Tasting Arcadia

Episode 31 of Season 3 - Fillet Sushi

Karen Mac Nair Season 3 Episode 31

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0:00 | 24:55

You’ve heard people argue about what counts as “authentic” sushi but what happens when a chef learns traditional Japanese technique and then decides the final goal is simply to make it better? On Tasting Arcadia, Karen Mac Nair sits down with Lynn and Thee of Fillet Sushi in Old Town Monrovia to talk about building a new restaurant, earning regulars fast, and creating dishes that sound a little strange until the first bite proves the point.

For more information and tickets to the Taste of Arcadia visit TasteOfArcadia.com

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Taste Of Arcadia Event Preview

John Villa Announcer

Welcome to Tasting Arcadia, the official podcast of Taste of Arcadia. Taste of Arcadia, Switch, Castle, Tasting Food, and Drinks from the San Gabriel Valley restaurants, all for one price. Come and sell food, wine, beer, and spirits. Check out our brand new cars. Mr. Bitcoin's joke is smile in our photo. Take it on the dance or with me, Jockey Dance, Dance Tickets, DJ, entertainment. Taste of Arcadia is September 19th at 7 feet apart. The fun goes from 2 to 6 p.m. with a special VIP entrance at 1 p.m. Don't forget, this is a 21 and over event. Take your tickets today at TasteFarcadia.com. Now let's hear from our host, Karen Mac Nair

Meet Fillet Sushi In Old Town

Karen Mac Nair

Well, thank you, John, so much for this great introduction. I am thrilled to be here today. Welcome everyone that is listening. Um this is our third episode of Taste of Great. Um, we are here to talk about Taste of Arcadia. So make sure you sign up for Taste of Arcadia's tickets before we are sold out. So go to tasteofarcadia.com to get your tickets today. There is a special too before August 1st. So make sure that you go on for the Early Bird Special because the price goes up and you don't want to miss out. Now I'm gonna jump in with our guests. Our guests today are from Fillet Sushi. It is Lynn and Thee. They are co-owners and chef. Um, I am so excited. I don't if you can watch us um on YouTube, you'll see the beautiful sushi and a couple drinks that I'm excited about sitting in front of us. So let's jump right in. Welcome. So first let me ask you about your business. Where is it located?

Lin Sawadwid

Yeah, we are located in the old town Monrovia, the address, the 618 South Myrtle Ave, Avenue. It's between uh the Jet Lord Hall and the Thai restaurant, Thai Top.

Karen Mac Nair

Okay, so it's on Myrtle in Old Town. Yes, and it's next. Remember that it's next to the Thai restaurant because there's some great stories coming up.

Lin Sawadwid

Right.

Karen Mac Nair

I got a sneak peek, so we're excited about that. How long has your business been open? Oh, we've just been open around one year and a half. Yeah. Oh, it's a fresh business. Exactly. Love that. Yeah, it is beautiful too. I have been there and um what you've done with the remodel a year and a half ago is beautiful. Like it the it definitely is a beautiful place to eat and comfortable because sometimes restaurants aren't comfortable to sit for a while in your restaurant is really comfortable to sit in. Um, what are your hours of operation? When can we stop by?

Lin Sawadwid

Okay, so right now, uh the operating hour is the Tuesday to Thursday. We open for the dinner time, uh, 5 p.m. until 9 30. And then for the Friday and dinner time, same thing, but the hour is a little bit longer. So 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. Okay. Uh Saturday and Sunday, we open all day, uh 12 until 10 o'clock. Okay. And also we still have the happy hour for nice every day.

Karen Mac Nair

So happy hour, why don't you tell me a few things that are on happy hour? Because when I think happy hour, a lot of times I think drinks. But what's special about you guys, there's

Happy Hour Food And Japanese Beer

Karen Mac Nair

so much more. So why don't you share a little bit about that? Yeah, absolutely.

Lin Sawadwid

Yeah. Uh for the happy hour, you know, let uh if you're used to it, you're kind of familiar with the drink. But in here, we also have some uh filet special sesame. Uh we also include a uh full tie different of the uh filet sesame that uh some of the date is kind of the more unique and the more special here. And besides us, we still have little appetizer, some of the salad, and then some special drink also.

