*** On October 11th 2008, Sammy Sushi called it a day.
HAI! IR-RAI-SHAI KIRK-SAN!!! Booms through the tiny restaurant as I enter. It's the typical greeting from Sam, owner and Sushi Chef at Sammy Sushi.
It can be kinda unnerving, as the guy greeting you is holding a pretty sizable sharp knife. It's his Marine Corps training that gives Sam that booming voice. Sammy Sushi is the kind of Sushi "joint" that every neighborhood should have; pretty good fish, good sake and beer, and a good understanding of what his "regulars" enjoy.
I've known Sam for a few years now, originally from his days at Katzra, and when he opened his own Restaurant on Engineer Road, I followed. He's even got his own wall of photo's. As is the norm for these neighborhood Sushi Bars, Sam's customers range from Japanese Nationals to "working stiffs". And the menu is comprised of whatever roll you want, be it a Caterpillar, Rainbow, or even a "One Night Stand Roll"(he won't remember how to make it again!), I'm not much of a "roll guy" but those are very popular; but Sam will also make Maguro Yamakake, even Oshi-zushi. One late evening, after closing I showed him how to make poke, and it's been on his menu ever since.
Sam's fish is usually decent to excellent, and if you ask he'll gladly let you know what is "good" at the moment. I've always found his hamachi, smoked salmon, and kaki (oysters) to be excellent. He has Live Uni in season (I'll post on it at a later time), and sometimes has Aji (Spanish Mackerel).
There's a real benefit in developing relationships with the people who make your food. It's especially evident in a intimate environment as a Sushi Bar. For instance, Sam knows I love Hirame Senbei (fried bones), and tonight he has especially good ones, so they were brought out without asking. On some nights he'll bring me Hamachi Kama(Yellowtail collar) or Ankimo(Monkfish liver pate), or some other dish he knows I like.
Fried crisp with a touch of salt and dipped into Ponzu, these "crackers" were delici-yoso! What I usually do is place an initial order, and do most of the rest "omakase" style. Tonight after reading Pam's post on Sashimi on Daily Gluttony, I had a sudden hankering for a bit of sashimi, so I ordered some:
Tonight the Hirame was excellent; probably why the senbei was so good!
So if you're a regular customer at a Sushi Bar; develop a rapport with the Sushi Chef. This in turn will become trust, in fact I never ask for prices at Sammy's, he knows what I want and how much I want, or he'll just ask with a "Kirk-san Daijobu(are you ok)?" And sometimes you'll get some really good surprises.
Funny thing, I've been having a really hard time taking pictures in Sammy's, probably a combination of the lighting and composition of materials. Or maybe I really don't want to post about this place, and just keep it to myself.
Some notes on Sammy's. This is a one Man operation, with one in the kitchen, and usually one or two wait help. Along with the 12-18 seat sushi bar, there are 4 tables, but when crowded, the 
wait may be somewhat long. Because of all the regulars, there's a real neighborly atmosphere, sometimes borderline raucous(it's the beer, sake, and sochu). Everyone is very friendly and helpful. There is a full food menu with Teriyaki, Tempura, Tonkatsu, and even a few Okinawan dishes. Beer and a few Sakes, including Otokoyama(yummm) and Kurosawa. There are Happy Hour specials. Sam was raised in Hawaii, it's probably one of the reasons we get along so well, even though he's from Aiea, I don't hold it against him! Sam is of Korean heritage, but speaks fluent Japanese along with Korean, and originally cut his teeth at Yanagi Sushi in Honolulu, you'll also be able to order Kalbi and other dishes here as well.
Tell Sam Kirk-san sent you!
Sammy Sushi
7905 Engineer Road
San Diego, CA 92111
fresh Thai, Laotian, and Vietnamese Food. This is also one of the few Markets where I can always get Kaffir Lime leaves. The prices are very reasonable, and there's an added bonus:
On weekends there's some satay action going on in the parking lot. The drill goes like this – go into the cashier and tell them how many you want. You pay the cashier ($1.25/ea), take the receipt outside to the barbecue Guy, and hand him the receipt. He'll ask you (sometimes very hard to understand) if you want chicken or pork. He then grabs the number of skewers purchased, wraps it in foil. Places it in a sack with some napkins, and you carry on. Today, I bought three ($3.75):
Oh, and I did actually buy some stuff to justify my stopping here!
