Araki's Japon - Foothill Ranch

Ignore the status “Closed” for an earlier Arakis Japon Iteration in Lake Forest, the lady and I went to the location at the Food Court in Foothill Ranch in the Towne Center. Without getting into crazy crowds of those what was done to who and how it was done, I'll just say that the sushi is some of the best I found here in Southern California. The chief/owner is talented beyond the comparison. Its driving sensation is texture, unlike the football instruction of so many Asian chefs, “all flavors in balance.” At this point many western diners are familiar with the refrain, and hear how someone the dish is both sweet and savory is not nouveau or even very interesting. Instead, Araki dominates the tactile sensations of food. Whether it's a salmon dish or a carpaccio of the tenderest flounder, it's serious. The palate is constantly honed, seduced and filled. The fresh lobster shell was particularly remarkable. Arakis is a place for lovers out in one night, a family to join again, or for businessmen to print a deal. Arakis Japon appreciates the highest I can offer. And frankly, everything I can say will just be hyperbole. Go and dine and fall in love with sushi.

Friday evenings, means walking to the Foothill Ranch Towne Centre and a bite from one of the chain restaurants at the Food Court. Although my husband is food, we usually save our food adventure exploration for Saturday evenings (and if we are a little better dressed). We had not planned to try Arakis Japon this night (or actually every night as we were quite loyal to another sushi community). But if you are close enough to read the menu, then it must have been the warm smile of the hostess and the original authentic decor that pulled us in. When we sit in a stand, instead of at the bar, we ordered a few “Pedestrian” reels and a few Arakis Signature Fusion reels. Izumi Araki, the hostess and wife of the owner/chef Hisashi Araki, visited our needs with such warmth and true Japanese labels. We immediately noticed the little touches: rocks on the table, real flowers and then the food began to come. With a bite we looked at and knew we were no longer in Kansas (or an Orange County Food Court). After four reels and three desserts, our experienced pallets recognized a master at the wheel. We thank him personally, asked him his name, and went home and nailed him. Chef Hisashi Araki is from Japan; his culinary training was European. He worked all over the world and picked up many prices and languages. In 2005, Chef Hisashi was appointed by Nobuyuki Matsuhisa (you know the owner and founder of the International Nobu Restaurants) as Executive Chef at Nobu Atlantis in the Bahamas. Chef Hisashi has cooked for President Clinton, Michael Jordan, Janet Jackson, John Travolta, Mariah Carry, Celine Dion, Tiger Woods, etc. Yeah, we said what you're thinking about what he's doing in Foothill Ranch? Turn 2: We were back next week. We chose the two seats in front and middle of the sushi bar to watch Chef Hisashi-san worked his magic. With a cook so great, let him control what you should eat, so we did. Triple Spicy tuna Role: No Rooster sauce here, Chili Paste, Chili oil and Jalapenos with Tuna Tataki cilantro is placed on the role for me, comfort food. Yellowtail Jalapeno Roll: Dive it in its homemade Yuzo Soy sauce and it transports you far, far away. You will never want to return. Aburi Salmon Roll: looks deceptively simple, but really complex. I will long this role for the rest of my life! The House Roll: tuna, salmon, yellow tail, crabs, shrimp cut proportional to their strength in taste, a perfectly balanced, refined and beautiful role. The Lobster asparagus roll, beautiful, generous and some of the freshest lobsters I've ever tasted. And don't even let me start on his desserts; there's just not enough time. Chef Hisashi enjoyed everything. We mentioned how his soy sauce does not attack the sushi with salt. He said he's making it fresh. We talked about the rice that is lighter and fluffier. Yeah, he said we didn't use the traditional sushi rice. He laughed when we mentioned that his wasabi was creamy instead of chalky. We went on with compliments. Then he waved and said, “I am not trained in sushi, next time try my hot fusion kitchen.”... I think we just scratched the surface with Chef Hisashi. At the end of the meal, whether he knew it or not, he was new to our BFF. As much as we want to keep him “our” hidden gem, there is a code among foods if you discover gold, you have to share...so we share it with all that are in the driving distance of the city center of Foothill Ranch.