Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/14049
LONGBEACHMAGAZINE.COM 25 SUSHI STUDIO Tall tropical greenery and a low building profile make for a prolifically unassuming exterior beneath the gleaming white Sushi Studio sign. At first glance, the locale might be considered little more than one of many nondescript Asian- fusion eateries plastered around Southern California. Such an assumption would be a grave mistake. Once inside, all immediate attention is drawn toward the central island sushi bar, where four chefs wheel around with fish and knives, serving up platters and one-liners. Numerous shades of blue contrast one another on walls and ceilings. Unaffected light shines down from direct angles. The restaurant's spirit instantly leaps out: upbeat, casual, and party-centric. For those hedonistic lovers of spiciness, the S.S. Bomb – a collection of breaded and deep fried jalapeño peppers with shrimp, cream cheese, and a mellow-sweet sauce – makes a fun beginning. Equally, the spicy miso soup is a fiery Thai induced parsley and lemongrass broth filled with floating mushrooms, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, and whole shrimp. An array of Japanese beer and sake wait ready to counteract the heat, and The Sho Chiku Bai, a chilled, organic sake works dry and gentle wonders in this regard. WRITTEN BY ERIC WIENER PHOTOGRAPHED BY MATT FUKUSHIMA