Karen Mac Nair

Oh, yeah, special drinks still.

Thee Sawadwid

Exactly. You can prep skewer with the beer. Oh, nice!

Karen Mac Nair

What types of beer do you have there?

Thee Sawadwid

Oh, we have a like a Japanese beer. Okay. Japanese craft beer, like we have session IPA PUS the half ofisen on the Japanese craft.

Karen Mac Nair

Uh-huh.

Thee Sawadwid

And uh the dark beer we have the sandry, so good, super smooth.

Karen Mac Nair

Oh, I love that. It is so great to have, in my opinion, to have sushi with beer on a hot day. I just feel like it's so refreshing just to have a nice chilled beer. Yeah. So sorry, people, if you didn't know that about me, I just enjoy beer and sushi. Okay, um, let's talk about your favorite dishes that you serve.

Signature Salmon With Pecorino

Karen Mac Nair

Is there something as a chef, T, I'm gonna direct this towards you. Is there a favorite dish you have as you are preparing the sushi? Something that you feel like we should order?

Thee Sawadwid

Yes. You can try this one. It's a salmon with a picorino draw. It's okay. Our signature.

Karen Mac Nair

It's so it's a signature, it's only at your restaurant. And how'd you come up with the idea or the plan to have this?

Thee Sawadwid

Actually, like uh uh my friend told me, like uh somebody add the parmesan cheese to the the sashimi, right? Uh huh. But for me, I think the parmesan sheet is too sharp for the fish. Okay. That's why I use the picorino cheese instead, which is uh milk, cheap milk cheese. Okay. It's more mild and go really well with it.

Karen Mac Nair

Wow. I honestly would not think of cheese as being such an important part of the flavor. The difference. Huh, look at I'm learning something new. Um, what is the most popular thing that people order while they're there?

Thee Sawadwid

Mostly this these two.

Karen Mac Nair

These two? Okay.

Thee Sawadwid

You know, every actually every lesson have it. It's classic one. Okay. But uh let's try us. Our side is different, and the thing is our tail is fresh from Japan. Okay. Never been for said.

Karen Mac Nair

Okay.

Thee Sawadwid

Yeah.

Karen Mac Nair

That is special. It not only is freshness obviously so important with sushi, but from Japan, that definitely adds extra flavor. I feel like.

Summer Melon Cocktail With Heat

Karen Mac Nair

Okay. Um, are there any drinks that you feel like are special for your restaurant? Yeah.

Lin Sawadwid

Summer melon drink for the cocktail. So, you know, their sting is kind of like the uh three flavor in one thing. It's a little spray, sour, and sweet. Okay. Yeah, it's like the all in the three taste in one drink. Yeah. And what's the alcohol base in it? Uh oh, it's called Soshu.

Thee Sawadwid

It's like yeah, we use a Japanese sohu.

Lin Sawadwid

Okay.

Thee Sawadwid

Yeah. Cause, you know, mostly the when Japanese people drink the highball, it's like uh so too with the soda. Oh, nice. So that's why we use the sohu to make this one.

Karen Mac Nair

Okay. If you're watching, there's two drinks in front of me. If you're just listening, I'll get to taste them soon. That's what we keep pointing to. Um, I'm I'm excited. They're they've got the jalapenos floating already. So I imagine by the time I have them, they're gonna be a little spicy, which is that's fun.

Why Open A Sushi Restaurant

Karen Mac Nair

Um, what what is something that the reason you started the business? What did you feel like made sushi exciting for you, or something you wanted to create, or the business you want to open? Is there anything there?

Thee Sawadwid

Okay, because you know, I have I have my past channel about the sushi. Okay, and then I learn from the Japanese guy. I learned from the authentic.

Karen Mac Nair

Okay.

Thee Sawadwid

But the thing is, you know, I still rest rest don't get me wrong, I still uh respect the authentic. But I'm not Japanese, I'm Thai guy. You know? So the thing is for me, I prep the I use the method of prep everything from the authentic. But finishing, I don't care about the authentic. I just want to make like a something better. Yeah.

