At Laguna’s Cafe Zoolu, fish is the dish
“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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