Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/15710
Beautiful presentation can also be found in dishes both large and small at Sushi of Naples which recently added a second menu, Izakaya Sato. "Izakaya" is the Japanese term for a style of small dishes which are enjoyed after work with beverages. Sushi of Naples owner, Haruo Sato, created the new, less expensive menu which can be ordered in its own special room or in the main dining room. Customers are encouraged to try several dishes with Izakaya Sato's smaller portions and "happy prices." The smaller portions carry the same great taste of Sushi of Naples as well as the care with which Sato and his staff create each selection. "Presentation is very important – it is presentation, portion, and ingredients," emphasized Sato. "We look at balance, it's like an art. Japanese food looks beautiful and that helps your enjoyment and dining." Sato, a native of Tokyo, learned to cook from his parents, who owned a small restaurant. After an extended visit with friends in Palo Alto, he left Japan and settled in Los Angeles in 1980, working in different restaurants throughout Southern California. Sushi of Naples has been in its current location on Second Street since 1995, when Sato moved his restaurant from a 1,000-square-foot subleased space inside the former Eddie's Deli Market. Now, Sushi of Naples is a popular city destination, welcoming guests with details that emphasize the art of dining. Most of the serving plates are from Japan and many Izakaya Sato selections are accompanied by fresh green leaves and small kiku or chrysanthemums. Sashimi is served with nests of shimmery shredded daikon or deep red beets. On any given day, you will find chef Yoshiki Oshima preparing these dishes along with some other delicacies. Kitchen dishes such as yakitori are served with roasted red pepper, purposefully accompanied by a green leaf against a black plate for an emphasis on color. Sauces are served in designs of dots or swirls to compliment each dish. While all three chefs create meals that are beautiful to the eye, presentation is only one part of a larger picture – one that defines why each restaurant has enjoyed long-term success. "There is a lot of work, a lot of passion in everything you do,' said L'Opera's DeMuro. "The cooking, the presentation, the dishes, they all are very important." "It's not just putting things together," adds Cotta. "I think people, when they see something that's nice, the presentation will be the first thing that you are going to see. You like it, you taste it, then it's even better. Then it becomes unforgettable." CHEF Yoshiki Oshima OF Sushi of Naples BALANCE AND ART The Right Tools CHEF SOLZMAN AND CHEF COTTA SHARE THESE EASY TIPS TO INSPIRE YOUR OWN CULINARY ARTISTRY. SQUEEZE BOTTLES Plastic squeeze bottles, like ketchup bottles, are the chef's equivalent to a paintbrush. Squeeze bottles allow you to drizzle, dot, dab or draw sauces of any kind on each plate. MICROGREENS These tiny versions of beet tops, arugula, red mustard, purple kohlrabi, kale, and other greens can be found in a mix at Trader Joe's and are a colorful way to garnish your meal. "Micro arugula has an intense delicate flavor," said Solzman. "I dress it with a little bit of olive oil or actually blended oil so it's more of a neutral taste, lemon juice, salt and pepper and then you just put that on the top of the plate. So that gives color and great flavor throughout." PASTRY BRUSHES Solzman suggests brushing chocolate on an empty plate before you serve dessert. First, use a squeeze bottle to place about an inch of chocolate sauce or caramel sauce on a plate then use a pastry brush to make a "swish" or swirl on the plate. FOLLOW YOUR INNER CHEF Cotta encourages home cooks to just be themselves. "If it looks nice for you, then that's how it is going to look for everybody. It's as simple as that," he said. "Have your own line of presentation. I think that's very important."