A California Travelogue, Via Whole Foods Shopping Bags

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Oxnard

Rate-A-Restaurant #324/325: Sakura Cha-Ya and Fisherman's House Sushi (Oxnard)

Restaurant: Sakura Cha Ya and Fisherman's House Sushi

Location: 2810 South Harbor Boulevard (Oxnard)

Type of restaurant: Japanese and Sushi



We stipulated: We spent the night at the nearby Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach Resort, and were looking for a nearby spot for a fast lunch. I saw the reviews for Sakura Cha-Ya, which touted its authentic curry and noodle dishes.

They stipulated: Both Sakura Cha-Ya and Fisherman's House are located in the same small food court setup. These are not a table service spots -- but that's what allowed us to try both.



What we ordered: Sakura Cha Ya -- tempura udon (2 shrimp and assorted vegetables, over rice, plus miso soup, salad and dessert; $8.95) and soba noodles ($5). Fisherman's House Sushi -- Combo plate of sushi (Spicy tuna, shrimp tempura, California roll)




High point:  Good price for the sushi -- not bad quality for the mid-range price. And I enjoyed the soba noodles from Sakura Cha-Ya, once it finally arrived.

Low point:  And that brings us to the long wait we faced at Sakura Cha-Ya. The place wasn't crowded, yet we waited more than 30 minutes for our food. And when it came... it was sent to the wrong table. It took another 5 minutes for the employee to notice. The person who got the food promised up and down that she didn't touch it. I was dubious about that, but we were so hungry, we took it anyway. There was no offer of free dessert or anything to make up for our awkward wait.

Overall impression: I always like finding hole-in-the-wall joints with decent food. This weird food court came close, and it was located conveniently for folks staying at the Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach.

Will we return: I could see us trying the sushi again if we were ever back in Oxnard... but we won't go out of our way.

Catching Crabs in Oxnard

We've been on a quickie road trip kick lately; you may remember our jaunt up to the Angeles National Forest to see the snow a few weeks back. That same weekend, we hit Oxnard.

Oxnard? As in, Ventura County, but not Ventura? Yes -- and for one reason: Seafood.



Oxnard's Fisherman's Wharf (located at Channel Islands Harbor) is pretty much a sad shell of what I assume it once was; with redevelopment on the way, for now it's mostly empty storefronts. But I kinda like it that way. The experience is almost that of heading to an old, run-down town in New England. Crowds are sparse, the buildings are closed, yet yes, it's still alive with boats (we watched a Coast Guard vessel come ashore for lunch). The architecture is also very Cape Cod.



We came for lunch. While most of the wharf is empty, the Channel Islands Seafood Market is still open, and still packs a crowd. It was there where we met up with the extended family to celebrate the birthday of Maria's brother Jeremy. Crab, fish, etc., all there and prepared to your specifications.



A few more pics:


Having been fed around the wharf for years, the birds here are aggressive. Our nephew walked a way from his plate for just a minute -- but that was enough time for a pack of birds to swoop in and devour his slice of birthday pie.


Stay Classy, Oxnard!


Boats, kayaks, etc. rented here.


What will come of the Fisherman Wharf's fake lighthouse, among other things, once redevelopment finally gets underway?

As the Ventura County Star has been covering, Oxnard has approved an almost complete teardown of its Fisherman's Wharf, to be replaced by a new multi-use development.

The new development promises as much as 200,000 square feet of shops and restaurants and nearly 800 apartments. But it's not without controversy:

Ventura County, which owns Channel Islands Harbor, spent years searching for someone to take on redevelopment of the crumbling Fisherman's Wharf center. In June, the county awarded (developer Edward) Czuker a five-year lease, with an option for 65 more years, if he spends at least $20 million on improvements.

That lengthy deal has concerned some. Meanwhile, Czukerhas come up with a Mediterranean-themed set of three buildings that will house stores and restaurants on the first floor, with two to four floors of apartments.

A new Fisherman's Wharf is still years away; plans aren't expected to be approved by the California Coastal Commission until late 2009 or early 2010, the paper said.

That means you still have time to take in the solitude of the current Fisherman's Wharf, before it turns into another dime-a-dozen mixed use property on the water. (Take the 101 north.)