A new, placid restaurant called Dami Sushi & Izakaya arose within a newly developed plaza in northern Buena Park–at the intersection of Beach Boulevard and Malvern Avenue.

Perhaps it’s perceived as the black sheep in this Korean-dominated vicinity–for instance a Korean BBQ and a Korean supermarket named H Mart, which is close to ending construction.  With assertion and an open zeal of raw fish and seafood at its gastronomic finest, owners Thomas Shin and Brandon Lee teamed up with skilled chefs, Executive Chef Jun Kim and Executive Sushi Chef John Yoon, will satiate your hunger while placing the other competitive Asian restaurants in the back of your mind.

Their extensive menu features a camaraderie of Japanese and Korean eats to balance off the traditional Japanese elements and the atmosphere towards the Korean-dominating community.

Aptly beginning with Starters include the enticing Jawanmmushi: a savory Japanese steamed egg custard topped off with shrimp, a gingko nut, shiitake mushroom, and half of a swirly fish cake.  Your mind might have been pre-programmed “custard” belonging to the sweet continuum, but let’s adjust that culinary assumption.

Their Salads are more enriching than how it’s verbally pronounced, such as the Sashimi Salad, Tuna Tataki, and the continental, earthy-feeling Whole Grain Salad–a protein and fiber delight full of black rice, Indian millet, lentils, kidney beans, mozzarella cheese, and baby mesclun dressed with soy vinaigrette.

If a mix of adventure and familiarity is more comfortable and pleasurable–while simultaneously pursuing for an aphrodisiac–they have fresh Oysters either coming from the Eastern U.S. zone or Pacific zone.  Pictured is a Shooter containing the Blue Point Oyster (from NY) with quail egg, masago, & yuzu sauce.

Or, on the next picture, you can opt for double the whammy as an aphrodisiac and a fried delicacy under Dami’s Deep Fried section of the menu.  However, if a milder sensation suits you, their Shrimp Tempura conveys the safer bet.

Perhaps the prominently healthier substance stubbornly adheres to your eating lifestyle.  So besides the salads Dami provides Grilled entrees, such as Teppanyaki Beef, Grilled Yellowtail Collar, and the subtly sweet and inconceivably floral Chilean Sea Bass--marinated in miso and sake.

Also within the menu comprises of their Signature creations, such as the tender and delectable spicy pork belly with rice, and ssamjang sauce, and lettuce to wrap around the aforementioned ingredients encompassing the Ssambab.

If eating within comfort zone frightens you, step your gastronomic game way up towards dishes like the Golbang Yi Muchim, roughly translated as Sea Snail salad with dried pollack and hot chili pepper sauce, alongside two small, slithery scoops of rice noodles.

Or possibly dive into a more proportionally diminutive amount yet slightly intensifying Siragei, which is a rice bowl of dried radish greens slowly cooked with special soy dashi and baby anchovy, topped with masago and ginger.

Perhaps a smokier touch, plus that adventurous trait in you, will tingle your gustatory senses.  The Saewoojang may as well excellently tailor you–a rice bowl full of raw shrimp preserved with special soy sauce, followed by dried pollack and jujube.

Two of their featured skewers boast the Enoki (Mushroom) Maki and Asparagus Maki, both wrapped in savory, slightly crunchy, and tantalizing Japanese pork belly.

Perhaps none of the above can betray that nitpicky pescatarian brethren of yours, and thus Sushi answers to its loyalty.  On another separated, 2-paged checklist menu spotlights these fresh delicacies as both commonplace rolls and traditional cuts–i.e. sushi and sashimi.

Easily available in the rolls are the low-to-zero carb specialties, such as the zesty Dami Special, which packs up tuna, salmon, albacore, and crab meat with avocado wrapped in cucumber.  If soy paper appeals to personal texture, you might become enraptured with the Love Roll, which hugs around salmon, tuna, yellowtail, albacore, avocado, and cucumber.

Otherwise go for my personal preference in ordering raw fish: assorted sushi and sashimi by means of 2-piece ordering and 5-piece ordering, respectively–e.g. 8 dishes of fresh and conscientiously cool seafood in a Dami Seafood Box for $40–for 2 customers total.

Ending the night–or possibly commence the evening–can be gradually sweetened with their seductive yet mellow Matcha Green Tea Creme Brulee as a way to both titillate the sugar tooth and eliminate the opposing, savory remnants.

If you particularly can’t bear the wait or the excessive portions of red meat at the Korean BBQ next door, please do not hesitate and eat your heart out at Dami Sushi & Izakaya.  As another approach to enliven that hankering heart is their everyday Happy Hour, offering $1 oysters.

Dami Sushi & Izakaya
5151 Beach Blvd, Unit A
Buena Park, CA 90621
(714) 739-2537
http://www.eatdami.com