I resisted eating sushi for many years until someone made me go. Now, if I could afford it, I’d probably have lead poisoning. For sushi lovers, you sometimes have to do what you have to do to get your fix. You go to the somewhat satisfactory place near work because it’s your only option. You tag along with friends who know a place. But we all have our place, and we all think our place is the best. It’s an odd dynamic, really. It’s personal.
Sushi Kinoya is my place, and it should be yours. Really. I found it by accident. I was intent on buying Thrifty ice-cream and saw it as I approached. The girlfriend and I decided to stop in for dinner. Best decision ever, so much so that I’ll even give her credit for the idea. In a strip mall, the restaurant is small. It has a dozen small tables and a sushi bar for six. It’s decorated by a variety of bamboo and fake orchids, but is somehow tasteful. When we first started eating here, there were always available tables. Now, it’s always full.
The chef and owner, Martin, is friendly and is always good for a suggestion as to new types of fish, strange dishes, and what fish is particularly good that night. For example, on one of my early visits, I asked him for something strange, and he directed me to Ankimo Sushi, or monkfish liver (I couldn’t review it because they didn’t have any last time, but it is very good). The food comes out quick, and the staff is grea—led by Martin’s wife, Iris. The involved participation in the meal and the decision making process is what warranted the high service score.
Sushi Kinoya is my place because the quality of the fish is obvious upon first glance. Also, they let the fish shine, only providing sauces that enhance the flavors of the fish, not bury them. The vinegars and purees are always light and refreshing.
I’m sure you have your place that I need to go to, and I welcome the suggestions, but this will be tough to beat:
Crispy Rice: spicy tuna, rice crisp, balsamic reduction, vegetable puree, and jalapeño
An appetizer, this dish comes with three pieces. The spicy tuna is mounded on a small rice crisp with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction. On top of the tuna is a vegetable puree (which contents are apparently top secret–I can understand because it’s quite good) and a slice of fresh jalapeño. The spicy tuna is not very spicy, but that could be because they don’t want to overwhelm you with the jalapeño serving as the cherry-on-top. The pieces are plenty large, though having three pieces is an awkward choice for an appetizer. This dish is nice to whet the palate as the warm crisp, the cool tuna, and the sharp jalapeño do a good job of getting the juices flowing without distracting from the more intricate dishes to come later.
| Taste | Preparation | Presentation | Service | Guy Score | Portion Size | Price |
| 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 68 | Small | $8 |
Live Uni (Sea Urchin): in urchin shell with rice, masago, onions, and sesame seeds
Not everyone likes sea urchin. To some it’s the texture, to others it’s the appearance, and still some others, the taste. I think they’re crazy, but I understand for one simple reason: wine. I never understood why people liked wine. Too sour, too sweet, too bitter . . . then someone offered me a glass of good wine.
Hate uni? This could be your epiphany. First off, the presentation is great. The entire dish is served in the urchin shell with the roe placed along interior ridges with the rice in the middle. The spines on the urchin shell were still moving as they brought my plate out. It freaked out the college girls at the table next to us, which added to the entertainment value, and the girlfriend’s annoyance.
Even more than the excellent fresh uni that Kinoya serves regularly, the live urchin has a complex flavor. You can taste both the sweetness of the roe and the saltiness of the ocean, but they come at you in gentle waves as you let the uni melt on your tongue (Martin is happy to provide lessons on the proper way to eat urchin). The flavor is much more delicate than your typical uni. It is also more firm, which I think will resolve some of the texture issues people have (the girlfriend liked it, and she usually hates the texture). The rice had just the right amount of vinegar, and the sesame seeds gave the dish a nice finish. Please be aware, this dish is not always available, so if you’re craving it, call ahead.
| Taste | Preparation | Presentation | Service | Guy Score | Portion Size | Price |
| 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 87 | Good | M.P. (~$12) |
Portobello Mushroom w/ Blue Crab: served with avocado, green onion, balsamic reduction, and vegetable puree
I don’t usually get baked dishes when I go for sushi. This daily special caught my eye. The preparation for this dish, which takes a while, is pretty fun to watch if you’re sitting at the sushi bar. The portobello is heaped with blue crab salad and green onion. The chef puts a torch finish on it before putting the whole dish in the oven. When cooked, it is topped with avocado, hot sauce, and plated with a balsamic vinegar reduction and the vegetable puree. I gave it an extra presentation point for the fire show…it’s the ten-year-old boy in me, I can’t help myself.
