Bars & Nightlife Food, Restaurants & Dining Music & Events Spotlight Fara Illich January 2, 2015

boxroll
Continually pushing the boundaries of flavor, innovation and experience, Squid Ink Sushi inside CityScape just launched a new menu Monday, Dec. 29 with an array of exciting new dishes.
For die-hard Squid Ink fans, you’ll be happy to hear that house favorites like the Flying Phoenix Roll, Kobe Burger and Hawaiian Bread Pudding haven’t gone anywhere. Instead, the menu was expanded to make room for big flavors like a Japanese-inspired Duck Confit, melt-in-your-mouth Beef Short Ribs and 10 different kinds of Yakitori.
lobsterPerhaps the most exciting change is the New Style Sashimi, a brand new section on the sushi menu. Try the sweet and tender Maine lobster, lightly seared and topped with crispy garlic chips, cherry tomatoes, a drizzle of grapeseed oil and micro greens.
Or indulge yourself with the Seared Tuna Tataki, made with a peppercorn-crusted bigeye tuna topped with a tangy jalapeno honey sauce, crème fresh, spicy daikon sprouts and a hint of citrus. Between the beautiful presentation and rich complex flavors, the New Style Sashimi dishes really make a splash.
According to Schuyler Estes, chef and owner of the three Valley-wide Squid Ink locations, many of the new recipes started as daily specials and evolved through customer feedback, staff suggestions and many hours of experimentation in the kitchen.
banana“I try to imagine flavors that would go well together and it’s a process of trial and error,” Estes said. “Using your imagination and manipulating ingredients to come up with flavors of your own is really fulfilling.”
Some of the most exciting changes took place off the sushi menu. With the addition of Yakitori  – skewered meats and veggies served à la carte and perfect for snacking, and the yummy new Banana Katsu dessert – made with breaded baby bananas, fried and served with ice cream and a creamy palm sugar coconut milk sauce.
In addition to great new food, the bar is now offering sake flights, paired by region, flavor points or personal preference.
Even though sushi is still the mainstay, Squid Ink is certainly not your average sushi restaurant. With live music every Wednesday and a new event called Tokyo Bound on the last Saturday of every month – pushing the limits of your palette is just the beginning.
*Top photo features the new Zushi “Box Roll” with yellowtail, spicy crab, tobiko, shisho leaf, kizami wasabi and garlic chips.