Karen Mac Nair

So you're always trying to improve it and always trying to make something fresh and um new for the customers.

Thee Sawadwid

That's why, you know, I try to create uh something new, something is look weird, but at the end, it's

Permits, Licenses, And Early Struggles

Thee Sawadwid

good.

Karen Mac Nair

Yeah. Is there anything challenging in your business that you have or something that comes up regularly that's a little more challenging?

Thee Sawadwid

Yeah, mostly about uh everything about the government. To be honest.

Karen Mac Nair

Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

Thee Sawadwid

Everything about the government, like uh, you know, first we open, we have to wait for the tail permit, about a three month, three to four months.

Lin Sawadwid

Uh-huh.

Thee Sawadwid

Yeah. And then after we open, we have to wait for the B and Y license for the three months. That is, you know, it's tough for us. It's like uh our hard time. Right. Because, you know, sometimes like uh when the customer gets in the restaurant, they look at the menu, hey, why do you not have beer, sake, or any alcohol? And I said that like a I waiting for the permit. Right. And then, oh, customer said, like, I cannot eat a sushi without beer.

Karen Mac Nair

Yeah.

Thee Sawadwid

And then they b they walk away.

Karen Mac Nair

Yeah. I feel like a lot of small businesses struggle with that, especially the first couple of years in restaurants, just to open it up, have the right permits, have the right things, the timing of it all, that it in the time you open that your food is fresh and that all the everything's

The Thai Next Door Mix Up

Karen Mac Nair

in alignment. So that is very a common thing. Um, but I feel like though you mentioned your Thai and serving Japanese food, and you're next to what type of restaurant? Yeah, it's a Thai restaurant. And is there ever confusion?

Lin Sawadwid

Yeah. Oh yeah. Yeah. Because you know, uh, like us, we are Thai, but we open the Japanese restaurant, but the next door there is the Thai restaurant, but the owner is Japanese. Oh no. Yeah, and sometimes, even though, you know, even the customer, they just, you know, uh come to our place, but they want the Thai food. And then they say, Oh, sorry, I come to the wrong place. Because it seemed like maybe the door is look like in the same, you know, same, same style, something. It's open since like the yesterday, two time. Oh, really? One is the guy, and then another one is the lady, and they said, Oh, they just live like, you know, when they open the door. Oh, no, it's the wrong place.

Karen Mac Nair

Have you ever asked them if people go over there for sushi?

Lin Sawadwid

No, no, you should ask that. Yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah.

Karen Mac Nair

They go over there for sushi, and then you guys can I love that culturally though, you both have love of food and that really you're able to direct customers. But I found that story hilarious that you just you both just have to help each other and get the get the customers in the right spot. Right.

How To Support And Follow Them

Karen Mac Nair

Um, is there something we could do as a chamber and as people listening to help support your business?

Lin Sawadwid

Come over to her. Yeah. Just come visit. Just come visit. Yeah, and try our uh special dish, you know, because in here normally we try to keep it uh the new dish, maybe every month or every quarterly. Since it may be not just the food, sometimes it's the drink or sometimes it's the dessert. So it means something surprised you.

Karen Mac Nair

Right. Okay. Um, you have a great social media too. I love the way the food looks on your social media. What if we want to follow you on Instagram? What is the name to follow?

Lin Sawadwid

Yeah, just the filet sushi, but to making sure when you spell it, it's letter to L. So F-I-L-L-E-T. Sushi. Yeah.

They Are Back At Taste Of Arcadia

Lin Sawadwid

Philet sushi.

Karen Mac Nair

So fillet sushi, make sure there's two L's. Yeah. Because you don't want to follow anyone that's not the right place. We want to make sure we're following you and supporting you and coming in. Okay, at this point, um, you're gonna be in Taste of Arcadia, right? And it's your second year. Yeah. Ooh, I'm so excited. And you were hit last year. I feel like everyone really loved you being there. So we're really excited about it. Um, if you're watching us, there's some great food, great um sushi in front of me, a couple drinks. We're gonna take a commercial break, and then we're gonna come right back and we're gonna jump in to talking about the food and some tasting. So everyone, hang on, we'll be right back.

