Sushi joint has them in a frenzy

Greer Wylder

With every dish prepared by John Arteaga at Frenzy Sushi, he taps and

mixes ginger and green onions into fish for tataki, garnishes

creations to give color and flair, and blends fresh ingredients into

delicious sauces and dressings.

“I want to make my teachers proud,” he said.

Arteaga is serious about his cuisine. He shudders at the thought

of serving “sushi factory” food. His instructors warned against

preparing inadequate sushi: a bloated roll filled with excess rice,

limp fish cut improperly and bottled sauce splashed over fish.

Arteaga, 43, opened Frenzy Sushi in February on East 17th Street

in Costa Mesa. Here, his expert training at Hama Sushi in Venice and

the high-end Mitsuyoshi in Stanton combines to create his version of

traditional Japanese cuisine.

“Frenzy Sushi is all about the cuisine -- the music,” Arteaga

said. “And making families, children and professionals feel at home.”

To enliven the atmosphere, Frenzy Sushi plays an eclectic mix of

music: Tito Puente, Pottery Barn’s “Martini Lounge,” Electric Light

Orchestra, Bad Company and oldies from the 1960s. The seventeen-seat

sushi bar contains all of the action; the row of tables is for

quieter dining.

Frenzy’s debut menu offers Arteaga’s hand-prepared dishes,

including hot and cold starters like saba misoni -- mackerel simmered

in ginger miso ($6.25); and yamakake -- freshly ground Japanese

mountain potatoes with tuna sashimi ($7.95).

The extensive sushi selections include cut and hand rolls,

featuring fresh seafood, and vegetarian selections ($2.50 for an

omelet roll to $12.50 for a rainbow roll).

Entrees are served with miso soup and rice. Choices include pork

shoga-yaki -- thinly sliced pork, with ginger sauce and sliced

cabbage ($12.50); chicken sukiyaki -- chicken breast with tofu and

vegetables simmered in broth and soy sauce ($15.75); and a

flame-broiled New York steak served on a sizzling plate with

vegetables ($20.50).

At lunch, donburi, or rice bowls, are most requested. The seven

choices include katsu curry don -- lightly breaded pork with curry

sauce ($8.75); and una don -- broiled freshwater eel with a sweet

sauce ($10.75). Soba and udon noodles choices include a dish

influenced by his mother -- Okinawa-style soki buni, a tasty noodle

dish with pork ribs that takes five hours to prepare ($12.75).

Other dishes include beautifully arranged sushi and sashimi

platters ($16.95 to $23.95); and combination dinners (chicken, pork

salmon or New York steak) served with tempura and choices of sushi

($14.95 to $22.90).

“We’re so new that we want to know what we can do better,” Arteaga

said. “We are open for suggestions.”

Arteaga also accommodates special diets and requests.

“I know what it’s like to be vegetarian,” Arteaga said. “If

customers call ahead, I have 15 vegetarian dishes I can prepare.”

A regular vegetarian menu is coming out soon.

As Frenzy matures, Arteaga also plans to introduce a fusion

specialty page. Currently, the sauces in his fusion dishes are

intricate and too time-consuming, though he’ll happily test them out

on customers requesting omakase, or the chef’s special of the day.

“Right now, I shop for everything myself daily,” Arteaga said.

“And, I’m training kitchen and sushi chefs in plate set-up, and

teaching them how to prepare sushi in my style.”

Arteaga plans to introduce his fusion specialty menu this summer.

*

Join Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar this Tuesday at 6:30

p.m. for an evening of food, wine and golf.

Greg Norman, Nick Faldo and David Frost -- three pro golfers

turned vintners -- will pair their wines with a fabulous four-course

dinner prepared by Fleming’s. Prizes and games complete the fun wine

event.

The Golfers & Vintners Dinner costs $85 per person, including

wines, exclusive of tax and tip. Reservations are recommended, as

seating is limited.

Fleming’s is at 455 Newport Center Dr. at Fashion Island in

Newport Beach. (949) 720-9633.

* BEST BITES runs every Friday. Greer Wylder can be reached at

[email protected]; at 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626;

or by fax at (714) 966-4679.