A chef’s view of KAABOO

It took Coachella organizers 15 years to figure out how to feed famished concert-goers the foods they crave, making it no small feat that KAABOO Del Mar’s inaugural event features a lineup of 18 local restaurants and chefs that will be serving up their specialties at two distinctive culinary experiences at the festival - Palate and Posh Nosh.

With scorching fall temps and multitasking in mind, what sounds better than refreshing sushi you can eat with your hands, all while getting your groove on? Executive chef and Saiko Sushi owner Sushi Anthony Pascale shares his food philosophy and what attendees can expect by paying his booth a visit.

Q: Besides spreading the word about Saiko Sushi, what makes participating in the Palate experience at KAABOO so cool?

A: A few months ago there was a battle of the chef’s bands. Our band was comprised totally of members from our two restaurants, and then they asked us to perform at KAABOO. I won’t be, but I’m tone deaf. So I’ll be making food.

The fun thing for me is working with wild caught, local fish. It seems like a no brainer for all sushi places, but no one really does it this way.

Q: What are some of the flavors that festival-goers will experience at your booth?

A: We won’t know what’s going in the sushi hand rolls until the day before or morning of the festival. First I have to visit the market to see what’s best, and that’s what people will eat. That’s how I operate my restaurants - what you eat today is fresh from the market.

Q: Tell us about your second featured item?

A: Tokyo dirty rice made with shrimp, bacon, pineapple and Thai basil is a really popular dish at our Coronado location. It’s a cross between Creole dirty rice and Asian fried rice. It’s a great dish to serve to a lot of people; everyone loves it.

Q: Besides Saiko Sushi’s chef band performance, and getting to stick to your strengths in the kitchen, what else are looking forward to?

A: We are really looking forward to doing this community event and more. Saiko has been in Coronado for four years and North Park for seven months, and we haven’t been in the public eye much because Coronado is like another planet. Reaching more people with accessible food to eat while you’re walking around having fun is a big part of that.

Amy T. Granite is a dauntless eater who has written about food in San Diego since 2006. You can follow Granite and her tasty adventures on Twitter and Instagram @saysgranite. Send your mouth-watering ideas to her at amytgranite@gmail.com.

Source: DiscoverSD