Sponsor Break And Return To Tasting

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Karen Mac Nair

Okay, we're back. Did you miss us? I hope you did. Because now's the time for some tasting. Um, we I'm gonna ask you to describe, Lynn. I don't know if you want to do it.

Live Tasting The Signature Salmon

Karen Mac Nair

What is the first dish? Describe to me what it is and point to it so that we know.

Lin Sawadwid

So you should try the our salmon pecorino tofu. It's like the adhesive, like the our signature. We have the uh salmon uh pecorino. Uh I mean it's salmon comes with the aluga, the tofu page, and the pecorino, she's on the top.

Karen Mac Nair

Okay, this is the one we already talked about, right, T? Yes, okay. Oh, this is the one that's coming to taste. Oh my goodness. Okay.

Thee Sawadwid

Yes.

Karen Mac Nair

I'm gonna pause right here. So we have a camera, so I hope you're watching us. See, this is the beautiful salmon. Oh, I I get to use chopsticks. I should have opened them before we started. Okay. I'm excited. I'm gonna hold it up closer to me though, so I don't drip all over the desk. That is delicious. Is the sauce a soy sauce?

Thee Sawadwid

Yeah, soy sauce. Truffle soy.

Karen Mac Nair

Truffle soy. It does have a different flavor. Delicious so the cheese does make a huge difference in the finish. I feel like you start off with a saucy taste, but then definitely the cheese. So good. I'm sure everyone's gonna be in line to taste this one. Okay, which one do we have next?

Sipping The Jalapeno Cocktail

Lin Sawadwid

So maybe after you try the saucy meat, let's try it a drink. Okay. Yeah, so this one is the same dring. Yeah. So this one. Yes. Okay.

Karen Mac Nair

Again, the jalapeno. I should show the camera. The jalapeno is floating. Is it going to be spicy?

Lin Sawadwid

A little bit spicy.

Karen Mac Nair

Okay, if I start sweating, you know why? Yeah. Just kidding. You could definitely Okay, it's spicy with a jalapeno, but also sweet.

Lin Sawadwid

Sweet. Yeah.

Karen Mac Nair

Yeah, a little juice, yeah, flavor, but with but um still light. Light. It's not it's very light tasting. That's very good. I have to clean my palate. I'd take one more drink. That is very good. Yeah, way too easy to drink.

Lin Sawadwid

Oh yeah, just sipping a little bit.

Karen Mac Nair

It's not a shot, ladies and gentlemen. Don't take it in one shot. Yeah. Okay, what is the next

Yellowtail With Jalapeno Breakdown

Karen Mac Nair

one?

Lin Sawadwid

Next one, maybe the yellow tail jalapeno.

Karen Mac Nair

Okay. And this yellow tail is the one that is very popular.

Lin Sawadwid

Right.

Karen Mac Nair

And the what yeah.

Lin Sawadwid

My cosi rancho.

Karen Mac Nair

Okay.

Lin Sawadwid

It's the uh yellow tail with jalapenos, my co-si rancho, and a sauce.

Karen Mac Nair

Okay. I have so much jalapeno.

Lin Sawadwid

Yeah.

Karen Mac Nair

I'm gonna try to take a bite. That yellow tail is delicious.

Thee Sawadwid

So fresh. Yeah. And and and this one, you know, somebody don't prefer for the sashimi. We have the like a yellow tail jalapijoro. It's the best other also.

Karen Mac Nair

So is there anything else included or is this all of it with the roll in the rice? Okay.

Thee Sawadwid

Oh, and we add a little cucumber, you know. Wow. Just the more texture.

Karen Mac Nair

We were talking before that you can also get um almost a sampling of multiple things. You want to tell us a little bit about that? That um the sushi are the can you pick which ones you want for the sampling? Or like on the happy hour? Wasn't the happy hour yet? All four of these. Okay.

