Food + Travel: Tapas and sushi

Sushi AND tapas??

UPDATE: Hours after first posting this I found out the restaurant has just closed a few days ago. One of the investors from Japan pulled out. Bummer. At least you can still enjoy the photos...

An invitation to Art’s Tapas and Sushi lounge in San Francisco was one I couldn’t resist. The new(ish) restaurant encompasses my two favorite types of food. The complimentary meal, authentic tapas aside, was pretty darn good. And it definitely was photogenic.

To summarize the place, I’m starting with dessert first. (There's a reason and it's not my inner fat kid. I think.)

I was thrilled to have Art's green tea ice cream—mainly because we were in Japan a few months ago. That was a wonderful way to take an authentic Japanese dish and make it more appealing to the American palate (less purple bean paste and add whip cream). Brilliant, although I’m not a whip cream fan.

Pictured at right is a green tea ice cream dessert we were served at the amazing Donguri restaurant in Kyoto, Japan, for comparison. See, lots of purple bean paste.

Seafood (and Japanese influences) definitely seems to be Art’s strength. Takaaki Yamaguchi, general manager and chef, told us about their lengthy process of getting concepts from a chef in Japan then deciding how to adapt them to the American palate.

The beef carpaccio ($9) was the best item we had. Two words: wasabi aioli.

The sizzling Chilean sea bass plate ($12) melted in our mouths. The veggies underneath it (bean sprouts, yellow zucchini, green peas, meyer lemon and a sweet garlic sauce) were surprisingly tasty.

The Dragon roll ($12) was sensational. BBQ unagi, avocado, hamachi, cucumber, masago. I wish I had tried more of their sushi rolls.

The Albacore Tartare ($8) was also one of my favorites. Fuji apples, cucumbers with blended miso and mizuna greens.

The Yellowtail Crudo ($9) was really good, but so spicy! Definitely an item for a group of four to share. Hamachi, sliced jalapeño, truffle ponzu, mixed radish.

I loved the idea behind the Marinated Tuna Pintxos ($9.5) served with mozzarella and tomatoes, but we decided we felt the tuna was too marinated. There are so many spices and competing flavors in the item. Soy sauce, mirin, red wine, garlic.

Art’s effort to “Americanize” its dishes is something I can understand, can work quite well, but I personally don’t prefer. They seemed to have done a pretty good job of it.

We didn’t bother ordering the more American tapas options, such as the Spiced Chicken Taco ($6), Cali Cheese Fries ($5), or Chicken Wings ($6), but the wings looked really good at neighboring tables.

Instead, I wanted to taste the “real” tapas, or those most authentic to Spain. I consider myself well-versed when it comes to tapas. I lived in Spain for six months and I’ve had spectacular tapas dining experiences in California. My favorites for legit tapas are Esperpento in SF’s Mission District and Bar Pintxo in Santa Monica. Above, me in la Sagrada Família in Barcelona. Did you know that in Granada, Spain, you get free tapas with every drink you order?

I told the restaurant’s publicist I felt the tapas portion of the menu needs work.

The Cheese Croquettes ($9), above, and the Kurobuta Pintxos ($6) disappointed me. The cheddar croquettes were better than the mozzarella, which were essentially mozzarella sticks. (If you want mozzarella sticks, get em, they’re good. But don’t get them expecting croquettes.) I recommended they avoid the texture of the mozzarella and try adding garlic spices and other fillings (chicken, fish, pork). The Kurobuta Pintxos were breaded and fried pork. That’s about it.

I’m planning on returning to Art’s with a group of friends. Happy hour specials and a parking lot make it even more appealing.

Art’s Tapas and Sushi Lounge is located at 2353 Lombard Street in San Francisco.