Spend a few minutes with Carol Tan, owner of the exciting new Japanese fusion restaurant Aozora which opens this March in the Danville Livery, and you can’t help but be drawn into her engaging energy. She often punctuates her spoken sentences with a laugh and a clap, and her eyes constantly dance with glee. What Tan, owner of five Bay Area restaurants, was particularly gleeful about when I sat down to talk with her in December was a chance to bring her restaurant and her energy to the Livery, a center she fell in love with right away. “I just love this center,” she said. “I love the wood storefronts and the trees. It’s peaceful. My restaurant is going to bring people in here. They will want to eat at my restaurant and then see what a cool place this is.”
Aozora will feature a modern menu spotlighting fresh, high-quality ingredients. Tan is obsessed with quality, both in her life and in her restaurants. “If you want to have quality of life, you need quality products,” she said. “And only high-quality ingredients make high-quality dishes.” One of Tan’s favorites is the Gyu Tataki, a Wagyu beef with daikon, ponzu and crisp garlic. The beef cut is Gold American Wagyu, and it is cooked on an open fire. Tan believes the open fire allows Aozora’s chefs to prepare beef, pork and fish dishes that are especially flavorful. One dish that customers may want to explore is the Miso Cod, miso marinated and flavored by the open fire.
The Japanese restaurant will be anchored, of course, in the sushi and the beautiful, high-quality fish stocked in the sushi bar. The head chef brings 20 years of experience as a sushi chef to Aozora and is known for his elegant rolls. The quality fish will make the sashimi and nigiri a particularly popular choice for patrons, who may want to try the Assorted Sashimi, Chef’s Choice.
Danville residents will also love Tan’s fresh approach to cuisine that brings other cultures to the traditional Japanese menu. One of Tan’s favorite dishes is the fried Brussels sprouts with Karashi mustard vinaigrette. She says she orders Brussels sprouts everywhere she goes, but that the sauce and the preparation at Aozora creates a unique take on the dish. The sunflower sprouts with baby gem lettuce and orange and strawberry vinaigrette present another lively offering. Tan brings in the produce for the salad from an organic farm in San Rafael, but all of her produce is local and organic.
Tan has cut no corners in the ambience as well. She is using the same designer who laid out two of her-other restaurants, Kakui and Akemi. The restaurant features a sushi bar with salvaged wood, suspended, pendant lighting and creative finishes such as handwriting on the walls. Even the bathrooms are impeccably executed, with custom made counter tops and sophisticated lighting treatments. “I want to build a beautiful dining room. My designer puts her own personality into everything she does. She takes a lot of time and insists it is done right,” Tan said.
Tan says she always puts herself in the role of the customer before she finalizes any decision. She believes that if something feels good or tastes good to her, then her customers will be happy. “Why not come to me,” Tan said to end our interview, her eyes gleaming. “I will take care of you so well.” Danville residents will certainly be both happy and well-taken care of when they visit Aozora.
Visit Aozora Japanese Restaurant located at 818 Sycamore Valley Road, Danville, California 94526
DanvilleLivery.com
Leave a Reply