5(!) in 2009, with potential alcohol of 12.9%.
1A4A2018
From my cellar: 2012 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Meursault Clos de la Baronne. PN 94 points. Showing very well, clean, mineral, straw basket, fine, articulated but not austere, nicely integrated, nice pear, apple, apple skin notes, long. In a great place right now and will hold 5-8 years.Asanebo w/Yarom and gang.
1A4A2000
Amberjack. Sesame miso. Pink salt. Serrano. The fish was lovely, but the sesame paste clashes a bit.
1A4A2012
Halibut. Italian Truffle. Sweet ponzu. Pickled cherry tomato. A bit too sweet and distracting.
272909944_10159977648694216_5379019264040020664_n
Japanese wild yellowtail. Hawaiian lava salt. Spicy ponzu.
1A4A2019
Grilled conch soup. Mushroom. Broth was great.
1A4A2030
2012 Colgin Syrah IX Estate. PN 92. Big, bold, tons of blackberry and blueberry and some meatiness; a good dose of fine expensive oak in there, really nice with the A5 wagyu with onion and a sweet soy sauce sauce; silky, big, bold, and eventually pretty oaky. Turned more oaky as the night went on. I imagine if they halved the oak on these monsters they would have something pretty special. Asanebo w/Yarom and gang. Not exactly Japanese food friendly.

1A4A2027
A5 wagyu with heirloom tomato. Very sweet classic Japanese flavor. Did pair nicely with the Colgin.
1A4A2033
Small flight of sushi. Blue Fin, Chu-Toro, Snapper and another white fish.
1A4A2038
Uni. Toro Takuan Roll (awesome) and crab hand roll.
1A4A2044
Freshwater eel.

Asanebo has been around since 1991 and as he was an early chef at Matsuhisa (along with his brother Shunji) the food very much reflects that. Like Takao (also at Matsuhisa) it’s positioned somewhere between a classic broad menu 1980s style sushi place and the more Peruvian influence Nobu style. But it’s definitely got strong California influences from the 1990s in a way I never saw in Japan during that period. While the style here is a bit 1990s (unlike Shunji who has massively “updated” recently) the execution remains excellent. I myself do slightly prefer either the very updated traditional or modern styles at the top end right now but there is no question that Asanebo is a great place and thoroughly enjoyable. It’s also not as expensive as the painfully bleeding edge places at current like Kaneyoshi.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. An Evening at Malibu Wines
  2. Last Minute Shunji
  3. Why Walnut? — OOToro
  4. Food as Art – Shiki Sushi
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Asanebo, hedonists, Japanese cuisine, SFV, Sushi, Sushi Series
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