(sorry for the iPhone quality picture)

In recent years, Cirque du Soleil has used the Forum in Inglewood but has chose to return to Santa Monica for their 25th birthday. Apparently, Santa Monica was Cirque’s first US tour destination over 20 years ago and anyone who has been to Vegas can attest to the brand’s success. Last night I finally had an opportunity to watch this fantastic production of theatre, music, acrobatics and comedy. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but I highly recommend you see Kooza. Honestly, I haven’t been to the “circus” since I was a kid in the Ringling Bros. days of the 1980’s and 90’s (as I’m sure most of you haven’t either), so I didn’t know what to expect. There is a definite European-esque feel and it seems very traditional; not over the top like a Vegas production. Don’t be mistaken, the show is very exciting and the comedy is geared towards adults and not children. No tigers nor dirt bikes in steel balls, but the acrobatic performances are amazing and can stand on their own merit. My personal favorite is the Wheel of Death which has you on the edge of your seat the entire time. The music is Indian inspired and the band & singers add beautiful musicality to the show. In a world where we expect $100+million Vegas productions, this is a refreshing production; especially since you can catch it locally.

The show is coming to Irvine in January and San Diego in February so get your tickets! (Look out for 40% deals that might come in the mail or emails passed around, but don’t let that prevent you from missing out on a good seat position) Schedule dinner and make a date night out of it. If you can make an LA show this month, I recommend eating and/or drinks at The Lobster with it’s view of the Ocean and Cirque tents (*see below). I suggest buying tickets for seats as close to the middle as possible because there are towers that might impede your view on the sides. It’s a pretty intimate setting, so it’s not necessary to spend the money to sit in front. I actually think sitting mid-distance affords the best perspective of the performances. Cheers!

For tickets, show times and info visit the official site:
http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/kooza/default.aspx

(Image courtesy of CirqueduSoleil.com)

… and The Lobster restaurant in Santa Monica is a must visit. It is located at the entrance of the Santa Monica Pier so obviously has the best of view of the Pier and ocean. The food is tasty. There is a great oyster selection but try the Fanny Bay Oysters from British Columbia (personally I love any oyster from the Canadian Pacific). The truffle Parmesan fries and tomato crab soup were good. The Seared Day Boat Sea Scallops were cooked perfectly and the accompanying shrimp bisque sauce with home fries and lobster chunks complimented it well. The Seared Rare Pacific Yellowfin Tuna was good and I’m a fan of Hearts of Palm & shrimp salads so they had me at hello. Our server and staff was attentive & friendly so it topped off the experience. I’m disappointed I never visited earlier but am excited to return soon.

http://www.thelobster.com

I know it’s been awhile since I updated but I guess that’s a sign of a good vacation when you don’t care about checking email, fB, Twitter or the stock market (okay I did check stocks). We are working hard to launch this clothing line so the blog updates haven’t been as often as I want. December is one of those months where nearly every day is preplanned with something.

I’ll leave you with a picture of these two morsels of Japanese heaven: not steak, these are actually the biggest, freshest, tastiest pieces of fatty tuna, Toro, at Daiwa in Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market. We also got Aburi Toro (seared Toro) but they told us they have a no photo policy. I would return to Japan just for this.

There are so many places in LA that are expensive for the sake of being expensive and make no apologies for the bad food; Katsuya is not one of them. There might be a miss thrown in with the hits, but overall the food is very good. Watch what you order because yes this place is expensive, but there are a lot of small plate options that are borderline cheap ($3-7) considering the establishment. The drinks are really expensive (“that’s how they get ya”) so don’t go crazy. Oh, and don’t come with a large group or you’ll all be wondering how the hell the bill got so big. Don’t be scurred, the experience is very worth it. You are trying to close the deal right?

Make it look like you know what you are doing and order a couple Italian Proseccos, skip edamame, and start with the Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeño & Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice before you even open the menu. The albacore sushi is good & salmon skin hand roll is big, but skip the normal sushi and go straight for any of the Katsuya Signatures. I’ve tried half of the Signatures and they have all been very good. The Robata selections are also really good, so order a couple. You have to try the Teba Chicken Wings though, I love chicken wings and would say these are some of the best chicken wings I’ve ever had; better than Furaibo on Sawtelle. The Miso Cod is off the charts. It’s no joke when the menu states “unparalleled flavor”. You might be tempted to order, but I don’t think the Special Katsuya Roll nor Kobe Filet with Foie Gras are worth the money.

Is Katsuya pretentious? Not really. The staff does an excellent job of making you feel welcome. Even if they are carrying food, they move aside and smile as you walk by; try that at Geisha House. As with any place in LA, don’t go on a Friday or Saturday night if you want the best experience; even Coffee Bean can throw attitude during peak hours.