Things have been really busy for both the Missus and I. Before my next "big push", I felt we both needed a break, just a long weekend kind of thing. So when the Missus needed to go to our old neighborhood for an appointment, I saw the perfect chance. The Missus suggested Santa Barbara. I've passed through many times and had been to places like Solvang; I'd never stopped in Santa Barbara so I was up for it. A alsos knew we'd both be spending a good deal of time sleeping when we weren't eating or walking about.
I'm doing this post a bit out of chronological order, I hope you don't mind.
We got into Santa Barbara a bit early after leaving Hacienda Heights fairly early in the morning, along with stops in Solvang and Los Olivos (a future post). We couldn't check in yet and were staying fairly close to the 101 near East Mission Street, so we decided to check out the Mission Santa Barbara to kill some time.
It was a bright, albeit pretty darn warm day.
Founded by the Franciscan order in 1786, Sunday mass is still held in the very distinctive chapel to this day.
And on this very sunny Saturday, there was a wedding ceremony taking place in the main chapel.
We peeked in and were going to turn around and head out; but one of the really nice Filipino Women manning the doors waved us in.
After spending a short while in the chapel we headed out and down the block.
Across the street is Mission Historical Park; where another wedding, albeit a much more casual affair (check out the dog….looks like part of the wedding party), was taking place.
There's a very pretty rose garden here as well.
By now, enough time had passed and we could check-in. We wanted a bit of peace and quiet, time to relax, and decided on the Secret Garden Inn & Cottages; located on Bath Street. While a pretty good walk from much of SB, we both enjoyed the prospect of staying in a cottage.
We were greeted by Cat of the House, who roamed the yard during the day and hung out inside at night.
Our cottage was named the Wood Thrush and even had a Jacuzzi; though it was much too hot for that during our stay.
It was very cozy and comfortable, even though we made that A/C unit work overtime.
There was breakfast every morning, during the evening, after 7pm, there was hot cider and brownies, which the Missus enjoyed. On Friday and Saturday evenings, cheese and wine.
Chilled filtered water was provided, you had the combination to get into the main house where there were an additional two rooms and grab some water, tea, hot water.
You could eat breakfast or have evening tea at one of the tables…..
For us, the main attraction was the peace and quiet in this more residential neighborhood. I must've slept sixteen hours during our only full day in Santa Barbara.
The owner, Dominique, who is from France is a hoot, quite funny, and very thoughtful as well. Not cheap, but worth it if you want to get away…..
I'd made reservations for dinner on both of the nights we'd be in Santa Barbara. On this night, we had reservations at a Yoichi's. The restaurant had gotten my attention because it did Kaiseki, something that seemed so out of place in Santa Barbara.
The rather discreet restaurant resides a few blocks east of State Street, on East Victoria. There are but a dozen or so tables in the Spartan interior. The woman running the front of house, who I believe is the Chef's wife was amazing, so gracious, the timing of the dishes were perfect.
On weekends, the only option is the $100 per head Kaiseki, which seemed like a bargain to us. This version, unlike the traditional Kaiseki at places like, say, Suzunari in Tokyo, is shorter, makes some modifications, but also gives the customer choices for several of the courses.
There was of course, the issue of what to drink. There was a tight list of sake, wine (several from Japan), and beer. After explaining our preference to our Server, she selected the Mizubasho Daiginjo Junmai. The bright and clean flavor, with the slightly fruity nose, was just perfect for our meal.
Things started with the Zensai course.
This just set the stage for our meal and as a wonderful start; from the refreshing, slightly slimy Jyunsai (Water Shield), which really got our palates refreshed and ready for our meal. It was the perfect start for us.
Next up was the perfectly tender satoimo and even more important, something I'd worried about the Missus enjoying; Ayu (Sweetfish).
But I should have known better since She really enjoyed all the variations of preserved fish in Kanazawa earlier in the year. This version was just perfect, slight sweetness, nice soy sauce flavor, crunchy eggs, quite firm, with a great mouthfeel. A slight fruitiness combined with a mildly bitter finish.
The Sunomono was very interesting, as the tako and the abalone were good, though routine.
The items that really got our attention was the Kyuri Asa-zuke, which was perfectly pickled, not too sour, not too salty, with a perfect crunch; the daikon still had a nice bit of pungency to balance out the sour and the slight sweetness, and a lovely piece of jellyfish, so perfectly prepared. Our least favorite item was the Hokkaido Scallop. The miso really overpowered the flavor of the scallop.
