THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Culture 22

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Culture 22 Restaurant Review:

The décor of this trendy Old Pasadena restaurant incorporates a wall imprinted with dozens of fleur-de-lis, glam crystal chandeliers, auburgine banquettes, plus a white marble sushi bar and dramatic floral arrangements. The concept is unusual---one side of the menu is modern French, with items like foie gras terrine, pork rillettes and chicken confit, while the other side is Japanese (e.g. spicy tuna on rice cakes, steamed monkfish liver with orange ponzu, miso-glazed black cod). Chef Hiroshi Kawahito mans the sushi bar, while the kitchen turns out an array of small plates, like crispy almond flour-crusted fried clams with a pistou aïoli and ricotta-stuffed squash blossoms. Finish with a cheese plate, ice cream or strawberry shortcake. The wine list is not particularly noteworthy, and we wish a larger selection of sakés was offered.