Some sushi restaurants in San Diego are great for fresh fish; others for swanky atmosphere. Few are the San Diego sushi spots renowned for both innovative rolls and provocative ambiance. One restaurant with the two-in-one recipe perfected is Harney Sushi, now boasting two popular locations and a brand new chef.
Arguably the top trendy spot for sushi in San Diego, the original Harney in Old Town is known for hip décor in a dim setting with DJ beats creating the perfect vibe as inventive rolls and flowing sake hit every table in the packed place. In 2008 Harney opened a second location in Oceanside, pioneering the up-and-coming development of this North County coastal neighborhood. Meet the new Harney.
Local sushi lovers have no-doubt been to Harney (probably both locations…) many times, and have grown to love such signature rolls as the Miso Harney (eel, cream cheese and avocado, tempura fried, covered in eel sauce and sesame seeds), Rollz Royce (lobster tempura and cucumber inside, topped with tuna sashimi, jalapeno and money sauce hand seared and covered with garlic ponzu and eel sauce), and the dangerously good Flaming Lip (tempura Cali roll with cream cheese, topped with spicy mayo and jalapeno slices).
If you’re like me, you know it’s hard to pass up your favorite menu items and try something new, especially when it comes to sushi. But, the new chef at Harney is bringing his own flavor to the menu, and you don’t want to miss out on his new rolls.
Harney Sushi announces Anthony Sinsay as Executive Chef, and his first agenda item is rolling out new dishes for summer.
“We enjoy a high percentage of return customers and, although we’re sure to keep their favorites on the menu, we also like to give them something new and fresh,” Sinsay explains. “Harney is synonymous with gourmet sushi and my new menu will present cooked items that successfully complement our award-winning raw selections.”
Miso Harney for New Rolls
There are three new rolls available this summer at Harney. The Rastatori Roll is stuffed with shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber and cream cheese and rolled in soy paper and topped with Ahi Poki. Equally as appetizing is the Mellow Yellow with spicy tuna, shrimp tempura inside, topped with Yellowtail, avocado, and happy hamachi orange salsa. The Pirate Roll was created in honor of the hometown Oceanside High School mascot. Spicy tuna topped with shrimp, avocado “swashbuckler sauce” (spicy tuna, spicy mayo, chopped jalapeno, masago) and eel sauce are incorporated into this unique concoction.
Harney Sushi will also reveal hot dishes such as: “virtually” smoked escolar with pretzel, honshimeji mushrooms, and wasabi yogurt spuma; miso braised pork belly tacos topped with chipotle kimchee, pickled onions and wasabi guacamole along with hamachi flavored with tomato hearts, cucumber jalapeno jelly, mojito air and puffy rice.
Harney Making you Thirsty?
Along with the new rolls Harney is giving a face-lift to their cocktail menu. New signature spirits include the Miso-rita, Tokyo Mule, Serpent in the Grass, Nutty Ninja, Dreamsicle, Perfect Pear and Cucumber Martini. All new Harney cocktails have fresh ingredients that are sure to help you rejuvenate during the hot San Diego summer. We recommend you go wild with a Serpent in the Grass (Han soju, lemongrass and ginseng extract mixed with a splash of soda and fresh squeezed lemon).
About the Chef: Having grown up with a passion for food and cooking, Sinsay, a San Diego native, began his career at the age of fourteen, and received his culinary degree at the California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, CA; graduating with honors. Sinsay hails from such prominent venues as Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Four Seasons and SLS Hotels, in addition to serving as personal chef for notable celebrities throughout Southern California. Sinsay also worked in the Las Vegas Nobu, where he perfected his trade and acquired a passion for Japanese cuisine.
Discover Harney Sushi in Old Town and the new Harney Sushi in Oceanside (pictured below). Still hungry? Check out more of the Top Ten San Diego Sushi Restaurants.
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