It is a counter attack against the fast food establishment, which is so deeply entrenched in the minds of Americans. Life apparently has gotten too hectic, and we are all too important. So we order curbside food from chain restaurants as we call someone else on our cellphone while waiting impatiently for the five minutes it takes to bring the pre-ordered meal to the car.
John Lee, owner of Slow Fish in Huntington Beach, has rebelled against that philosophy. The restaurant has been open since June 2007, and the slogan for the restaurant is “Don’t eat fast. Eat slow, eat right.”
Lee’s restaurant is part dining establishment, part Zen retreat and it is nearly impossible not to feel satisfied in both mind and tummy.
The soft lighting sets the mood and makes you instantly forget that you are in a shopping mall. The windows are tinted, but the enemy is within eyesight — a Carl’s Jr. that shares the same strip mall.
Slow Fish is a smaller room, 10 tables, but it provides a more intimate dining experience and enables the staff, who will warmly greet you when you enter, to be more attentive.
The menu is classified as Cal-Korean fusion and there is a mix of Asian influences including Korean and Japanese, with other touches apparent in some of the dishes. Award-winning chef Sean An has given care and attention to every aspect of the menu.
The evening’s tone was set with the appetizer that many who have been there have raved about its taste and uniqueness.
Simplistic, but elegant, the fat avo could be one of the best appetizers I have had this year in any restaurant. It is definitely in the top five. Fresh seasoned albacore tuna is stuffed inside slices of skinned avocado that looks like an apple and provides an incredible and distinctive taste.
