Restaurant: Max
Location: 13355 Ventura Blvd. (Sherman Oaks)
Type of restaurant: Cal-Asian
We stipulated: For our sixth anniversary dinner, Maria and I were looking forward to finally trying Palate. But they're closed on Sundays. Then we inquired about downtown's Church & State. Also closed. Since we were going to be in the Valley during the day, we turned our attention to Sherman Oaks. We'd been wanting to try Max for years, and we regularly pig out at chef Andre Guerrero's Eagle Rock-based "slow fast food" joint, The Oinkster. So Max it would be.
Ahi towers
What we ordered: Appetizer: Ahi towers (wasabi toiko, seaweed, pickled ginger), $9.50. Main: Miso-marinated black cod (baby bok choy, water chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms sugar snap peas), $24; Beef short ribs 2-ways (grilled with dry sautéed green beans; served with risotto), $22.
Beef shortribs
High point: Easy to get a reservation, nice environment and appreciated that they were open on a Sunday. We particularly enjoyed the ahi appetizer, with the crispy rice bank.
Low point: The after-dinner coffee was surprisingly weak and not worth the $3.50. Also, was disappointed that we weren't told of the night's wine specials. I didn't see them until I passed by the bar (where they were written on a chalkboard) on the way to the restroom.
Miso-marinated black cod
Overall impression: Guerrero has adjusted the Max menu to add several touches first seen at the Oinkster -- and as big Oinkster fans, we approve. We never visited Max in its original incarnation, but the current version nicely melds casual elements with more upscale elements. The bistro vibe is nice, and the place was packed on a Sunday night.
Chance we'll go back: We're not in the habit of spending that much on regular dinners, but if we're looking to go slightly more upscale -- but not too upscale, and still casual -- Max is a nice middle ground.
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