462594 Tue Nov 20 19:50:10 -0800 2007 0 2 Los Angeles Area 0 3144266 I noticed Hashigo Sushi opened up a few weeks ago near where I lived and so my friends and I finally decided to give it a try the other night night. The sushi bar was full so we settled for a table along the wall. The decor was simple and minimalistic but had a nice modern and relaxed feel to it. The waiter recommended we start with the grilled fish collar, tempura combo and monkfish liver with ponzu sauce. The fish collar was lightly seasoned with sea salt and frankly, that was all that was needed. The char from the grilling also added a nice smoky flavor to it and we picked it clean. I have a saying, “Anything fried shouldn’t be denied” so the tempura was as good as one would expect - a nice light and crunchy coating without being too greasy. If you are a fan of liver/foie gras then you will probably like the monkfish liver dish. The ponzu sauce added a nice balance to the richness of the liver. We all agreed the grilled fish collar was definitely the favorite among the three appetizers. For dinner, we ordered an assortment of tuna, salmon, toro, snapper, mackerel and a few shellfish items. I didn't care too much for the geoduck clam and the oysters could have been a little more chilled, but the sushi and sashimi were of high quality and very fresh. The toro was my favorite and melted in my mouth as good toro should. Usually I am not a big salmon fan because it has a fishy (sorry for the pun) taste to it, but the way they prepare it at Hashigo was great. I later found out from the waiter that it had no gamey fish taste to it because the salmon gets a cold sake bath as part of the fish prep work the sushi chefs do every morning. They did have a few desserts on the menu but we were too full to sample any. Overall, the quality at Hashigo is better than at most sushi places and the prices were very reasonable. Service was a bit slow, but that is to be expected with a new place and should improve with time. A few final notes: they offer fresh wasabi - a few dollars extra but well worth it. And try to sit at the sushi bar if you get a chance, the chefs seemed very friendly and engaging and the patrons sitting there looked like they were having a good time with them. Tue Nov 20 19:50:10 -0800 2007 144579 juxcallmebob