The razor-sharp knife of sushi chef David Graham will probably never slice through the tender flesh of a bluefin tuna again.
But Graham, head chef at Geisha Sushi, is cutting new fish and new ground in an effort to curb the plundering of the seas. Geisha, the newly opened sushi bar and teahouse in Capitola, is one of just several sustainable sushi bars in the world. The concept, initiated about four years ago at San Francisco’s Tataki (others followed in Portland, Seattle and New Haven) means no serving toro, hamachi, or unagi—three of the biggest draws in the sushi business but also three of the most unsustainable items on any menu. Graham is instead serving locally caught sardines, spot prawns and black cod—and even two tunas: yellowfin from the Philippines and albacore from Canada, both pole-caught and rated “green” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch. Vegetarian items also play into the menu, like Graham’s tempura-fried “Cadillac Ranch” roll of squash and mushrooms topped with walnuts and crumbled vegetable chips.
“It’s a scary thing to do, to say you won’t be serving hamachi anymore,” says Graham, who, along with Annop Hongwathanachai, the son of co-owner Anchalee Thanachai, began planning a sustainable menu months ago while Graham was still chef at Aqua Bleu.
Yet customer response to Geisha Sushi’s alternative offerings has been strong, Graham says. They’ve especially enjoyed the locally caught sardines, which Graham fillets, brines, sprinkles with vinegar and garnishes. Another non-traditional fish that Graham has worked into his menu is catfish, which he is serving as “onagi,” a replacement for unagi. Graham is meanwhile anticipating the arrival of local mackerel and southern California yellowtail.
Sushi is a cuisine steeped in tradition, but Graham believes that sushi must adapt. “A lot of people say, ‘Where is my unagi?’ and ‘Where is my hamachi?’ Well, if you think that way too long, then pretty soon the whole world has acquired a taste for a regional cuisine, and that’s why bluefin tuna is in the trouble that it is.”
For years, Graham has not served bluefin tuna, stocks of which have crashed. Fully developing a sustainable business, however, took longer.
“I’ve wanted for 10 years for sushi to acknowledge that the oceans are in trouble,” says Graham, who admits he has felt guilty at times because of his role as a chef in contributing to overfishing. “But I don’t have to feel guilty anymore.”
Geisha Sushi is at 200 Monterey Avenue in Capitola. 831.464.3328.
