Santa Monica Loews Scores New Sushi Bar, Sushi at Sunset

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Just slightly delayed, that new sushi bar, Sushi at Sunset, inside Ocean & Vine within the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica debuted last Friday. Located behind the main dining room, the bar looks directly out to the beach/ocean, come by early evening to witness Santa Monica's gorgeous sunset.

Newish chef Keith Roberts crafts a menu of the expected sushi subjects but rather than serve his fish with the requisite soy and wasabi, which he believes are overused at restaurants and mask the true flavor of the fish, he has paired the fish with non-traditional sauces. For example, snapper nigiri comes with an almond-lemon butter while salmon is accompanied by a soybean miso with Thai basil.

In addition to sashimi and nigiri, Roberts serves a slew of Santa Monica/Venice-inspired rolls with names like Muscle Beach (tuna, crab, salmon, avocado, radish, sprouts, plus cucumber roll), Farmer's Market (carrot-infused rice, cream cheese, avocado, asparagus, roast peppers, plus cucumber roll) and the Santa Monica Fog (tuna, avocado, shrimp, ginger sauce, mango ponzu, wasabi pearls) which comes with a full-on liquid nitrogen "fog." While the rolls are a bit pricey, costing between $10 and $18, the bar offers happy hour from 5-8PM daily with select sushi and cocktails priced at $6.
·Your New Beachside Sushi Bar [UD]
·EaterWire: NiceCream, Gelato Bar, Ocean & Vine, MORE! [~ELA~]