Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/6065
50 LIVEMAGS.NET JANUARY>>10 Daimon Yojimbo restaurant 16232 Pacific Coast Highway Huntington Beach, CA 92649 (562) 592-4862 Daimon Japanese Restaurant is an easy destination to miss on the long drive down Pacific Coast Highway before you hit the bright lights of Main St. in Huntington Beach. However, the action going on inside this local haunt is worth making the U-turn into their parking lot. Fortunately, you'll find that proximity is not the only thing that separates it from other food you'll find down the main drag. The first time you walk in, next to the laid back DJ booth near the front, you'll be wondering if you're actually in a restaurant. By night, this original rock-n-roll sushi/Teppanyaki joint is more like a nightclub. Neon sea creatures bask in black light on the walls as subwoofers pump artfully eclectic sets of hip hop jams. You can hear excited screams from the back room as the chef-manned Teppanyaki tables clamor with the drinking antics of a bachelorette party. Originally founded in 1981, Daimon is among the first Japanese restaurants in Orange County to adopt an atmosphere and a menu more conducive to the palettes of local beach dwellers. With that comes food with many of the ingredients you might expect: creamy sauces, sharp notes of spice and an undying allegiance to the basic components of the California Roll. They've also managed to snag loyal clientele with their masterful dinner presentations by chefs who fire up high-flying unforgettable teppan meals in a group setting. While much of the sushi menu revolves around dressing up the basics (i.e. crab meat, eel, avocado), it should be noted that these ingredients are the anchor that allows Daimon's chefs to make the components on top of the sushi sing. For example, the chili kick of the sauce on the Phoenix Roll is a complement to the creamy crabmeat and shrimp stuffed in every bite. The same goes for the Tiger Roll as Phoenix's sweet counterpart is topped with eel and a white cream wasabi sauce. Be sure to leave some room in your stomach to savor that LB Special--a delicate bite of sheered salmon and maki on crispy rice topped with avocado. Besides the casual feel of the restaurant's ambience, the prices might make you breathe a sigh of relief as well. Most of the rolls range from $8-12 and are eagerly anticipated by the long line of people waiting outside during the dinner rush. A distinctive plus is the charming look of the Oyster Martini, a great course to add at the end of a meal. Though you don't actually drink it, this martini glass filled with spicy nuggets of lightly fried oyster, wonton twill and avocado, is a light complement to their variety of signature mixed drinks that don't come with a pair of chopsticks. A list of sinfully delicious vodka shots, served at the bar and tableside, are always a big draw at Daimon. But don't be fooled by innocent names like "Fruity Pebble," "Blow Pop" and "Hawaiian Punch," all packed with a mighty imbibing punch. The restaurant creates an interesting atmosphere with contrasting energies between the sushi bar and the teppan tables where action tends to get livelier in the bar. However, the beautifully prepared dinner portions of New York Steak, shrimp and veggies are a tantalizing attraction to the dining room. For a fun and food satisfying casual night on the town, Daimon is a restaurant destination that caters to the look and feel of a modern Japanese dining experience in a laid-back beach atmosphere that Huntington Beach locals can't get enough of. Dining on dynamite sushi and watching food artfully fly into the air is one thing, but adding an element of fun to a meal is what keeps customers coming back. For Daimon, if that means more dance music, black light creatures and wild dinner parties in their future, then so be it. R e S TaU R a n T R e v i e w: da i m o n Ja pa n e s e r e s tau r a n t WRITER>>naTe JaCkson