Thee Sawadwid

Look, I get in the happy hour.

Karen Mac Nair

Okay. Love that. Oh shit. Am I supposed to have another drink so I clean my palate again? Are the drinks the same?

Thee Sawadwid

Oh, okay. Yeah.

Karen Mac Nair

Just saying, I didn't want to miss anything, ladies and gentlemen. Just so we know.

Thee Sawadwid

Maybe we're still thinking, you know, maybe the drink, we're gonna bring it to the taste of arcade, also.

Karen Mac Nair

That would be good. And you were saying in the restaurant it's served over crushed ice?

Thee Sawadwid

Yes.

Karen Mac Nair

Yeah, see, on a hot day.

Thee Sawadwid

Yeah, it's better with the crushed ice.

Karen Mac Nair

With the crushed ice, very good. Okay, what do we feel like is next?

Scallop Presentation And Bright Flavors

Lin Sawadwid

Yeah, next one, I recommend uh uh scallop capasio. Yeah, okay.

Thee Sawadwid

It's Kylator uh scallop my cose and uh kelp salt and uh chili sauce.

Karen Mac Nair

Okay. Presentation is beautiful. This looks like a little flower. Yeah, it's so pretty with the scallops. Okay, make sure I get all the flavors together. Start with a lime flavor and then it goes to a little spice. Very good. The scallop is very fresh, too. I know I keep saying that. Sorry everybody. But try it, you're gonna think it. I also want to compliment on the size. The portions are are nice and big and it's nice because sometimes you go to other sushi places and you feel like you didn't quite get what you thought you were gonna get. So I appreciate looking and seeing the size portion is you'll get full, um, but still be able to have an array of sushis and not just one thing. I can't even imagine the roles. Oh my goodness.

Albacore With Crispy Onion Finish

Karen Mac Nair

Yes.

Lin Sawadwid

And in the last one, this call uh albocava the crispy onion. Yeah. It's like alvocab with a crispy onion on top, green onion, and a sauce.

Karen Mac Nair

Okay. And what's the sauce?

Thee Sawadwid

It's like uh pon sou. Okay. Yeah, and uh I saw with uh what can I say? Like a fresh board. Okay, mixed with a frisbeat.

Karen Mac Nair

Trying to get the crispy onions on it. Crunchy onions. It's nice that the texture's a little bit different than the others. Melt melt in your mouth. Which fish was this again? The abacor. Oh my gosh, it just melts in your mouth. Yeah, super tender, right? Super tender. Really good. Okay, I'm gonna take one more drink. Clean my palate with a jalapeno splash. So good. Is there anything else

DineLA Omakase And Happy Hour Sets

Karen Mac Nair

you want to tell us about your restaurant or foods or things you're anything coming up besides just come visit you?

Thee Sawadwid

We're gonna we're gonna enjoy the diale. Okay. The orgas in the hey, I believe this time is the office 14 to 28. It's about two weeks.

Karen Mac Nair

Okay, so there'll be a dine LA special. So during that dyne LA period of time, make sure you come by because there'll be some great things on that menu.

Thee Sawadwid

Actually, it's like a we do the omakase for the dial a. Okay. So you can come and try, you know, it's like a it's a great deal for you guys.

Karen Mac Nair

So um, we also talked about earlier the um the chef picking um oh for the happy hour.

Lin Sawadwid

Yeah, the happy hour. Will you explain a little bit about that too? Oh yeah. So right now we just launched the new menu uh for the something special for the happy hour. We have like the two options. Like the first one is called like the shape Niki reset. Uh one order comes like the five pieces, and then the shape they're gonna pick like the uh benefits of the day. Okay. And then another one is like the role of the day. So basically, you know, let us something it might be surprised you every day. Yeah. That the day uh the role, the shape they're gonna be picking. Maybe later sometime we'll wear Toro, Fire Abo Koro, Kali Abo Koro. Let us something surprise for you also. Yeah.

Karen Mac Nair

I love that because I feel like you should stop by every day just to see what it is today. Yeah, is it something you would announce like on social media, Instagram, or you just walk in and you're surprised?

