Umi Hamasaku

I am easily lured when it comes to good food especially if it's a deal you can't beat. Fresh oysters on a half shell for $1.00 is served during "Happy Hour" at Umi Hamasaku. Fortunately, Sujata shares my fondness for this delicacy. Unfortunately, some of my friends lack delicate taste buds so we dined alone.

We, of course, ordered the oysters on a half shell. We thought it would be good to start with a dozen in case they were not to our satisfaction. We also ordered Shishito Peppers with a lemon garlic emulsion topped with very active bonito flakes which swayed all over the place. It does that from the heat of the peppers in case you've never witnessed this. The oysters were outstandingly fresh and yummy. The peppers were good until you got one that was way too hot. I was able to handle it but Sujata who loves spicy food managed to get the hottest of them all and even for her, she confessed it was just too hot!

Another side dish we ordered was the Roasted Cauliflower. This was plain as can be with a little bit of Mentaiko creme fraiche. This was just so-so, nothing special especially since they just put the sauce on the very top of the heap of cauliflower. The Softshell Crab Steam Bun was delicious. The crab was fried, tempura style with a spicy eel sauce, mayo, guacamole, and cucumber. I just had to ask for more sauce. We both agreed that this was definitely a winner.

We also agreed that next time we go we would order a dozen each of the oysters on a half shell. That with the Softshell Crab would make us both happy campers.

Umi Hamasaku is located at The Point, 860 S. Sepulveda Blvd. #116 in El Segundo, California.