Chaya’s Executive Chef Shigefumi Tachibe showcases uni in creative preparations at both the Venice and downtown locations.
Uni Fare at Chaya Venice and downtown showcases unctuous urchin in a variety of preparations, Mar. 10-31.
By Christina Xenos
Uni is the IT ingredient people love to hate on because the masses love it so much. In the past few years, sweet-yet-briny Santa Barbara uni has hit the mainstream and become ubiquitous in dishes from pasta sauces, to risotto, to toast, but some still say the best way to experience it is right out of the shell.
Chaya celebrates the unctuous urchin eggs with Uni Fare, happening now through the end of March. On the four-dish a la carte menu, Chaya’s Executive Chef Shigefumi Tachibe showcases uni in creative preparations at both the Venice and downtown locations. Dine on delicacies like homemade uni tofu with wasabi soy, uni and snow crab cake with Mitsuba leaf, live uni sashimi with dashi jelly and uni and abalone risotto. Compliment your uni celebration with a three-sake flight that ranges from the firm and rustic Yuri Masamune, Honjozo to floral Seikyo, Takehara Junmai.
Take a closer look at what you can expect:
Uni tofu with wasabi soy. Dig deep to the bottom of your glass to spoon the wasabi soy sauce over the homemade tofu and uni. The brininess of the uni contrasts perfectly with the creaminess of the tofu, which is almost like an earthy peanut butter.Uni and snow crab cake with Mitsuba leaf. This light and tasty crab cake is one of the best around. You won’t find a poorly fried mashup of filler and low end crab here. Everything from the snow crab to the uni is super delicate and fresh, from the flavors to the texture.Live uni sashimi with dashi jelly. What’s better than scraping uni out of the shell? Spooning out urchin that is enhanced with a savory dash jelly, which is almost better than uni in its purest form.Uni and abalone risotto. In this hearty dish, uni is incorporate into a rich and creamy risotto that is accented with toothy abalone and the zip of a pickled radish. Probably the most approachable dish for uni-newbies.
110 Navy St., Venice, 310.396.1179; 525 S. Flower St., downtown, 213.236.9577. thechaya.com
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