What: The spicy tuna tostada
Where: Sandfish Sushi and Whiskey, 1556 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
How much: $18
Contact: 760-537-1022; sandfishps.com
Why: It’s delicious—and a lot of food.
Sandfish Sushi and Whiskey has become one of our go-to restaurants when we’re in the mood for a splurge meal. The service is great; the fish is impeccably fresh; and where else in the Coachella Valley can you dine al fresco, with a lovely mountain view, while sitting in a shipping container? (They’re included in the parklet that takes up part of the former parking lot.)
“Splurge” is the key word here. When you spend $24 for a signature roll, and $15 for a cocktail, and so on, the tab adds up fast. It’s worth it, yes—chef Engin Onural has proven himself many times over at Sandfish and Palm Desert’s The Venue—but I am an underpaid journalist with a limited budget.
However, there is one dish that I’d happily go to Sandfish and order even when I wasn’t in a splurge mood: the spicy tuna tostada.
It’s easy to miss on the menu, listed as it is—sixth in a list of 11 appetizers, without a description. In fact, I may have missed it on my recent visit if it hadn’t been included as part of the omakase meal I’d enjoyed during a previous Sandfish trip. Here’s a description that can be found on an online Sandfish tasting menu: “crispy gyoza topped with spicy tuna, teriyaki sauce, spicy aioli, scallions and feta.”
Yummy, right? Well, here’s the budgetary kicker: For the $18 price, you get not one, not two, but four spicy tuna tostadas. It’s a lot of food—so much so, in fact, that it could serve as an entrée despite its humble, no-description “appetizer” menu listing.
Go. Enjoy fresh fish and mountain views while sitting in a shipping container—without emptying your wallet.