Sushi Noguchi (Yorba Linda)
It’s been included and lauded as one of OC’s best sushi places. I hadn’t been back in ages and had some free time, so off for a leisurely lunch.
Blue crab, sunomono, kelp - lovely plating but the crab was a touch fishy
Hamachi
Maguro, otoro, hotate, SB spot prawn - the prawn so fresh that the head was twitching long after the plate had been presented. The otoro was a bit gristly
Fried spot prawn head - always gonna have it fried when given the option. Loved that it was just right and so good it just needed a squeeze of lemon.
Kinmedai, Tai, (can’t remember), sake - the shari was okay here. The neta knife work was just okay. Hiro-san was not working the counter when we walked in.
Bafun uni, mirugai, (can’t remember), aji - I think the uni was a tad off. I liked the texture of the giant clam. I think the shari was a touch overcooked and mushy…the texture was not as predominant as the shari I’ve had at Sushi Ii and Sushi Kaneyoshi.
Negi toro hand roll - this was giant hand roll that the chef stuffed with chutoro. The seaweed had a nice texture but wasn’t like the potato chip-crisp that I’ve found that I love more.
Service was good. I couldn’t always hear what the chef was presenting to me because of the mask, guard, and accent, but it was a nice leisurely lunch. I am a bit sad that it did not end with tamago.
Total tab for this was $149 (before tax & tip). Some bites were good. I was more disappointed that the shari was over and some of the neta were a little gristly. Maybe I’ll come back to try the fusion tasting menu for $70.
