Sushi Duke reigns supreme: Chef Sanjay excels at re-imagined Japanese cuisine

I first reviewed a sushi bar in these pages about 25 years ago, and at the time I lamented about how difficult it was. Almost every place in the South Bay served traditional sushi, and the only things to distinguish one from another were the variety and freshness of the fish, the friendliness and English fluency of the itamae, and the ambiance. Since the selection and freshness could change on any given day, the experience I had when I wrote the article wouldn’t necessarily have anything to do with the same restaurant a week later when the piece appeared. I loved sushi, but I sure hated writing about it.

It’s a different world now. Everywhere traditional nigiri sushi is almost an afterthought compared to rolls containing all manner of nontraditional ingredients, and the izakaya trend has brought a startling array of cold and hot dishes that have nothing to do with raw fish over vinegared rice. Consider the Redondo Beach location of Sushi Duke, which has a particularly nuanced take on the subject.

There is a sushi bar here, but it’s only a small part of the restaurant – about ten chairs compared to the fifty or so at tables. We decided on a table and scanned the menu, pausing to ask our server what she recommended. She suggested king mackerel, so we ordered that while perusing our other options. It arrived after mere moments, and we could tell immediately that tradition was out the window – the fish over rice was topped with citrusy onion relish and crispy fried onion. I was concerned that the natural flavors would be swamped, but it wasn’t so – we could taste the freshness and savor the texture of the fish, but the onion added a nice texture and sharpness. I noted that the wasabi was used very moderately so that the two sharp flavors wouldn’t overwhelm the fish, and the balance was intact.

We ordered an array of dishes and said we didn’t care what order they came out, and sat back to sip hot sake and see what happened. First to arrive was spicy tuna over crispy eggplant, a sensational but slightly messy dish. Slices of Japanese eggplant had been topped with avocado, a dark, lightly sweet sauce, and peppery tuna, with shredded spring onion and fish roe on top. It looked like it would be too many flavors at once, but it wasn’t – the balance was excellent and I could have easily ordered another one if I hadn’t known so much more was coming.

We continued with a house special described as tuna carpaccio with a ginger sauce and avocado wasabi sauce. The sweet, citrusy ginger sauce and the mild, creamy avocado wasabi were interesting counterpoints with the fish, and a scattering of scallion added a touch of flavor, color, and crunch. It was an enjoyable dish but just a bit busy – while I liked every bite, I might have enjoyed something simple beforehand as a palate cleanser.

What arrived next was simple indeed – fried sand lance, tiny whole fish about half an inch long, in tempura batter. This item may not appeal to some people for two reasons: many Americans are creeped out by anything that has the whole head still attached, and by fish with the assertive flavor that small, oily fish develop. I find the flavor strong but pleasant and don’t mind the head, so I enjoyed these quite a bit, though I might have liked a mild dipping sauce on the side.

The next item to arrive was Franco-Japanese – an expertly prepared seafood gratin. The scallops, squid, shrimp, and fish were topped with a delicious blanket of toasted cheese – our server didn’t know what kind, but it tasted like a mix of Gruyere and parmesan. This is the kind of simple item where fresh ingredients shine, and it was excellent.

We finished with a Sanjay Roll, ordered because it was named after owner Sanjay – we figured if he put his name on it, he was proud of it. It consisted of spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber, smelt roe, and ginger sauce wrapped in a green soy paper and drizzled with sweet eel sauce. As with most of the creations here, there were a lot of flavors jostling for our attention – the spicy tuna was very spicy, the avocado a cool counterpoint in the background, ginger and roe adding different light sharp flavors to the mix. It was similar enough to the tuna and eggplant dish we had tried earlier that I’d have one or the other in the future, because there are so many other things to explore on this menu. At the moment there are happy hour specials lasting all night, I guess because any hour they are open is a happy one.

I have been to the Sushi Duke in Hermosa and this one, and though both are good, I like this one better – the menu is more wide ranging, the light-filled room is more comfortable.  It’s a relaxing place to enjoy contemporary Japanese food served with style and at modest prices – we spent only $60 for a fine dinner for two with two flasks of sake, a bargain at the price.

Sushi Duke Redondo is at 320 S. Catalina, just South of Torrance Boulevard. Open daily except Monday for dinner only. Free parking in rear or metered street parking. Some vegetarian items, beer, wine, and sake served. Phone 310-374-6929. ER