Tasting Arcadia
Tasting Arcadia takes you on a culinary journey as we celebrate the food and drinks from all the different restaurants in Arcadia and throughout the San Gabriel Valley. We’ll interview guests that will share with you their favorite dishes. And upcoming tasting and food events.
Tasting Arcadia
Episode 31 of Season 3 - Fillet Sushi
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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.
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Taste Of Arcadia Event Preview
John Villa AnnouncerWelcome 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 NairWell, 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 SawadwidYeah, 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 NairOkay, 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 SawadwidRight.
Karen Mac NairI 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 SawadwidOkay, 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 NairSo 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 Nairso much more. So why don't you share a little bit about that? Yeah, absolutely.
Lin SawadwidYeah. 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 NairOh, yeah, special drinks still.
Thee SawadwidExactly. You can prep skewer with the beer. Oh, nice!
Karen Mac NairWhat types of beer do you have there?
Thee SawadwidOh, 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 NairUh-huh.
Thee SawadwidAnd uh the dark beer we have the sandry, so good, super smooth.
Karen Mac NairOh, 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 NairIs 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 SawadwidYes. You can try this one. It's a salmon with a picorino draw. It's okay. Our signature.
Karen Mac NairIt'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 SawadwidActually, 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 NairWow. 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 SawadwidMostly this these two.
Karen Mac NairThese two? Okay.
Thee SawadwidYou 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 NairOkay.
Thee SawadwidYeah.
Karen Mac NairThat 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 NairOkay. Um, are there any drinks that you feel like are special for your restaurant? Yeah.
Lin SawadwidSummer 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 SawadwidIt's like yeah, we use a Japanese sohu.
Lin SawadwidOkay.
Thee SawadwidYeah. 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 NairOkay. 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 NairUm, 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 SawadwidOkay, 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 NairOkay.
Thee SawadwidBut 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 NairSo you're always trying to improve it and always trying to make something fresh and um new for the customers.
Thee SawadwidThat'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 Sawadwidgood.
Karen Mac NairYeah. Is there anything challenging in your business that you have or something that comes up regularly that's a little more challenging?
Thee SawadwidYeah, mostly about uh everything about the government. To be honest.
Karen Mac NairYeah. Yeah. Okay.
Thee SawadwidEverything 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 SawadwidUh-huh.
Thee SawadwidYeah. 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 NairYeah.
Thee SawadwidAnd then they b they walk away.
Karen Mac NairYeah. 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 Nairin 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 SawadwidYeah. 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 NairHave you ever asked them if people go over there for sushi?
Lin SawadwidNo, no, you should ask that. Yeah, yeah, oh yeah, yeah.
Karen Mac NairThey 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 NairUm, is there something we could do as a chamber and as people listening to help support your business?
Lin SawadwidCome 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 NairRight. 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 SawadwidYeah, 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 SawadwidPhilet sushi.
Karen Mac NairSo 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 NairOkay, 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 NairWhat is the first dish? Describe to me what it is and point to it so that we know.
Lin SawadwidSo 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 NairOkay, 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 SawadwidYes.
Karen Mac NairI'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 SawadwidYeah, soy sauce. Truffle soy.
Karen Mac NairTruffle 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 SawadwidSo 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 NairAgain, the jalapeno. I should show the camera. The jalapeno is floating. Is it going to be spicy?
Lin SawadwidA little bit spicy.
Karen Mac NairOkay, if I start sweating, you know why? Yeah. Just kidding. You could definitely Okay, it's spicy with a jalapeno, but also sweet.
Lin SawadwidSweet. Yeah.
Karen Mac NairYeah, 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 SawadwidOh yeah, just sipping a little bit.
Karen Mac NairIt'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 Nairone?
Lin SawadwidNext one, maybe the yellow tail jalapeno.
Karen Mac NairOkay. And this yellow tail is the one that is very popular.
Lin SawadwidRight.
Karen Mac NairAnd the what yeah.