The avocado really should be parsed out. I destroyed the dish, which is cut into a grid, trying to break off pieces of avocado for each bite. I also think the salad mix has too much…mix (I think it was Japanese mayonnaise). The blue crab is very good, but gets a little lost amongst the mayo and mushroom, which was flavorful and firm. I made sure to drag each piece (or fragments of pieces due to the avocado escapades) through the balsamic and puree as they add the necessary acidity to break up the richness of the crab.
| Taste | Preparation | Presentation | Service | Guy Score | Portion Size | Price |
| 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 61 | Large | $13.95 |
Salmon Radish Sashimi: with lemon and green onion
This dish highlights why simple is best. The fish was the perfect size and flavor, cool and rich. Unlike most sashimi dishes, the salmon here is folded over itself with a thin slice of pickled radish laid across it (and I mean thin; it barely shows in the pics) and green onion to top things off. Each piece of fish is placed on a lemon slice. When you put the first piece in your mouth, the remnant lemon from the bottom of the sashimi washes over your tongue, clearing your palate for the velvety salmon. Then you bite down and the radish pops up, lingering as you swallow. One bite, three distinct movements of flavor.
| Taste | Preparation | Presentation | Service | Guy Score | Portion Size | Price |
| 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 80 | Good | $12.95 |
Taira Gai Sushi (Japan Scallop): masago and lemon
I usually save this for dessert. The scallop portion is very generous and firm at first bite until it breaks apart in your mouth. The sushi is topped off by a small sliver of lemon, a scoop of masago, and a vinaigrette that is slightly tart but brings out the sweetness of the scallop. The coolness and flavor of the scallop sits in your mouth for several minutes after you finish. The vinaigrette is crucial to this dish. I have noticed some inconsistency in past visits when Martin, the head sushi chef, is not working. If the finish is a little off, the scallop, while still good, doesn’t have the same pop. This time, though, perfect.
| Taste | Preparation | Presentation | Service | Guy Score | Portion Size | Price |
| 8 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 76 | Good | $5.95 |
Final Thoughts
Sushi Kinoya provides the best tasting sushi of any place I’ve eaten in Long Beach. The fish just looks better. The sauces are lighter and used more sparingly than most sushi restaurants. I tend to gravitate to the sushi, sashimi and specials, but the rolls I’ve had are also quite good. The owners are very friendly and ready to give you ideas on new things to try. Try and be there when Martin, the head chef, is running the sushi bar (which is nearly always), and try to sit at the bar. For those who dine with non-sushi eaters, they also have full dinners and udon.
While not the cheapest sushi in town, the quality is obvious. No sushi swimming in sauces that look like they came from the “Asian Foods” aisle at Ralph’s and no oversized portions in an attempt to make you forget that the fish didn’t taste like anything. When you finish your meal you will feel good inside and out.
The average score is held back a bit by the average mushroom and crab dish, but the meal was great, headlined by the live uni.
| Taste | Preparation | Presentation | Service | Guy Score | Portion Size | Price* |
| 7.6 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 74.1 | Good | $10.57 |
*Price is an average of each plate.
P.S. – Monday and Tuesday are half off beer and sake. Enjoy.
A note from Guy: If you have suggestions about places I need to eat, or about dishes that I should have eaten instead, let me know. If you disagree with me, tell me in detail, why. ‘Because you’re a prick,’ while likely correct, will not earn a response. I prefer e-mails to an online post. If you want to know how my rating system works, you can read it on my author page.
Sushi Kinoya is located at 5521 East Stearns Street, Long Beach. (562) 598-8169. Lunch: Mon-Sat 11 am – 2:30 pm. Dinner: Mon-Thu 5 pm – 9 pm & Fri-Sat 5 pm – 9:30pm. Closed Sun.