Openings

What to Eat at Bamboo Izakaya, Open Today in Santa Monica

Skewered shishito pepper at Bamboo
Skewered shishito pepper at Bamboo Photo: Bamboo Izakaya

Having unshackled itself from Santa Monica Place’s expendable Dining Deck and after shuttering their U-Sushi concept, the owners of Ozumo are opening a new Ocean Avenue izakaya today called Bamboo. The restaurant takes over the old location of Dominique Crenn’s dearly-missed Abode, with chef Toshio Sakamaki arranging a wide selection of small plates, robata, sushi, and sashimi on a menu mostly adhering to tradition, but often displaying a sensibility merging European and Japanese appetites. Let’s take a look at the menu.

For example, diners will find cheeseburger croquettes with panko and sweet chili ranch aside tempura calamari, mushrooms en papillote, and crab cakes with red chili beurre blanc, along with New York steak sukiyaki, Korean kalbi, and miso-marinated salmon.

And of course, there’s an extended sake selection and cocktails, with bar orders place on an iPad, denying us all the joys of hearing what some twenty-something server’s favorite dish is. The restaurant opens today at 11:30 A.M. Check out Bamboo’s full menu below.

Bamboo Izakaya, 1541 Ocean Ave. Santa Monica; 310-566-3860.

MENU

salads

SUNOMONO SALAD 5
Hot house cucumbers, amazu dressing, wakame seaweed

HOUSE SALAD 7
Asian greens, sweet onion vinaigrette, cucumber, tomato, kaiware

CAPRESE SALAD 7
Tomatoes, mozzarella, shiso, yuzu kosho vinaigrette

CHICKEN SALAD 8
pulled chicken breast, cabbage, bean sprouts, cucumber, radish, crispy yam noodles

SPINACH SALAD 8
Fresh spinach, smoked salmon, eryngi, shiitake, shimeji, butter, ponzu

ALBACORE TATAKI 9
Seared albacore, white onions, pickled cucumbers, sesame dressing, wafu

fryer

AGE DASHI TOFU 5
Crispy soft tofu, warm tentsuyu

TEMPURA YASAI 9
Seasonal vegetables, delicate tempura batter, warm tentsuyu

TEMPURA EBI 12
Black Tiger prawns, delicate tempura batter, warm tentsuyu

KARAAGE 7
Japanese style crispy chicken, homemade ranch, sweet & spicy sauce

SHRIMP EGG ROLL 8
rice paper, bechamel, corn, mushroom, onion, shrimp, tomato onion vinaigrette

IKAKOROMO 7
tempura fried monterey calamari, spicy tartar sauce

CHEESEBURGER CROQUETTE 8
panko, ground beef, mozzarella cheese, sweet chili ranch

*“PARI PARI” 10
Crispy sushi rice, pickled ginger-wasabi ponzu, spicy tuna, negi

hot pots | noodles | soups
MISO SOUP 4
Koji miso, aka miso, dashi, tofu, wakame seaweed, negi

MINI UDON 7
Wheat noodles, fi sh cake, wakame, negi, clear soy-dashi broth

KIMCHEE NABE 12
kimchee, daikon, zucchini, tofu, onion, mushroom, egg, Napa cabbage, Kalbi beef

SUKIYAKI 22
Sliced New York, shiitake mushrooms, rustic vegetables, sweet soy broth, poached egg, yam noodles, tofu

sides
EDAMAME SOY BEANS 5
Served warm or with garlic-soy sauce

TSUKEMONO 5
Pickled cucumber, daikon, radish, takuan, yamagobo

CABBAGE SLAW 1.50
creamy carrot dressing

STEAMED WHITE OR BROWN RICE 2

kitchen
BROCCOLINI 6
Flash-fried, wasabi vinaigrette

SATSUMA IMO 6
Purple sweet potato, garlic-soy butter

SHISHITO 6
Japanese green peppers, garlic soy

BRUSSEL SPROUTS 6
Flash-fried, wasabi vinaigrette

SMOKED SALMON SPRING ROLL 6
Avocado, cream cheese, cucumber, mixed greens, rice paper, sweet sesame

