En

I gave up going to this place for dinner a few months back when I discovered the three other sushi restaurants near Santa Monica and Barry --all of which are much cheaper and still very good. But last Sunday, California Roll was closed and I was in pre-race mode. Raw fish and rice is my way of carb loading before running.

En has a great bar. I hear there's a great Friday after-work crowd, but somehow I never make it (Q's and Cabo are just to close to work). I ordered the endame -- regretful mix of good and bad. Some a nice fresh bright green; others were almost yellow. Still fairly good. I can't remember the roll I ordered, but it was tightly packed, small, and basically good. This is the place where I fell in love with the salmon cream cheese mix (and California Roll is where I indulge that love two times over on a regular basis).

This dinner was not all just so-so. The albacore sushi was to die for. So, so good. And still on the after-glow of eating a pound of freshly-caught albacore in two sittings, this is saying a lot. I enjoyed it so much that I ordered it again when the "light spicy" tuna roll failed to meet my high expectations -- expectations that only sushi chef at Isshin has yet to conquer. Many thanks to the gracious bartender Pete and my poker buddies for poking me in the ribs about it over and over.

Oh, and for someone who is NOT picky about wines, the house chardonnay is HORRIBLE. Go for the good stuff or pick a different drink.