JuJuya

Jujuya is a Euro-Asian seafood tapas restaurant owned and run by executive chef Makoto Tanaka "Mako" for short. Mako has an impressive background working for Wolfgang Puck in the original Spago, Chinois on Main and later his own restaurant in Beverly Hills called Mako.

Jujuya opened early this year (2014) where Frascati used to be at the Promenade on the Peninsula in Rolling Hills Estates.  One thing about the hill is we usually do not have any good restaurants and if we get one, it does not stay open for long. The hill is sometimes referred to as "hamburger hill" as people are too cheap. Frascati was very good and reasonable so I don't really know why it closed.  I am truly hoping Jujuya will stay for a long time and make Rolling Hills it's new home.

Sandi and I had dinner there 2 nights ago. We previously had the Crispy Oysters with basil sauce, black olives and sun dried tomatoes. We both loved them but didn't order it this time as we wanted to try something new. We did like the Beet Salad so we decided to start with that. We were a bit disappointed as the red beets were hard. The yellow ones were fine. Two servers came at different times to ask us how the salad was and we did tell them about the beets; both apologized and told us they would pass it on...end of story.

The Crab Spring Rolls with tarragon aioli sounded enticing. It was served in a martini glass. I have to let you know not to miss the aioli sauce in the bottom of the glass as it is hard  to see. The rolls were nice and crispy with lots of crab and when dipped in the sauce.....you can just imagine how good it was.

Sandi loves halibut so one plate had to be the Wild Halibut with tomato coulis and black olives. The Saikyo Miso Chilean Sea Bass with ponzu sauce and black rice sounded more exciting to me. Both were very good but I have to tell you that next time, I will have to order the sea bass just for me and will not share it with anyone; not even a bite! That's how good it was....you almost needed a spoon as it fell apart with the fork and forget about the chopsticks.

Dessert was Apple Tart with salted caramel gelato. It was a perfect ending to a very good and satisfying meal.  The next time, I will have to order an extra scoop of the gelato as Sandi and I had to fight over that one scoop.

I can't wait to go back and try the various sushi's. This may well be our little Nobu on the hill. Chef Mako was there and I had to tell him how that Sea Bass was amazing!  Jujuya is located at the Promenade of the Peninsula in Rolling Hills Estates, California.