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At Laguna’s Cafe Zoolu, fish is the dish

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“The best swordfish on the planet” proclaims the Zagat guide in the

window of Cafe Zoolu. We are always somewhat skeptical of the Zagat

Guide, as it is nothing more than a compilation of blogs, so we had

our doubts, as well as our reservations. As it turned out, much to

our delight, this boast was absolutely true. Therefore, reservations

are a must in this tiny, neighborhood cafe.

Why is this swordfish different from all other swordfish? For

years, after eating endless portions of old, iodin-flavored

cardboard, we gave up on ordering it. Why is it that chef Michael

Leech seems to be the only person around who knows how to cook it?

First of all, he buys from the very best supplier, has it delivered

fresh every day and cuts it into 3-inch steaks himself. He and he

alone cooks the steaks to perfection, succulent and moist inside,

with a slightly crisped exterior.

“If I’m not here, the restaurant is closed,” Michael said.

He and wife Toni Leech have been the owners of Cafe Zoolu for 12

years. They have established a beach-casual atmosphere in their

33-seat, unpretentious, bustling bistro. The decor is vaguely

Hawaiian with an appropriately fishy flavor. There are nine counter

seats covered with leopard skin fabric, perhaps referring to the zoo

in Zoolu, where you can watch the hard working chef or the

omnipresent TV.

There is a small cozy back room, featuring a wall lined with wine

bottles and a few tables in front, including a corner table in a

little nook that is quite pleasant and offers a bit of privacy. If

there are two or three of you, and none of you are claustophobic,

this is the table you should reserve.

The starters, like everything else, are amply portioned and can

easily be shared. We began with the special soup of the night, a Thai

coconut chicken. This was Michael’s riff on a traditional soup found

on every Thai menu but quite different. It featured a dollop of

mashed potatoes in the center that thickened the mild coconut broth

-- a homey version, chock full of vegetables. A bowl of this could be

a meal. Our favorite appetizer was the calamari, Asian style. This

was a very tender steak, coated with crusty panko, sauteed and

sliced. It was served with an outstanding sesame-seaweed salad and a

peanut-plum sauce for dipping.

The shrimp and pork potstickers, braised in a vibrant ginger

sauce, had a tasty filling but a soggy wrapper. The crab and ahi

cakes were nicely crisped on the outside but had a slightly mushy

texture inside and were very salty. They were served with a very nice

avocado-corn salsa and a roasted red pepper sauce. Other starters

include ahi sashimi, ahi tartar and steamers. Also, any of the pastas

can be ordered in a starter-sized portion.

Besides the usual house, Caesar and tomato salads, there are

Chinese chicken, falafel, ahi nicoise and the award-winning scallop

salad with charbroiled scallops, tomato, bacon, egg, roasted red

pepper and sunflower seeds with a warm honey-mustard dressing. All

but the house salad come in starter- or entree-sized portions.

Every night, there is a special entree menu in addition to the

regular menu, featuring the famous swordfish in several guises. This

fish is so delicious, it really doesn’t even need a sauce. Perhaps

that is why our favorite is the lemon caper butter sauce because it

is the lightest of the three. Next would be the macadamia mut mauce,

delicious but sweet enough to be served over ice cream. The Cajun

style preparation was our least favorite, as the strong flavors of

the Cajun seasoning and the acidity of the tomatillo sauce completely

overwhelmed the delectable fish.

Several years ago, Chilean sea bass was on the verge of being an

endangered species. This fish is slow growing and was being harvested

before maturity. There was an uproar, and American chefs began a

boycott. In response, the United States established guidelines,

regulations and inspections, requiring only full-grown fish to be

harvested and then frozen whole. Since it is a fatty fish, it freezes

beautifully.

Although worldwide illegal fishing continues, in the United

States, the situation is much improved. So, even a politically

correct gourmet can feel guilt-free dining on Chilean sea bass --

well, almost. There is the guilty pleasure of eating Michael’s

charbroiled version on a bed of sensuous, mashed sweet potatoes in a

lusty Thai coconut curry sauce and accompanied by an irresistible

Asian cole slaw.

If fish is not your dish, there is a robust rack of lamb or some

tasty pork chops. There is also roast chicken, meat loaf and a cowboy

steak, all served with mashed potatoes. For vegetarians, there is a

whole wheat burrito generously stuffed with vegetables and guess what

-- mashed potatoes? There are also four vegetarian pastas, any of

which can be served with grilled shrimp or chicken.

The list of pastas also includes a penne with grilled shrimp and

andouille sausage in a spicy tomato sauce. Look for other nightly

specials .

After these enormous portions, you may not have room for dessert.

We didn’t think we did, so we passed on the house-made chocolate cake

with raspberry coulis, espresso creme brulee and jasmine rice

pudding. Instead, we thought we would have just a taste of a palate

cleansing blackberry cabernet sorbet. What arrived was two

softball-sized mounds of frozen nectar, bursting with bracingly fresh

berry flavor, modulated by the infusion of cabernet . We took a few

delicate spoonfuls and then a few more and then several after that

until -- much to our amazement -- we found ourselves looking at an

empty bowl!

Michael loves to feed people. When we commented to Toni on the

abundant portion sizes, she said: “I know, but when I tell him the

portions are too big, he just makes them bigger.”

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