First Impressions of AMA Sushi on the Rosewood Miramar Seaside Resort

When AMA Sushi opened on the Rosewood Miramar Seaside resort, I used to be in no rush to go as a result of I don’t love sushi sufficient to justify paying some huge cash for it. However I do like other forms of Japanese meals, of which there’s a good quantity on the menu, and mates have mentioned it’s doable to order à la carte with out leaving hungry or breaking the financial institution.

AMA and I received off to a bumpy begin after I acquired this textual content message a half hour earlier than our reservation. I requested the 2 hosts what the purpose was, and so they mentioned they’d no concept and that most individuals ignore it. One available, it’s humorous and who cares? Alternatively, the costlier the institution, the extra I anticipate from it. And as my husband likes to say after I complain about something technological: simply change the setting, babe.

AMA is off to the facet of the Miramar’s most important constructing, and also you certainly know by now that the lodge grounds are attractive. Omakase diners are seated inside, whereas most à la carte diners are out on the brick terrace overlooking the bocce courts. (There are additionally two tables and a four-seat bar inside the place you may order à la carte.) Whereas not fairly as magical as beneath the San Ysidro Ranch’s cover of loquats, the environment remains to be pinch-me fairly and manner higher than a parklet. We discovered the furnishings trendy and cozy, and we favored the the lighting a lot that between programs we went on-line and ordered two of the desk lamps.

A couple of caveats: 1) We have been advantageous on a misty evening, but when circumstances turned cooler, damper, or breezier, the warmth lamps are unlikely to be sufficient; 2) sitting subsequent to a bocce court docket is simply OK if nobody is taking part in bocce; and three) the resort’s common music—together with “U Acquired the Look” and “Half-Time Lover” on the evening we went—overlaps with AMA’s lounge music to distracting impact.

I ordered the Boketto cocktail, made with gin, vermouth, verjus, elderflower liqueur, and one thing known as “sakura fizz,” and I’d positively advocate it.

Everybody we interacted with was pleasant {and professional}. As shouldn’t be unusual outdoors massive cities, nevertheless, you get the impression that the workers hasn’t been lucky sufficient to patronize many formidable eating places, and the by-the-book coaching can result in a clumsy stiffness. As an example, when servers method the desk, they make a present of greeting prospects by identify. “Hey, Mr. Torkells!” mentioned ours, my husband, who didn’t take my identify. Then she turned to me and smiled wanly.

We overordered, partly out of enthusiasm, partly as a result of it’s a deductible expense, and partly as a result of we didn’t understand how giant the parts are. One of the best dishes have been the hirame crudo and shrimp tempura, however for each winner there was a disappointment (refrigerator-cold tamago tofu, overcooked scallops). Many of the meals was someplace within the center—stunning, however flavors by no means actually popped.

As for the sushi, we ordered egg and uni sushi, an eel-avocado roll, a salmon roll, and a jalapeño hamachi roll. Just like the meals general, it was… advantageous? And I nonetheless can’t let you know a lot about portion sizes, aside from that they range. The 2 rolls beneath are principally the identical worth, however one is twice as giant.

Our invoice got here to $350 earlier than tip. By reducing the $26 cocktail, $26 uni sushi, and another $20 dish, we may simply have introduced it right down to $275—nonetheless special-occasion territory for us, however extra acceptable, given {that a} double premium have to be paid for being at a luxurious resort in Montecito. Maybe we’re not the one ones chafing on the costs: the omakase menu has been diminished from $185 to $165.