by Joe Lyons
LetŐs start with the name.
It used to be Shogun Corona. Actually, you could go back to the days when it was Lord CalvertŐs, but that would be several ownerships ago.
SGC Japanese restaurant is traditional in that it has the sushi bar on one side and the teppan grill on the other.
I have to say again that I am leaning to love sushi more and more.
Remember first, that there is sushi, which is raw fish with rice and veggies, and then there is sashimi, which has no rice.
The general plan is to sit at the bar, just as you would in a cocktail lounge and order up. Your congenial host can laugh and joke and whip up a platter all at the same time. It happens quit naturally at SGC. We have been to other sushi bars here in the Inland Empire where the host is not very cordial and the food is horribly overpriced.
Our young host at SGC is named Tony. He is related to the owner, but thatŐs OK. He has that magic combination of congeniality and preparation talent. Before we know it, plates are coming out with such treats as tuna, yellow tail and albacore. Backed green mussels on the half shell make quite an impression. So does the tempura shrimp.
The deep-fried calamari strikes a bit of a sour note. It appears to have been frozen, defrosted and overcooked. The result is dry and chewy. Pot stickers follow and they make up for the rather disappointing calamari.
SGC packages their best treats in ŇboatÓ combinations. They do not come out in actual boats; each dish is served as it is prepared. Think of these as more of a series. One is the Love Boat, Second is the Titanic. Third is the Queen Elizabeth. They serve, in order, two, four or six people. And they consist of the chefŐs choice of sushi and sashimi, fresh salad, miso, rice and dessert.
There is a lot more to appreciate here.
Both lunch and dinner come with entrees with soup, salad and rice. Various combinations ensue. Appetizers include various portions of seafood, tofu and vegetables.
Then there is the Ňall you can eatÓ sushi lunch and dinner. One fixed price gives you as much as you want. You must remember this. This kind of food sneaks up on you. You eat more than you thought you did, even though you feel hungry an hour later.
On top of everything else is a fair selection of Japanese beers, including Sapporo.
Overall, everyone in the Business Journal party agreed that, while we have eaten in better looking sushi bars, none had tasted as good or made us feel so good. Our only regret was that we had not had the time to go down the hall to the teppan grill side.
Of course, that will give us an excuse to come back another night.
SGC Japanese Restaurant is at 113 E. 6th St. Corona. (6th and Main in the Corona Mall). Call 951-738-0650