Sea Stone

Sea Stone Brings Pacific Rim Fusion to Boca Park


A grand opening celebration was held on April 24 for Sea Stone, a restaurant specializing in Pacific Rim fusion and innovative sushi creations. Patrons of the space, formerly occupied by Hannah’s, will be happy to discover that the interior is intact.

Water is everywhere, on a gushing but encased bar, cascading from the wall, even under your feet in a fish filled Lucite-covered pond. Propeller-like rattan ceiling fans circulate a gentle breeze. The floor is a deep brown wood and the fabrics are warm. High ceilings give the feeling of being in a regal place and when you taste the fare, you’ll know why.

Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Hawaiian cultures influence the flavors, providing an unprecedented combination of textures and ingredients. Here’s where the fusion comes in, with a menu made to tempt the novice and veteran sushi consumer alike. Bento boxes with their varied compartments allow for a customized fill of your favorite dishes – no two have to be alike. Sea Stone prides itself on its variety of fresh ingredients.

Here’s just a sampling of what you can fill those boxes with:

The Rainbow Roll is made with Ahi tuna, salmon, yellowtail and crab mix, rolled in soybean paper and served with a balsamic-mango reduction. Divine to the last bite.

The Cucumber Wrap is made with tuna, salmon, white fish, crab, avocado and kaiware (sprouted daikon radish seeds). Riceless, but you won’t miss it, reveling in the freshness and crunch of this delight.

Or try a signature Boca Park Roll – deep fried yellowtail tuna topped with spicy tuna and scallions, eel sauce and spicy aioli (a mayonnaise-based, garlic flavored sauce). Your tongue will thank you.

A California Roll called TNT is generously topped with baked rock shrimp, shiitake mushrooms and scallops with creamy aioli & sweet onion sauce, while the Baja Roll is topped with marinated tuna, tomato avocado, flying fish roe and green onion. The flying fish roe was appropriate, as these creations almost literally flew into my mouth.

Other savory appetizers include the tender chicken satay, overstuffed shrimp shu mai, baked Miso Yaki butterfish, and a painstakingly plated goat cheese salad. The Potato Crusted Salmon is served upon a bed of stir fried vegetables, perched on sushi rice with a ginger lime butter sauce. I went fishing for this one more than once.

Meat lovers will enjoy the Mackatsu, a macadamia-nut encrusted pork loin in a coconut curry sauce, or the Bulgogi, Korean barbequed beef. Lobster and filet mignon are also on the menu. For those who favor lighter fare, there’s a braised tofu with spicy tomato black bean sauce.

The dessert menu is small but heavenly, as evidenced by the White Chocolate Bliss, a sponge cake layered with white chocolate and coconut mousse and served with a white chocolate mocha sauce and toasted macadamia nuts.

Fruit Flights arrive with less than four pairings of seasonal fruit and granitas (a sorbet-like frozen confection). If you like variety, this is your dish.

As welcoming as the interior of the place is, an inviting outdoor patio features charming conversation “clusters” complete with pillows and comfortable sofa/coffee table arrangements situated by the bar.

Sea Stone’s grand opening was sponsored by Vin Sauvage and It’s Just Lunch Las Vegas. The wine and sake offerings were extensive, featuring Karen Coy Sake, from Japan’s first female sake master. A lychee-flavored sake was a big hit as well.

Executive chef Derek Kinoshita and Sushi Chefs Jung Huan Yun and Jae Park make it all look easy and elegant. Coming from prestigious locations such at the MGM Grand, Venetian, and Fashion Show Mall, there’s no lack of expertise and innovation with these food artisans, whose collective wish is to take the diner on a “journey of the palate and feast of the senses.” Their food is colorful and served in hot and cold variations, incorporating culture and taste into the presentation and the first-bite discovery of new flavor combinations.

Proprietors Jin Myung and Wesley Chang (also a restaurant and business consultant) wanted to feature cooked and riceless rolls in their cuisine, proving that sushi is “more than just raw fish.” From what I’ve sampled, I’d say they have succeeded admirably, no small feat when you stop to consider that they’ve brought the Pacific Rim all the way to the desert and made it taste as fresh as if it were born there.

Judy Thorburn with Sea Stone Manager Marcella

For further information:
Sea Stone Pacific Rim Fusion
1050 South Rampart Boulevard
Las Vegas, NV 89145
(702) 478-9000
http://www.seastonelv.com