Foodies love to say, "You eat with your eyes first," when they talk about how a dish should look as good as it tastes.
Nobody, I believe, takes that adage more seriously than sushi chefs.
The dish I was served recently at Sushi Cafe in Palm Desert was so pretty and perfectly composed that I was compelled to sit and admire it for several minutes before digging in with my chopsticks.
The shrimp tempura roll ($7.50) was sliced into 10 perfect rounds, two of which were decorated with a tall, tempura-fried shrimp tail and a tiny tuft of clover greens, sort of like a little tropical island, with a pink, pickled ginger raft and wasabi buoy floating nearby.
It was all placed artfully on a delicate, scallop- edged plate that had been decorated with a crosshatch pattern of thick teriyaki sauce.
The tempura itself was light and crisp, and the rice, still warm from its tempura dunk, was flavored just right.
My eyes feasted, yes, but it was my belly that really benefited — I finished every bite.
The restaurant itself is just as clean and lovely. A sushi bar fitted with two refrigerated cabinets to hold the fresh fish is surrounded with a dozen wood chairs. Another half-dozen shiny tables feature cool chairs molded of clear acrylic.
Service is swift and friendly, and the menu features a vast array of sushi and sashimi, noodles, salads and appetizers, plus main course selections that come with soup and steamed rice. There's also a selection of hot and cold, sweet and savory crepes for breakfast, lunch and dessert. (There's a hot one filled with Nutella, yum!) Beer and wine are also served.
Best of all, nothing on the menu is over $13. Cheap eats can be beautiful!
