Culinary Connoisseur: Hadaka Sushi
By Jessica Wong
May 23, 2007 9:53 p.m.
Hadaka Sushi
8226 W. Sunset Blvd.
$18-$29
Who knew sushi was an aphrodisiac?
The concept behind Hadaka Sushi is simple but unconventional ““ “sushi gone naughty.”
Owner and executive chef Edward Brik came up with the idea of a porno sushi restaurant while at the gym with a buddy. On March 25, in the old cobblestone bungalow once home to Wacky Waffles, Brik’s idea came to fruition when he opened up the Sunset Strip’s first erotic-themed sushi restaurant.
The amalgamation of Brik’s French culinary background and his work at the French Iron Chef Sakai’s La Rochelle restaurant in Tokyo birthed the exotic fusion of Hadaka Sushi’s sexy menu.
Beginning with “Foreplay,” the selection of appetizers ranges from oysters (more artfully known as “Aphrodisiacs on a Half Shell”) to spicy tuna tacos laced with wasabi vinaigrette. The “Sex Beads,” soy beans tossed in a sweet garlic ginger glaze, were a delicious, sticky, finger-licking experience.
Entree highlights include sake drunken chicken, which is a variation on a Chinese dish in which the chicken traditionally marinates in Chinese liquor, sherry or whiskey. Order a “Nice Rack” without shame and indulge in a grilled rack of lamb infused with unagi sauce and served with sweet and sour eggplant and coriander-mint vinaigrette. Hadaka’s sushi menu, an insert resembling a “Do not disturb” door hanger, offers rolls “circumcised” (maki) or “hand job” (hand roll).
Brik recommends the “Sixty-Niner” off the sushi menu, an experimental combination of salmon, avocado, flash tempera and brunoise red onions.
The “Fluffer,” a take on tempura soft shell crab maki, was as tasteful as the platter’s presentation. Lying in a bed of delectable fried crab legs, drizzled miso aioli garnished the five-roll heap.
Unfortunately, “Happy Ending” ““ chopped salmon, julienne red onions, and mild miso aioli wrapped in tofu skin ““ was anticlimactic. While the onion flavor added an exotic twist to the traditional sushi dish, the mayonnaise overcompensated for Westerners’ love of rich, heavy cuisine.
The real happy ending was the banana foster’s bread pudding. Pastry chef Juan Arce, formerly of Chi Restaurant and Spago Beverly Hills, hit a home run with his custardy mound bathed in ginger-caramel sauce and served a la mode with lychee ice cream.
Hadaka’s alcohol menu features signature shochu cocktails named with more pornographic jargon, a wine list created by wine expert Peter Birmingham, and an extensive collection of sakes.
Fun and flirty waitress Noelle, clad in a corseted bustier, silk blouson shorts and fishnet stockings, contributed to a pleasurable dining experience. Among her range of excellent services, Noelle offers her body as a sushi platter for those who wish to engage in nyotaimori, the practice of eating sushi from the body of a reclining woman. Guests can enjoy the sensuous experience off the body of a male or female model for $1100 ““ and that doesn’t even include food or private room charges.
The restaurant was uncrowded for a 7 p.m. reservation, but business picked up around 9 p.m.
The restaurant’s sensuous French bordello interior with its dim lanterns and chandeliers, low black leather couches, and sweeping Bordeaux drapery, ornamented by Asian accoutrements, creates the perfect ambiance for lounging. The decadent walls are adorned with $25,000 Valentis imported from Italy side-by-side with pornographic bombshell posters.
Curtained booths conveniently provide customers with opportunities for make-out sessions and the like. Other seating options include the white marble sushi bar and an enclosed outdoor lounge. Small groups of up to 12 can use the private Harem Suite, a room with traditional Japanese floor seating. Shoes and silverware not required; sex toys provided.
And if that’s not enough, Hadaka’s getting hotter. Brik plans to feature sake tastings on Tuesdays, gay-sha nights for mingling men, and girls’ nights for the lovely ladies to turn Hadaka into a Sunset hot spot.
But trust me, Hadaka is already sizzling.
““ Jessica Wong
E-mail Wong at [email protected].
