242 Cafe Sushi

my favorite people

salmon and tuna sashimi with lotus root

sushi soup

swiss chard on a roll

45 minute wait. okay.

Today was unexpected. I was at a writer's retreat when I got a series of texts from my sister considering a nice dinner with just my mom, my sister, and me. Maybe this was impractical--to drive to Orange County unexpectedly but nothing seemed as comfortable and lovely as having dinner with them, just them.

We went to 242 Cafe Sushi in Laguna Beach, which is one of our favorite sushi places. I can say with a good amount of confidence that I couldn't live without Japanese food, it's just a life not worth living in my opinion. Authentic, 242 Cafe Sushi is not, but the quality of their fish is excellent and where else can you get your roll wrapped in Swiss chard? They don't serve soy sauce because all of their sushi comes with its own specifically complementary sauce. I believe the owner was the former sous chef for Nobu, but I could be wrong about this.

It's a very small restaurant, just a sushi bar and 3 tables. They only have one server. We had to wait 45 minutes to get in, which was a little excruciating because I was beginning to have hunger pains but in the end, everything was worth it. My favorite of the evening was the sashimi with lotus roots and garlic chips. Lotus root is amazing. I want to put lotus root in everything. I think it would be great in sandwiches (note to self).

242 Cafe Sushi

242 N coast highway

Laguna Beach, Ca 92651

949.494.2444