Two items were offered for the "Owan", the soup course.
The Missus chose the version with Unagi.
First off, the dashi was perfectly balanced, very clean tasting, and for us, the star of the soup course. The unagi melted in your mouth.
I selected the version with the clam fishcake.
The fishcake had just the perfect texture, soft and not rubbery in the least. The "hamaguri", simple saltwater clam, in the center of the fishcake was nicely prepared and very tender. And the masutake mushroom added a nice earthiness to the soup.
The sashimi course, the Mukōzuke was next; three different fishes; two cuts of each.
The Hirame (halibut) was excellent, nice firmness, with a hint of sweetness, that piece of engawa (dorsal fin muscle) was so very nice. The Missus didn't care for the Katsuo; but I found the lean firmness very pleasant. We were told that the Bluefin Tuna came from Spain; we found the maguro loin to have a slight metallicness that wasn't too pleasant. That slice of toro though….just melted in your mouth.
Grilled dishes (yakimono) were next. The Missus, well, of course She got the Gindara (Black Cod)
Buttery, it was quite good, perhaps not the best we've ever had, but very tender, not overly salty, perfectly cooked.
The only clunker of the night was the Kamo (Duck) Yuanyaki. Sound familiar? Yes, it's something I make at home, so expectations were high. Unfortunately, this wasn't up to par in our minds.
The duck was overcooked and tough, it was also very salty. Love the pink peppercorns and all, but this was our least favorite dish of the night.
Next up were the steamed dishes and the Missus just loved Her, ahem "Kinki" (Rock Fish). She's been wanting this since we last had it at Suzunari this past spring (I know, I'm behind on posts). And this version served using the classic nitsuke (sweet soy) preparation was fantastic.
The fish was so buttery, the fat just under the skin was amazing. The flavors reminded the Missus of Chinese preparations and She really, really, wanted some rice. I'm thinking this fish hasn't taken off because of the amount of bones; a bit of work, but man is it worth it! When the dish was brought over, the nice woman asked the Missus if She could manage the bones in the dish. When the Missus said "yes", she smiled and said, "yes, most Asians know how to eat fish with bones….." Fantastic dish.
I got the buta no kakuni.
I loved the texture of the pork, not falling to pieces, but still very tender. The broth was very good; light, very balanced, I detected a hint of miso; neither too salty, nor too sweet, I actually drank it all. And like the Missus, I wanted some rice with this!
Well, we got our rice with the second to last course….instead of the usual "Gohan" (Rice) dish, Yoichi's does nigiri. Tonight, two of the three pieces were predetermined; amaebi (sweet shrimp), and salmon belly. The wildcard offerings were Santa Barbara Uni and Negi Toro, so we got one of each.
Considering that the Chef; Yoichi Kawabata once worked at Nobu Tokyo, we expected well made nigiri, which is what we got. The shari was very neutral in flavor and not to tight. The amaebi was sweet with a nice texture; the salmon belly was bright and fresh, though not as rich and tender as I enjoy. Santa Barbara Uni has it's own specific flavor, creamy and sweet, not as oceany as Hokkaido Uni or meaty as San Diego Uni. This was a perfect specimen. The negi toro, was mostly toro and we weren't complaining.
Dessert in these type of restaurants is usually anti-climatic and it is no different here.
Overall, this was a wonderful meal. In fact, we enjoyed it much more than Wakuriya which has a Michelin Star. We loved the pacing, the gracious and warm service. In fact, near the end of our meal, a couple walked in, obviously back packers, shorts, sneakers, backpacks…….apparently, they were looking for some "Japanese food and sushi" and read about this place on that four-lettered site. The Server kindly went over the menu and type of food served here with them. When they looked confused she asked them what they wanted…….rolls and such. She very kindly gave them the names a few places down State Street that would fill the bill.
In the end, Yoichi's had us missing Japan, which, in this case was a good thing. I think we'll be back…maybe just for a quick overnight stay just to eat here again.
Sometimes you find a place that just fits your temperament. I think Yoichi's might be that place for us.
Yoichi’s
230 E Victoria St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Hours:
Tues – Sun 5pm – 9pm
After a couple of rather unsatisfying visits to old favorites recently. It's good to know that, at least for us, Yakitori Taisho is holding the course.
