Page 114 - Southern Oregon Magazine Summer 2019

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at Kobe prepared him to create flavorful and
fresh authentic Japanese cuisine daily. “His
roots in Ashland are deep, and people had
been clamoring for his return,” says Brown.
“We think the pairing of his knife work and
our mixing glasses is a perfect match.”

Not only is Chef Ibong in charge of prepar-
ing the food, he also orders the seafood, uti-
lizing years of experience to know how to
best care for the food, how often to order
it, and using the best cuts of sashimi for each
dish. He often features Pacific Northwest
local seafood like Salish Sea Shigoku oys-
ters from Washington or wild cut Columbia
River King salmon. He steers away from
red-flagged seafood species, serving only
what’s sustainable and ethical.

Brown claims Sakana’s most popular dish
is the acclaimed Chirashi Bowl. The dish
S
R . consists of fresh fish served atop sushi rice,
T
, O
sometimes including oyster or ceviche.
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.P W .
.
. Brown says the presentation is beautiful and
is perfect for those who may not be ready for
nigiri or straight sashimi. Another highlight
on the menu is the Hamachi Jalapeño roll,
consisting of yellowtail, pickled pear, jala-
peño, cilantro, avocado, and chili-avocado
sauce. For those seeking something heavier,
there’s Crispy Duck Leg, Prime NY Steak,
Seared Diver Scallops and Salmon.

Sakana also has its own pub-style side of the
menu titled under Fun(ner). “We wanted
our playful side to come through, to make
it obvious that we don't take ourselves too
seriously and that we're family friendly,” says
Brown. He also adds they wanted to make
sure those who dine at Sakana aren’t forced
to order sushi. The Fun(ner) menu features
a Sushi Dog comprised of seaweed and sea-
soned rice, Jefferson Mac N Cheese, Ramen,
Katsu Banh Mi, and Ahi Poke “Chicharrone.”

Owner Arthur Lee and Chef Ibong curated
the sake list to best compliment the food side
of the menu. “Having an extensive sake selec-
tion is as important to sushi as a red wine list
is to Italian food,” says Brown. “Finding the
sake that fits your taste, temperature, mood,
and meal is essential to setting your palate
and refreshing it throughout your visit, and
we've done our best to have the variety avail-
able to accommodate that.” The cocktails
weren’t an afterthought, either. Brown says

112 www.southernoregonmagazine.com | summer 2019