Lin SawadwidMy cosi rancho.
Karen Mac NairOkay.
Lin SawadwidIt's the uh yellow tail with jalapenos, my co-si rancho, and a sauce.
Karen Mac NairOkay. I have so much jalapeno.
Lin SawadwidYeah.
Karen Mac NairI'm gonna try to take a bite. That yellow tail is delicious.
Thee SawadwidSo 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 NairSo is there anything else included or is this all of it with the roll in the rice? Okay.
Thee SawadwidOh, and we add a little cucumber, you know. Wow. Just the more texture.
Karen Mac NairWe 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 SawadwidLook, I get in the happy hour.
Karen Mac NairOkay. Love that. Oh shit. Am I supposed to have another drink so I clean my palate again? Are the drinks the same?
Thee SawadwidOh, okay. Yeah.
Karen Mac NairJust saying, I didn't want to miss anything, ladies and gentlemen. Just so we know.
Thee SawadwidMaybe we're still thinking, you know, maybe the drink, we're gonna bring it to the taste of arcade, also.
Karen Mac NairThat would be good. And you were saying in the restaurant it's served over crushed ice?
Thee SawadwidYes.
Karen Mac NairYeah, see, on a hot day.
Thee SawadwidYeah, it's better with the crushed ice.
Karen Mac NairWith the crushed ice, very good. Okay, what do we feel like is next?
Scallop Presentation And Bright Flavors
Lin SawadwidYeah, next one, I recommend uh uh scallop capasio. Yeah, okay.
Thee SawadwidIt's Kylator uh scallop my cose and uh kelp salt and uh chili sauce.
Karen Mac NairOkay. 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 NairYes.
Lin SawadwidAnd 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 NairOkay. And what's the sauce?
Thee SawadwidIt'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 NairTrying 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 Nairyou want to tell us about your restaurant or foods or things you're anything coming up besides just come visit you?
Thee SawadwidWe'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 NairOkay, 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 SawadwidActually, 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 NairSo um, we also talked about earlier the um the chef picking um oh for the happy hour.
Lin SawadwidYeah, 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 NairI 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 NairA surprise? That means they could change it anytime. I'm gonna take another drink.
Lin SawadwidYou know, somewhat and then uh special little dessert, you know.
Thee SawadwidUh-huh. We make it here. Here. It's like uh, you know, that housemate dessert.
Karen Mac NairYes.
Thee SawadwidYeah. 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 NairReally? 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 SawadwidIf if yeah you guys want to crumb for the dessert, I recommend the croissant pudding with a soy sauce ice cream.
Karen Mac NairOkay. Soy sauce ice cream. Yeah. Yes. Never had that.
Thee SawadwidSo you know when the when the people try that, they'll turn this soy sauce. Everybody say it is. Yes.
Karen Mac NairAnd it's with the croissant? Yes.
Thee SawadwidIt's kind of the bread pudding.
Karen Mac NairOkay.
Thee SawadwidBut beautiful the croissant is dead.
Karen Mac NairOh my gosh.
Thee SawadwidThat is more like a more crispy.
Karen Mac NairUh-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 SawadwidSometimes, 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 NairYeah. Okay, did that have a little kick to it?
Thee SawadwidYeah, a little kick. Yeah. It's depending on my mood, you know. I keep like a shenjing.
Karen Mac NairUh 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 SawadwidYeah, right, right.
Karen Mac NairLike you taste it reach really different.
Lin SawadwidSo I saw ice cream, most of the face back like the uh customer said it's telling the saw the crumb.
Karen Mac NairOh, really? It's more mile. Okay. Wow. You learn something new every day.
Lin SawadwidSo that's why we told you we created uh the new dish, new item, maybe every month or every quarter.
Karen Mac NairIt's so nice. It's so nice just
Final Thanks And Ticket Reminder
Karen Mac Nairto 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 SawadwidThank you for having us.
Karen Mac NairThank 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 AnnouncerThank 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.