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Samurai Restaurant
 There’s a well-kept secret at
South Lake Tahoe that’s worth spreading around: it’s the Samurai
Restaurant. The Samurai opened in 1984, and has been delighting
diners with fine authentic Japanese cuisine for the last 22
years. The owners of the Samurai are husband and wife team,
Geoff and Helen Goto. Geoff grew up in the restaurant industry,
working in his parents’ Japanese restaurant in Greenwich Village
in New York City. Helen, who trained as a chef in Singapore,
brings her culinary skills to the kitchen and her gracious
hospitality to the dining room. Their talented chef Makoto
Shiga, from Chiba, Japan, has been with the Samurai Restaurant
for many years.
From the start, the Samurai was a
traditional Japanese restaurant with a bustling dining room,
popular Sushi Bar and private Tatami room full of appreciative
customers.
 Although the traditional formula
was successful, the owners wanted to try something new that
would also appeal to younger people in the area. Last fall, they
updated the dining room with a fresh wasabi green color scheme.
They added rough-hewn wooden furniture, intimate leather booths,
cozy seating around a central fire pit and a cool new Sake Bar.
To complement the contemporary
setting, Samurai updated their menu, featuring new sushi rolls,
salads and Asian fusion dishes served tapas style from an Asian
Bistro menu.
My dining companion and I were
fortunate to experience the new and improved Samurai.
When we arrived, we were warmly
welcomed by the owners and seated at a custom-designed table
that wraps around the fire pit, which is the central focus of
the room. We found this to be a communal dining spot that
encouraged interaction with our neighbors.
We were presented with the Sake
and beverage list, and Geoff helped us navigate through a huge
selection of chilled Sakes and Sake cocktails. He told us that
although they still serve hot Sake, the trend is to drink it
cold. This enables one to taste the quality of the Sake better
than when it is heated. With the rising popularity of wine and
wine bars, there has also been renewed interest in the art of
Sake in this country. We were given a “Sake 101” lesson. Sake is
made from rice grains, and there are three levels of quality for
filtered Sake. The first is Junmai, where 30% of the rice is
polished prior to fermentation. The second is Ginjo, where 40%
of the rice is polished. The third and best quality is Daiginjo,
where 50% of the rice is polished, resulting in the smoothest
finish.
I tried the Momokawa Diamond
Junmai Ginjo, and my friend tried the Karatamba. Geoff
recommended this selection because mine was a more feminine Sake
and my friend’s a more masculine Sake. The Momokawa was golden
with a slightly fruitier flavor than the clear, dry finish of
the Karatamba. Both Sakes were a smooth start to a wonderful
evening. We cleaned our hands with the traditional hot towels
presented to us.
From the Sushi menu, we chose two
delicious Samurai Specialty
 Rolls – the Samurai roll with eel, cucumber, avocado and
yellowtail and the Y3K with crab, scallops and shrimp baked in
soy paper with special seasonings. From the appetizer menu, we
then selected the BBQ Yellowtail Collar. The Japanese consider
this part of the yellowtail a rare treat, and we agreed. The
barbequed fish was moist and tender, with a slightly sweet,
slightly smoky flavor that was further enhanced by a teriyaki
dipping sauce served on the side. Next, we tried a couple of
salads from the new “Helen’s Asian Bistro” section of the menu.
This creative menu features an eclectic array of dishes from the
Asian continent.
The Spinach “Salad” is a pleasing
alternative to a raw salad. It consists of fresh, steamed
spinach tossed in a tangy sesame dressing. The Tuna Wrap is also
a refreshingly different salad of cold seared ahi, glass noodles
and seaweed in a light cream sauce, all wrapped in a leaf of
butter lettuce. This was a great example of their new healthy
Asian Bistro menu.
From the Tapas Style Entrees, we
selected the Monk’s Curry and Sweet and Roughy. The former dish
is a perfect selection for vegetarians, consisting of a bowl of
lightly steamed vegetables and tofu in a creamy curry and
coconut milk broth served with rice. The latter dish is orange roughy fish, cooked crisp on the outside and tender on the
inside, tossed with cherry tomatoes and scallions and covered
with a delicious sweet and sour sauce.
After this delicious parade of
dishes, we bypassed a tempting selection of desserts such as
Tempura Ice Cream and Fried Bananas and opted for something
lighter: a Sake cocktail.
 My Mango Tango was a fruity,
refreshing blend of Yokaichi Mugi Shochu Sake with mango juice
and mango sherbet served in a chilled martini glass. My friend’s
Blue Ice was a clear blue concoction of the same Sake with a
blue raspberry infusion and 7-up.
By the time we finished our
dessert cocktails, we noticed that the restaurant was filling up
fast. Everyone seemed to know each other and there was a
convivial feeling in the air. The owners confirmed that they
have a loyal local following. This friendly atmosphere, in
addition to the great food and artful presentations, solidified
our promise to return to the Samurai Restaurant from our homes
in North Lake Tahoe.
Now that the secret is out, go
early to Samurai Restaurant, before it’s standing room only.
The Samurai Restaurant is at 2588
Highway 50, South Lake Tahoe. Open nightly from 5 p.m.
Reservations are taken for parties of five or larger. The
private Tatami room seats 12, and must be reserved in advance.
To go orders are available during non-peak hours. Call ahead for
reservations or to go orders: (530) 542-0300.
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