MUSHROOM EN PAPILLOTE 6
seasonal mushrooms, lemon, truffl e oil, ponzu

GYOZA 7
pan-fried pork gyoza, chili-ponzu

SHRIMP CHILI 8
crispy tiger prawns, avocado cream, sweet chili, crispy fried shredded potatoes

POTATO GRATIN 9
mashed potatoes, miso bolognese, cheddar, mozzarella, tobasco

TONTORO 9
Braised pork belly, pan-seared, broccoli, carrot, daikon, soy dashi gravy, mustard

*DOHYO 12
Big-eye tuna tartar, avocado cream, lotus chips, negi

*HANABI 12
Yellowtail sashimi, avocado, warm ginger-jalapeño ponzu, daikon salad

CRAB CAKE 17
Blue lump crab cake, shiso, sauteed garlic spinach, red pepper beurre blanc

robata grill
*SAKE TERI 4oz 10 8oz 18
Teriyaki style Atlantic salmon, salt-grilled broccoli

MOROMI MISO SALMON 4oz 10 8oz 18
Moromi miso marinated salmon, sweet moromi glaze, mixed greens

*BURIKAMA 14
Grilled yellowtail collar, pickled market fresh vegetables, grated daikon-ponzu

*GINDARA 15
Alaskan black cod, saikyo miso, sake kasu, dashi cream, unagi sauce

TORI 4oz 10 8oz 18
Oven-roasted chicken breast , teriyaki style, sauteed broccoli

*GYU STEAK 4oz 12 8oz 22
New York Angus, black pepper, ponzu dipping sauce

KALBI BEEF RIBS 12
Kimchee-soy marinade, pickled cucumber

kushiyaki
TWO SKEWERS PER ORDER 7

GYU
Beef, shishito pepper, tare

SAKE
Scottish Salmon, shishito, tare

NEGIMA
Chicken thigh meat, negi, tare

TSUKUNE
Ground Chicken, tare

BACON-ASPARA
Bacon, asparagus, lemon, salt

TOMOZZ
Grilled cherry tomato, mozzarella

EBI-TOMO
Shrimp, tomato

GYU-ASPARA
Beef, asparagus

sushi

CLASSIC ROLLS 9
choose from one of the following:
California | spicy tuna | spicy scallop | tempura shrimp | rock n’ roll
yasai | Philadelphia

*SHACHO 17
grilled unagi & cucumber roll topped with crab salad, tuna, avocado & spicy mayo & sweet soy

*OZUMO 20
Maine lobster, mango, jalapeño, cilantro & tuna wrapped in soy paper with spicy sesame & yuzu aioli

*SEKIWAKE 14
spicy tuna roll with tobiko, tempura fl akes, salmon & hamachi

*OZEKI 14
tempura shrimp roll with crab salad, avocado, tobiko and yuzu aioli

*SPIDER 11
tempura soft shell crab, tobiko, kaiware and cucumber

DRAGON 12
tempura shrimp roll wrapped in grilled unagi & avocado with sweet soy sauce

*O RAINBOW 14
California roll wrapped in soy paper and topped with salmon, albacore, unagi, tuna, hamachi, shrimp & spicy scallop

*AKEBONO 15
tamari glazed gindara roll with avocado, tempura fried, with tobiko, spicy sesame & yuzu aioli

*YAKI GANI 9
baked snow crab soy paper hand roll with asparagus, tobiko & soy-butter mayo

sushi and sashmi
Prices for 2-piece/5-piece

Sweet Prawn 8/18
Tiger Prawn 5/10
Albacore 7/15
Big Eye Tuna 7/15
Tuna Belly A.Q.
Mackerel 6/14
Yellowtail 7/15
Salmon 6/14
Halibut 6/14
Scallop 7/15
Octopus 5/12
Squid 6/14
Sea Bream 6/14
Omelet 5/11
Salmon Roe 6/14
Flying Fish Roe 5/11
Snow Crab 7/15
Sea Urchin 9/21
Freshwater Eel 7/15

What to Eat at Bamboo Izakaya, Open Today in Santa Monica