David Graham’s passion for sushi has made him develop a good fist bump.
When I arrive at Geisha’s sushi bar, executive chef David Graham greets me with a fist bump and a smile. “I never did that before, but it’s what I have to do now to shake hands when I’m working with fish,” he says. Geisha, which sits above Souza’s Ice Cream and overlooks the ocean in Capitola, has built a reputation as Santa Cruz’s sustainable sushi bar and possibly its tastiest.
SCW: How did you learn your craft?
DAVID GRAHM: The traditional way, and that is to apprentice yourself. I learned from my sensei, who was born on the island of Hokkaido. One time somebody asked my sensei when he had about 30 years of training under his belt, and he answered without dropping a beat, “still learning,” and that’s the real answer.
How do you make a Coco Loco?
You lay out what’s called a six-way, which is a roll with rice on the outside like a California roll. Lay out some cream cheese with some spiced pineapple and spicy tuna. Take it to the kitchen—they tempura it. Bring it back. Pour some homemade teriyaki sauce over the top and some homemade toasted coconut over the top, and that is a Coco Loco.
What’s the point of sustainable sushi?
To ensure the future of the oceans and the fisheries that we’re exploiting at this point in time. The idea is to change from exploiting to having a more in-tune relationship with nature—probably more in key with what sushi was like over 100 years ago when they harvested what locally was available and then they had to move onto what was available the next season.
This ginger tastes really good.
I’m glad you noticed that. The ginger we use is not sweetened with saccharine—it’s sweetened with sugar, and it has no MSG in it, and there’s no food coloring to give it that pink color.
Do you think about sushi on your days off?
It’s an all-encompassing job, yes. When you have your day off, you have the opportunity to think of something new.
