The actual name of the restaurant is Izakaya BlueOcean, as shown on their website, but the physical sign out front and most of the mapping sites know it simply as Blue Ocean. I’ve seen the names used interchangeably, so be aware of that.
Ever since we returned from Japan early last year, we’ve had an increasing desire to experience the high end of Japanese food again. Known as kaiseki, it consists of numerous small dishes that are beautifully prepared and even more delicious to eat. Unaware of any “real” Japanese restuarants in the area, I contacted someone I went to high school with who is of Japanese decent and asked if she knew of anywhere. She hadn’t had kaiseki in the area but gave me a list of her three favorite sushi resutarants, with a confession of being a sushi snob, and suggested I check them out. Her #1 recommendation had kaiseki on the menu so I made a reservation the requisite week+ in advance.
The bad news is there was a mix up with our reservation. As I mentioned, you have to reserve a week in advance, presumably so they can make sure all the necessary supplies are on hand. Even though I called ~10 days ahead of time, they seemed confused when we showed up and told them we’d reserved kaiseki. The owner, or at least the old Japanese guy that spoke broken English and seemed to run the place, came out and told us they didn’t have the reservation but would make something “very close.”
Before I discuss the food, I should take a moment to describe the restaurant itself. You’d be best served by leaving all your expectations at home. It’s in a strip mall in Fair Oaks, the decor is very worn and the decorations are… let’s just say they’re exactly what you expect from a tiny, family run business. I’m a firm believer that, aside from high-end fancy places, the “hole in the wall” establishments have the best food. IBO is no exception.
About the food, I’m not really sure where to start. I started to keep track of everything in my head but with ~8 courses and anywhere from 1 to 5 things in each course, I quickly lost track. Not everything was a complete hit, but the quality of everything was top notch. We had a mix of hot, sashimi, cold, soup, pork, fried, vegetables, grilled and pretty much everything in between. I’ll touch on the major points, to give you an idea of what to expect.
- Raw Fish – Simply the best sushi/sashimi I’ve found in the area. I’m pretty picky when it comes to my sushi and this place is simply the best. It wasn’t Japan good, but it was pretty darn good. Bonito, salmon, tuna, squid… it was all tasty. My favorite was the fatty tuna, hands down. The stuff was so marbled it looked like Kobe beef (tasted like it too) and could barely hold itself together. Evidently, it was this and not what is typically served.
- Cooked Fish – I’m actually not a fan of cooked fish. I love sushi but something just seems to go wrong when heat is applied. I don’t know how they do it, but the cooked fish at IBO is almost as good as the raw stuff. It’s tender, flaky and buttery delicious regardless of prep method.
- Pork – We had this barbecue pork dish that was great. I really don’t know how they managed since they didn’t know we were coming but it was tender and savory. Served with Chinese mustard, it was the best hot dish.
- Veggies – Besides the plethora of leafs and green things I had never eaten before, there was this mushroom dish that instantly took me back to Japan. It had several different types of ‘shrooms, drizzled with a hot broth, and you dipped it in this astringent, vinegary sauce. I don’t know what it’s called but I remember commenting “this is Japan in a bowl.”
- Prep Level – Everything was we expected it. It was all well prepared, with meticulous attention to detail, and a lot of it could pass for artwork. I wanted to take pictures a few things but didn’t want to be “that guy” like I was in Japan. I almost felt bad eating them, but that didn’t last long after the first bite.
So I guess that’s it. I know I raved about it, but I don’t think I really did it justice. Part of it is because I’m sentimental about the food in Japan, however it really was a solid meal. It’s the closest thing I’ve had since being there and despite not experiencing their full menu, I think anyone would be happy with ordering from it. I’d be interested in going back and trying kaiseki when they’re expecting us, but given the price it’s not gonna happen any time soon. If you try it, be sure to report back.