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: t \ !sRrmtENTs104 Review:yoshi's you,ve alwaysloved thejazz. Nowthe restaurant, withar excitlng new chefatthe helm, wil lhave you falingfof the food, too.106 Food News Cooking c asseswhere the fteat goes beyond thekitchef ; Afghar fafe everywhere; theotner Lolre wlnes;pius Diablo D sh,sook at Dub in s few LttieAsa109 Critics' Reviews Our fundowfo|r the East Bay's great restaufants,starting with The patio ln Lafayette.'111 New: Bui n Berkeley1'18 New:Tachi in Cofcord'122 Update:Lisa B's n Danvi e128 New:Lily's House in Lafayette

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Yoshi'sA longtime showcase for mus caltalent now features a culinary star

THE QUALITY of the bookings at lbshi's,the East Bay's best jazz venue, is extraor-dinary. Over the years, the club has drannthe norld's mo-t relebrated jazz mu"icians.Legends such as Ruth Brown, Milt Jackson,Abbey Lincoln, Pharoah Sanders, and McCotTyner have played Yoshi's, and the club hasalso fostered such local talent as Berkeleysaxophonist Joshua Redman and Oaklandvocalists Ledisi and Goapele.

The quality ofthe food at Yoshi's, however.has always been a different story No jazz fanever argued with the convenience ofdining atYoshi's before a show. The restaurant, adjacentto the club, had seniceable Japanese food. Itnever struggled, but the food was known morefor its functionality-management reseryesgood seats in the club for patrons dining at thercstaurant than its exceptional quahty.

No more. Last fall, Yoshi's owner, KazKajimura, poached chefShotaro Kamio fromOzumo, the modem Japanese restaurant nearSan Francisco's Embarcadero. Kamio will helpKajimura open a nen Yo"hi! this summer inSan Francisco's Fillmore Center. When urenew location opens, Kamio will serve as execu-t i vechef fo rho th r ts lauran ls . In the meant ime,he's tuming around the menu in Jack LondonSquare, the club's third East Bay home-theclub got its starl in 1973 across the streetfrom UC Berkeley's Nodh Cate, then stood onClaremont Avenue in Rockridge for 20 years.

While at Ozumo, Kamio was lauded {or hisplayful way with traditional Japanese rngre-dients-think sea urchin risotto. One ofhisspecialties, which now appears occasionallyon Yoshi's menu, is his geisha roll, a compli-cated assemblage of shrimp tempura, crab,teriyaki and spicy sauces, and maguro (tuna).Tti a per{ect erample oiKamio's r-ooking

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style: a preparation that sounds impossible toexecute well, but the moment you pop a precein your mouth, the interplay among all theingredients is instant and delicious.

Kamio's daring impulses in the kitchenma1 bo th . rcsu l lo [a )ou lh :pFn l compel -ing in motocross (the rip-snorting motorcyclesport) in the Japanese countryside outsideSendai. After becoming a motocross champion

at age 14, the trim, serious-faced Kamio, whoalso exhibited skill in the kitchen, went on toapprentice at top restaurants in Tokyo.

Kamio's creative touch works far nroreoften than it does not. For his agedashi tofu,he qui,.kly deep fries the lofu so i l relrincits so{t texturc. He then stacks the tofu withcrescen ls o fa rocado tcmpura and c spr in -kling of grated daikon and ginger Finalll,he pours in a broth made from soy sauce anddashi (bonito lish stock). It's a preparationB Y S C O T T H O C K E R I P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y M I T C H T O B I A S

1 0 4 F E B R L A R Y 2 0 0 ?

&.iri

Ihal mama-san wovld never recognize, butalter tasting it, even she would concede thatthe spirit ofthe dish remains intact

Although Kamio clearly enjoys innova-tion, he is well versed in traditional Japanesecooking, as his perfectly rendered ,,country-

style" vegetables, including braised lotus andgobo (burdock) roots, attest. Kamio plates hisfood beautifulln and Yoshi,s understated decorcreates an elegant backdrop for his work.

On ocr"asion. Kamioi wanderings intolusion tcrailory stra] offcourse. Hi- spin onnasu dengahu, an eggplant dish, involvesmozzarella chee-e. and his beefnigiri putslayers of grilled tenderloin atop ratatouilleand tempura-fried jalapeno halves. Themultiple loud flavors of both dishes seem asthough they belong in a sports bar.

These arq s1c6p1;6n9 on an othefwiscrmpressive menu. The nigiri is solid, anddishes such as the o cean sunorLono-cftaand delicate shiso leaves wrapped in daikonradish and placed on a tangle of vinegar-marinated cucumber*and a gilled hurobutapork chop with sweet potato puree possess abreathtaking clarity of flavor

When Kamio came to Yoshi's, he reunitedmuch ofhis staff from Ozumo, includrrgCeneral Manager Andrew Generalao, who hasinstituted a sea change in the waitstaff. Serversused to be tight-lipped and rushed, but nowthey are gracious and accommodating. Runnersexplain the elements of each dish in detail.

And Lhar smooth qen ice ertends to the clubitself, where once it wasn't unheard ofto orderfood that aeaer came and had to be struck fromthe bill at the end ofthe set. Now the kitchenknows how to prevent a meltdown on a busySaturday, such as the night I visited when localfarorites Tuck and Patti nere perlorming.

The club was packed, but the waitstaffdidn't miss a beat, ducking, bobbing, andweaving their way through the crowd. Theservers were as graceful as dancers.

When Tuck tore through a solo, the crowdbroke out in riotous applause. These days, thepellormance from Yoshi's kitchen is equallyimpressive and no less well received.

coNTAcT: 510 Embarcadero W., Oakland,(510) 238-9200, www.yoshis.comnouns: Dinner dailypRrcE: Appetize$ $5-$15, entr6es $I3_$26ALCOHOL: Full bar R

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at a glancewHAT MAKES tr spEctAL: The arrival ofchef Shotaro "Sho" Kamio has revitalizedthe Japanese food at this legendary EastBay jazz club.DoN'T Mtss: The ocean suzomono. It 'san ilspired combination of crab, salmonroe, and shiso leaves-all over a lightlyvinegared bed of shaved cucumber,wHAT To oRDER: The nigiri and rolls,kurobaa po* chop, Japanese country-stylevegetables, and any ofthe tempura dishes.rHE spAcE: Sir at the sushi bar ifyou likeyour meals interactive; the tatami room ifyou want a break from the norm.WHEN To cO: For a quiet mea], week-nighrs. To be in rhc thick of it. a Saturda)night with a popular act.BONUS: An)one who makes a re lcna t ionto dine in the restaurant gets a reseNedtable in Lhe club for the second shou,

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