64 / the tasting panel / august 2009
A unique approach to food
and drink makes Sashi much more
than just a sushi restaurant
A Progressive
Slıce of
Life
by Rachel Burkons / photos by Elaine Chen-Fernandez
I
t's mid-afternoon at Sashi Sushi + Saké Lounge in Manhattan Beach,
CA, and the restaurant is packed with diners enjoying a late lunch.
Looking around at the gorgeous interior, satisfied customers and
incredible food, one might imagine Sashi to be the brainchild of a
well-established restaurant management group or an über-experienced
restaurateur who is a shoo-in for success. THE TASTING PANEL was so
impressed that we quickly asked owners Jeff Benson and Greg Harris
where and how they cut their teeth in the restaurant business.
"I delivered pizzas in high school," jokes Benson, who has clearly
come a long way since then. Business partners in the commercial real
estate field since 2001, Benson and Harris are natural restaurateurs, and
When THE TASTING PANEL asked
Sashi's talented barstaff to whip
up a spicy cocktail to pair with
Chef Makoto's innovative halibut
and truffle dish, we were present-
ed with this unnamed—but deli-
cious—drink, made with muddled
jalapeños, cilantro, fresh lemon
and lime juice, Absolut Citron and
fresh agave nectar. (right)
Chef Makoto in action.
