“Tengu” Fine Dining Delicious Asian/Sushi in Santa Monica Now Open (3/07)
"Tengu" Fine Dining Delicious Asian/Sushi in Santa Monica Now Open (3/07)
In a town full of sushi restaurants, Tengu in Santa
Monica is a star that shines above them all. It’s a
place you have to try if you love sushi and
contemporary Asian cuisine. It will be a quick
reminder to you that you haven’t tried everything
there is to try with sushi. World renown sushi master
and executive chef, Shunji Nakao, continues to dazzle
and invent new and exciting dishes. Everything is
prepared with the freshest of ingredients. How fresh?
They have live seafood and lobster in the back that
they will prepare right at your table.
Tengu is located in the best spot Santa Monica has to
offer right across from a view of the beach & ocean.
Just a leisurely stroll from the world famous
Santa Monica Pier and the shops and excitement of the
Third Street Promenade, it’s the perfect destination
spot. Inside, Tengu puts you at ease right away with
its simple yet elegant decor. It’s very “Zen” like
with it’s black and white marble and comfortable cream
colored chairs. There is patio seating to enjoy those
perfect summer days or nights.
A great way to start your dining experience at Tengu
is with a Sake Flight. You get three two ounce
glasses of delicious cool sake. There are four
different combinations to choose from; Elegant,
Sophisticated, Refined or nontraditional. Each sake
will have a different flavor and level of sweetness.
You are sure to find a sake that will suit your
palate. If you like a perfectly smooth sake taste,
try the Akitabare in the Sophisticated Flight style.
If you don’t like sake, don’t worry. There is a full
menu of exciting martinis & specialty drinks to choose from.
There are so many great ways to start off your meal at
Tengu that you can close your eyes and point anywhere
on the menu. Rolls that are great to start with are
the signature Subarashi roll with spicy shrimp, seared
tuna, avocado, sweet onion, bell peppers and ginger
sauce is a crowd favorite. The Kurama Yama roll has
spicy tuna, tempura shrimp, spicy Japanese root,
asparagus and daikon sprouts all rolled together in
soy paper has the perfect combination of flavors. The
Asian Tartare is a light and tasty starter with diced
tuna stacked on crispy wontons and drizzled with
avocado sauce and soy lime dressing. Other great and
unique starters are the Beet and Goat Cheese salad
which comes with beautiful slices of golden and ruby
red beets that are stacked and crisscrossed
accompanied by a carrot ginger dressing and a hint of
lemon. Not only is it delicious, it is incredibly
healthy as well. Speaking of healthy, the Pan-Seared
Tofu steaks will be the best tofu you have ever had.
The tofu is soft with perfect consistency and are
covered with roasted portobello and wild mushrooms.
It is out of this world.
A must entree to try if you love seafood is the
Jalapeno-Miso Chilean Sea Bass served on top of a bed
of grilled garlic shoots with a thin slice of jalapeno
and chili-lime sauce. It is so creamy it literally
melts in your mouth. There are also plenty of amazing
meat dishes to choose from like lamb chops, fillet
mignon and the unique Togarashi-Crusted New York Strip
steak that is fanned around some grilled asparagus.
It’s definitely not an entree you see everyday.
The great thing about Tengu is that you can be as
adventurous as you want to be with your dining
experience. You can stay with simple yet always
satisfying dishes like the Toro or grilled Yellowtail
or you can go on an adventure with the specials and
signature dishes guaranteeing that you will try
something you have never had before. The great news is
you will definitely not be disappointed.
Located at 1541 Ocean Ave. Suite 120 in Santa Monica.
For reservations, call 310-587-2222 or visit their website
at www.tengu.com