The last spot we visited was Masago Neo Asian Fusion, located in Oceanside. The restaurant is celebrating its grand opening, having been feeding Japanese food lovers for 3 weeks now. When we arrived the place is packed and throughout the evening the line even goes out the door. The restaurant is decked out in bright reds and contrasting blacks. There is a very large sushi bar on the right side of the restaurant and the rest is filled with black wooden tables and large comfortable booths. There are a few tiled columns in the middle separating the dining side from the bar and some decorative wooden dividers as well. The style is modern Japanese, with ornamental art pieces and lighting. We take a spot in a cozy back corner after being greeted by the manager and our lovely host, Haychan.

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  Dim Sum Sampler We waste no time and dig into the Dim Sum Sampler. It is composed of gyoza, shumai, Szechuan, duck and vegetable dumplings. Gyoza are pork dumplings and shumai are shrimp dumplings, both of which were steamed. Dumplings are pieces of dough filled with various ingredients, crimped shut and either pan seared or steamed. Compared to wontons, do not get them confused, the dough is thicker and chewier and they are typically curvy in shape. Dumplings are served with a soy based sauce infused with ginger. Our dish also was accompanied by hoisin and sweet and sour sauce. The shrimp shumai were light with a hint of garlic, the duck was very tasty and rich, the vegetable ones were a nice mix and crunchy, the pork was incredibly flavorful and the szechuan equally as good. We also very much enjoyed their sweet and sour sauce which had a great spice to it.

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  Chilean Sea Bass Next we were served the Chilean Sea Bass. It was pan seared and served on a bed of roasted vegetables. The vegetables included, potatoes, green onions, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini and mushrooms. The dish was topped with long strips of crispy fried potatoes and plated in a yuzu sauce. Chilean sea bass is one of my favorite fish. Scientifically known as the Patagonian toothfish, the fish lives in cold waters and typically averages around 20 pounds. The fish is a thick, firm white fish with a rich but mild, sweet taste. This dish does not disappoint and it is amazing. The fish is flawlessly cooked and easily flakes with a fork. The yuzu sauce, from the Asian citrus fruit yuzu, adds the right amount of tart to balance the sweet fish. The vegetables are perfectly roasted. We are surprised at just how quickly we polish this one off, a must try.

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  Tom Yam Soup To help our colds, seems we always have them, we order some hot soup. We try the Tom Yam and Seafood Soup. The Tom Yam is a spicy authentic Thai soup. The broth is clear and is distinctly hot and sour at the same time due to the chili peppers and lemongrass used in its base. There are pieces of mushrooms, shrimp, peppers, basil and chunks of pineapple in the soup. The soup is light and has a nice, but subtle heat. There is a strong taste of basil and the pineapple is a nice sweet treat. I have never been served pineapple before in Tom Yam and enjoy it very much.

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  Seafood Soup The Seafood Soup is a clear chicken based broth served loaded with some vegetables and super fresh fish. It is light and healthy and hits the spot. Out of the crab, shrimp and scallops we find in the soup, the scallops are our favorite. They are rather large in size and tender, having absorbed the broth.

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  Pan Seared Tuna with Soba Noodles Pan Seared Tuna with Soba Noodles arrives next. The dish is sesame crusted seared tuna served fully surrounding a portion of soba noodles. On top of the noodles is a heaping pile of seaweed salad. The entire dish is garnished with both a wasabi and a spicy mayo glaze and pineapples adorn the plate. It is beautifully presented and one of their specialty dishes. The tuna is perfectly seared and the seeds give a nice contrasting crunch. The seaweed salad also provides a nice crunch and has a light flavor. The soba noodles have a hint of a peanut sauce and a great flavor. Soba is Japanese for buckwheat and the noodles are thin and circular in shape, similar to spaghetti. The noodles are typically served cold and only available for harvest four times throughout the year. These noodles are addicting, in fact the whole dish is. It is truly unique and very playful on the palate between the soft and crunchy textures and the spices of the sauce. It is easy to see why we notice many tables eating this one.

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  Opened up.

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  Seafood Rainbow Casserole We are brought another chef's specialty, Seafood Rainbow Casserole. This dish is a large mixture of fish and vegetables served in a Thai curry sauce. The fish is jumbo prawn, lobster tail and scallops. The vegetables are potatoes, mushrooms, onions, peppers and eggplant. There are also pieces of lemon grass and chunks of tofu. Tofu, also known as bean curd, is made by curdling soy milk and pressing it into white blocks. Though that may not sound appetizing to some, the result is a is a firm block with a subtle flavor that easily adheres the taste of whatever it is cooked in. And there is plenty of flavor in this dish. The lobster is impeccable, the shrimp succulent and the scallops again burst with flavor. The flavor of the curry is enjoy and the spice is more of an undertone, making it just right. If not sure what you are in the mood for, this tasty dish has a little bit of everything encompassed in it.

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  Sashimi Next we get into the raw fish and are treated to a variety of sashimi. We are brought tuna, salmon, white tuna and yellowtail. It arrives on a plate with bright blue lights and sits on a bed of shredded radish.
  
  White Tuna The white tuna, which is technically escolar in this case, is the stand out of the group. It is rich and flavorsome.
  
  Yellowtail The yellowtail is smooth and tender.
  
  Salmon The salmon is very thick, with a crisp clean flavor.
  
  Tuna The tuna pleasantly surprises us, as it has an amazing texture. Often time tuna sashimi can be tough. This can either be caused by the thick muscles in the fish or if fresh is not fresh. In this case the pieces nearly melts in the mouth. One of the best we have had.
  
