Hamamori--Best Sushi Ever!

It feels so good when it hits your lips...

No – I am not talking about the beer bongs at Mitch-A-Polooza. I am talking about the sushi at Hamamori. Unfortunately, there was no Frank “The Tank” in attendance, well not at the beginning of the night, but we had the next best thing – Chip Hanlon, EEJS, Paul Baiocchi and our friend Mike Markovsky. I hadn’t seen Mike since circa 88 when EEJS and I put him on his back in a Sunset Legaue gridiron beat-down.

Back to Hamamori. Normally, when I see a sushi joint attached to a mall it is a Todai. The brass at greenfaucet have one at its world headquarters and EEJS can be seen there every Tuesday afternoon. Personally, I would rather get punched in the face or travel to Salt Lake City on a Wednesday to get a cocktail than go to a Todai.

Sushi is either really good or really bad. Hamamori is neither. It is exceptional!

Perched on the 3rd floor of South Coast Plaza’s Crystal Court, in Costa Mesa, California, this place truly pays homage to raw fish. I can honestly say, Hamamori is better than Nobu, Koi, Matsuhisa, Sushi Roku in Vegas, Coast Sushi in Chicago and any other place I have dabbled in raw meat. It is almost indescribable but I am going to give it a shot.

A little history, first. Hamamori is named after James Hamamori, sushi chef and restaurateur extraordinaire. Unlike most chef/owners, Hamamori or “Jimmy” as I called him, prepares each dish and works the room.  Jimmy did mention I was the only customer to ever call him “Jimmy.” I thought it was a perfect fit. As a young man trying to make it in a dog-eat-dog restaurant world, this maestro of the palate was determined to change the generic concept of sushi and turn it into what he calls the “New Generation” Sushi. Prior to opening Hamamori, Jimmy treated restaurant goers with his masterful dishes at Asakuma, a beloved sushi place in Los Angeles. Jimmy was a favorite among Hollywood’s elite including Michael Ovitz, Dustin Hoffman, Cindy Crawford, and Bruce Zaro. In 2001, Chef Hamamori found his destiny when he met Bronnie Lee, a savvy business man and restaurateur. Together they started WaSa Sushi with locations in southern California. With their growing success, this dynamic team decided it was time to take an already successful venture to the next level and unveiled this gem – Hamamori.

Now about the food – I don’t even know where to begin. Every single dish is picture perfect. Every taste is heavenly. Because of the continuous flow of sake, I cannot recall the exact order of our dishes but here are some of my favorites. I should have known I was in trouble when the sake we were drinking was called something like "Demon Slayer." First, the Seared Scallop with Truffle-Infused Saikyo Miso and Sliced Truffle was insane. I am a huge truffle fan and the slice of black truffle atop the scallop was the perfect combination. We had an entire battered Flounder that was to die for, Seared Hamachi with Kanzuri, Seared New Zealand King Salmon with Ponzu Vinaigrette and Albacore Ceviche with Cherry Tomatoes. But one of the most memorable dishes was the Seared Toro with Foie Gras Pate Osetra Caviar and Gold Flakes. For some reason I was mesmerized by the gold--maybe because of my memories of the gold nugget jewelry I wore in 89. More on the gold flakes in a minute. The Kobe Beef could have been cut with a dull spoon and everything else we devoured was simply magnificent. There were only two things that freaked me out. First, Hamamori pulled out live Jumbo Prawns. They were the size of small lobsters. He ripped off their heads, cut out the tails and we were literally eating meat 30 seconds after the beheading. I found myself a little emotional and feeling sorry for the little guys, but Hanlon was in Heaven. The only other thing that was somewhat odd was the fish bone “chip” that looked like a fried seahorse used as a little garnish.

The gold flakes: Hamamori uses 23 karat gold flakes with many of his dishes for aesthetics and as decoration in the sake glass. I assume this is common faire for rappers all over the world, but I was so amused and intrigued by this that I pulled out my wallet and bought the bottle of gold. With the prices of gold, I figured it was a good investment. I now use them on everything I eat including pancakes, hamburgers, tacos, steaks, ice cream and I even sprinkle them in my favorite wines. This can sometimes be a little unsettling for the restaurant staff. Case in point: following this sushi extravaganza, we went to a nearby restaurant for some red wine and I put the flakes in the glass. The server, Daniel, came over to the table and yelled, “Stop, don’t drink the wine - there is something in there.” I told him to calm down – Hanlon wasn’t slipping me a roofie - I was rolling like a rock star, gold flakes and all. Now all I need to find is Rumpelstiltskin’s daughter and it is over!

If you are used to Todai prices, then Hamamori is not the place for you-- it's a tad on the pricey side, although nowhere near as ridiculous as Nobu. I guess I cannot complain too much because I didn’t pull out my wallet. I went with the ole “I left my wallet in the car” line and told Hanlon I would get him next time (even though I just busted it out for the gold flakes--Hanlon isn't very perceptive). If you go to Hamamori don’t complain about the prices. You don’t marry a trophy wife and then complain she is spending your money. Right? I suggest you plan ahead and start saving your Benjamins now. It is worth every penny.

I cannot end this article without mentioning my main man, Chef Takumi Murase who was side by side with Chef Hamamori in the preparation of our feast.  If you are a guest here, I suggest you sit at the sushi bar and pour this man a glass of sake. He is a rock star in his own right and helped make our night one to remember…unless, of course, you drink the Demon Slayer!

Rock on…

The Real Todd Harrison

Hamamori
3333 Bear St., Ste. 320
Costa Mesa, CA
(714) 850-0880
http://www.hamamori.com/
Open for lunch, daily, 11:30 A.m.-2 p.m.
Dinner, Mon.-Sun., 5-8:30 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 5-9:30 p.m.

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