Unique Oceanside, Oceanside

When putting together his edible art, Unique Oceanside’s chef Andy Yang uses seafood-preparation methods from around the world, be it for his hot and cold tapas or for his sushi and European-style entrees. “It is hardly the only place around that mixes sushi and Japanese standards with Western dishes. … But Unique does it very well,” says Joanna Starkey in her New York Times review. Starkey particularly praises Yang’s crispy lobster dish, a pairing of Maine lobster with phyllo dough, as a small plate ideal for sharing.

Even main dishes such as duck confit and wasabi-bedecked chilean sea bass cannot escape his creative touches, which also extend to his sushi rolls. Chef Yang’s Monkey Jump roll tucks tuna in with sweet mango and fiery jalapeño and his Scottish Goat roll wraps Scottish salmon with creamy goat cheese for a flavor named after what was once the country’s biggest dance craze.