Dessert Surprise Soy Sauce Ice Cream

Karen Mac Nair

A surprise? That means they could change it anytime. I'm gonna take another drink.

Lin Sawadwid

You know, somewhat and then uh special little dessert, you know.

Thee Sawadwid

Uh-huh. We make it here. Here. It's like uh, you know, that housemate dessert.

Karen Mac Nair

Yes.

Thee Sawadwid

Yeah. And sometimes, you know, when you don't think about the sushi, you don't want to eat the sushi, just stop here, stop by here, and try all dessert. Okay. You know? I got so many customers, you know, they come to the fillet sushi, not for the sushi, but uh for the dessert.

Karen Mac Nair

Really? Yeah. Okay, I would not have expected that at all. Now you had me at the beer. Yeah. Yeah. And I thought, okay, people come by for that. And then the sushi is so delicious. So people come by just for the desserts because they're so good.

Thee Sawadwid

If if yeah you guys want to crumb for the dessert, I recommend the croissant pudding with a soy sauce ice cream.

Karen Mac Nair

Okay. Soy sauce ice cream. Yeah. Yes. Never had that.

Thee Sawadwid

So you know when the when the people try that, they'll turn this soy sauce. Everybody say it is. Yes.

Karen Mac Nair

And it's with the croissant? Yes.

Thee Sawadwid

It's kind of the bread pudding.

Karen Mac Nair

Okay.

Thee Sawadwid

But beautiful the croissant is dead.

Karen Mac Nair

Oh my gosh.

Thee Sawadwid

That is more like a more crispy.

Karen Mac Nair

Uh-huh. And I love ice cream. Yeah. So I'm gonna go and make the sound too. This is ice cream. This is soy sauce.

Thee Sawadwid

Sometimes, you know, I try to make like a real ice cream. Uh-huh. Yeah, sometimes I I made uh saga ice cream. Uh Brandy is meat apple with recipe ice. Ooh.

Karen Mac Nair

Yeah. Okay, did that have a little kick to it?

Thee Sawadwid

Yeah, a little kick. Yeah. It's depending on my mood, you know. I keep like a shenjing.

Karen Mac Nair

Uh huh. Because I would picture you'd think it like your brain would tell you it'd be green tea, and then it's not.

Lin Sawadwid

Yeah, right, right.

Karen Mac Nair

Like you taste it reach really different.

Lin Sawadwid

So I saw ice cream, most of the face back like the uh customer said it's telling the saw the crumb.

Karen Mac Nair

Oh, really? It's more mile. Okay. Wow. You learn something new every day.

Lin Sawadwid

So that's why we told you we created uh the new dish, new item, maybe every month or every quarter.

Karen Mac Nair

It's so nice. It's so nice just

Final Thanks And Ticket Reminder

Karen Mac Nair

to have the freedom to do that. And that's what owning a small restaurant is really and the small business community, really about you guys continue to create, grow, work together with the community, support. And I just so appreciate you be being willing to come to Taste of Arcadia, being a community member, and really joining the chamber and being part of us. So thank you both so much for being here. Just want to remind everybody stop by filet sushi. That's the best way to support small businesses, is go by, see them. There's great happy hours all the way to dessert, even if you're just walking down Myrtle, come and have some dessert and enjoy the time. So thank you, Lynn and T so much.

Lin Sawadwid

Thank you for having us.

Karen Mac Nair

Thank you for being here. Thank you, everyone. Don't forget, come to Taste of Arcadia. You're gonna get to have the great salmon and wonderful drinks. So come by, buy your tickets today, though. You don't want to miss out on the Early Bird Special. Go to taste of Arcadia.com and get your tickets today. John, why don't you go ahead and take us away?

John Villa Announcer

Thank you, Karen, for another great episode. You can hear us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio. Don't forget, join us on September 19th at Santanita Park for Taste of Arcadia. You can get your tickets now at tastofarcadia.com. Thanks again for joining us for Tasting Arcadia. We'll see you at the Taste.