  

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  Painted Lady Afterwards we are brought our first sushi roll of the evening, the Painted Lady. It is large pieces of lobster, mango and asparagus wrapped in pink soy paper. It is then topped with spicy tuna, avocado, mango sauce and red tobiko. Soy paper is derived from soy beans, comes in a wide range of colors and some prefer the soft texture and blander taste when compared to seaweed nori. Overall this roll is no joke - each piece is jammed pack and large in size. It is almost hard to eat them as one or two fell apart due to the weight. The lobster pieces are generous in size and have a nice subtle flavor. The spicy tuna has a nice heat and is not loaded with mayo. There is a strong taste of mango and an added juiciness from the thickly sliced fruit. The roll is very soft in texture and rich with a light, sweet taste and little punch of spice. As one of our favorite combinations of flavors, we enjoy this very much.

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  Up close.

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  Six Flags Another one of their signature rolls, Six Flags is next. The roll is crab, shrimp and avocado inside. It is then tempura fried, sliced and topped with a mix of spicy tuna, salmon and yellowtail. It is dressed with eel sauce, wasabi sauce and spicy mayo. Like the theme park, this is jam packed with action. The warmth of the roll hits first and it is followed by spice. The crab, Alaskan King which can be as sweet and rich as lobster at times, is very fresh and along with the shrimp provide a little reprise from all the other ingredients. The roll is a little heavy and gooey, with all the ingredients and sauce.

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  Xmas Roll Even though it is the middle of the summer we try the Xmas Roll. The roll is spicy lobster, crab, shrimp, avocado, cucumber and fish egg wrapped in soy paper. Fish egg is the same as roe. Roe is the egg masses of fish. Roe can be either hard or soft, like ikura. Ikura, salmon roe is larger in size and has a soft salty middle. The pieces of the Xmas roll are teardrop shaped and placed on our plate to form an actual Christmas tree. We thought the roll may have been simple and bland in taste, but it is surprisingly refreshing. It is pure and delicious and has just a touch of spice from the lobster meat. If in the mood for something enjoyable and light, this is your roll.

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  Jalapeno Yummy We indulge our love of spice and try the Jalapeno Yummy. It is white tuna and avocado wrapped in soy paper. It is topped with yellowtail, jalapeno and a special sauce. It is plated with large strips of mango and tobiko. Jalapeno peppers are a form of chili peppers, that are green and spicy. Often they are pickled, but if you have them fresh they are even hotter. The level of heat can vary, depending on when the pepper is cultivated. In this case the jalapenos are not too spicy. The heat from the peppers is well contrasted by the bland and oily white tuna and yellowtail. The mango is a good idea as it is nice to munch on to remove some of the heat from your mouth.

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  Up close.

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  Out of Control Roll We continue with sushi and try the Out of Control Roll. The roll has asparagus, avocado and yellowtail inside. It is then topped with tuna, salmon, eel sauce, spicy miso sauce, tempura flakes and tobiko. It is the first roll that we have that is wrapped in nori and uses rice versus soy paper. The rice that is on this roll is brown rice, though it looks closer to black in color. We are told that the rice is imported from Japan and very difficult to find in stores. It is thicker than typical brown rice and sticks to the sushi better than any other brown rice rolls we have had. It has a distinct, almost nutty flavor. As for the roll itself, it tastes more like vegetables than fish. It is very crunchy and has a smoky undertone.

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  Osaka Box We opt for something sweeter and try the Osaka Box. This roll is a layered roll. It is shaped in long rectangle pieces and is layered with spicy tuna and tuna. Some pieces are topped with white tuna and others have regular tuna on top. The whole thing is drizzled with strawberry sauce and tempura flakes. Again this roll has the delicious brown rice. The tuna goes very well with the strawberry sauce. Strawberries sauces are simply a mix of strawberries, perfect season right now, and sugar which are often combined with either something sweet like vanilla, or zesty like lemon juice. Ours was more on the sweet side. It was almost like a light, enjoyable, soft, sushi cake.

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  Long Island Roll Next came the Long Island Roll. It had shrimp and huge chunks of mango inside. It was then topped with scallops, spicy mayo and sweet plum sauce. The mango and shrimp inside paired well together and the mango was very juicy. The scallops atop were clean and pure. The spicy mayo and sweet plum sauce were a nice contrast. Plum sauces are made from sweet plums, sugar, vinegar, ginger and red chilies. Overall this roll was very flavorful and again the brown rice was a nice touch.

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  Angry Dragon Nearly bursting we settle on ordering one more, The Angry Dragon. This is shrimp tempura, avocado and spicy tuna inside soy paper. It is then topped with shredded crab and served with nuta sauce. The main ingredients in nuta sauces are miso and vinegar. Often times it is sweetened with sugar. The nuta sauce add a nice flavor and a touch of sweet to the spicy and smoky roll. The shredded crab is very delicious and not imitation. Again the pieces here are huge and a little hard to manage but worth it.

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  Cappuccino Truffle Since we came this far, and they have some many to choose from, we order Cappuccino Truffle for dessert. The dessert is cappuccino gelato with an espresso center that has been covered in coffee flavored meringue sprinkles. Meringue is made by whipping egg whites and sugar together. Often times cream of tartar or cornstarch is used to bind them. The meringue flavored sprinkles taste like coffee flavored rice krispies. As far as dessert go this dish is on the lighter side. The coffee taste in the gelato is strong and this is a coffee lover's delight.

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  Opened up.