Mountain Views News          Saturday, May 21, 2016

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, May 21, 2016 


Walking Sierra Madre…The Social Side 

by Deanne Davis

“It all comes back to the basics. Serve customers 
the best-tasting food at a good value in a clean, 
comfortable restaurant, and they’ll keep coming 
back.” Dave Thomas

This is so true, friends and neighbors, and we predict 
that Sierra Fusion (formerly Sierra Brigante) will have 
Sierra Madreans beating a path back to their door on 
a fairly constant basis. To begin with, it’s beautiful, 
it’s comfortable and the feel is relaxed elegance. Their 
opening Friday the 13th was packed out and a good 
friend who was there enjoyed a perfect filet mignon, 
served on a zucchini and gouda cake. She’s still 
talking about it. And, yes, there is patio dining where 
one can relax with a plate of Korean style wings, a 
glass of something adult and yummy and gaze up at 
our own personal mountains and the jacarandas at 
their most beautiful. That same good friend, Celia 
Kalm, and I enjoyed a patio lunch there which 
involved the Blistered Shishito Peppers with little 
crispy Chicharon flakes and the Wagyu Kobe Beef 
sliders garnished with Humboldt Fog cheese and 
caramelized onions. We split the flourless chocolate 
cake for dessert and pronounced our sunny patio 
luncheon...divine! 

 Sierra Fusion is serving fresh sushi and sashimi 
under the direction of Executive Sushi Chef, Joseph 
Ungrue; who, along with his fiancé, Christina Duarte, 
the Executive Chef, are the owners of this exciting 
new restaurant. Look for tuna, salmon, octopus, 
shrimp and halibut sushi and sashimi and observe 
your choices being prepared by Chef Joseph at the 
sushi bar. Entrees include Wagyu Kobe Beef Flat 
Iron Steak and several other steak choices, Kurobuta 
Pork Chop, Jidori Chicken, Glazed Duck, Diver 
Scallops served with a sweet potato cake...that’s the 
one I want to try after seeing it served on the patio...
Ora King Salmon, Pan Seared Sea Bass and a Maine 
Lobster served with Orecchiette pasta. If you weren’t 
hungry before, you are now! The wine list includes 
13 carefully chosen wines, Saki will be featured, along 
with a number of Asian craft beers (think Asahi and 
Sapporo) and Sierra Nevada, too.

 Jo and Christina have not wasted a minute of their 
young lives. They are both extremely experienced and 
have learned the restaurant business from the ground 
up. Jo’s family has been all over the United States, in 
the hospitality industry and his Dad, Edward Ungrue, 
Executive Chef at San Gabriel Country Club is also 
the driving force behind California Crazy Chefs 
Catering and Slammin’ Sliders food trucks. 

 Wanting to excel in Japanese cuisine and sushi, 
Jo attended the Sushi institute of America, led 
by Katsuya Uechi, an innovator who originated 
traditional Japanese cuisine in a modern setting. Jo 
met Christina (the love of his life) at San Gabriel 
Country Club where they both worked. They moved 
to Las Vegas and worked there for two years; Jo at 
the Bellagio Hotel at Yellowtail, the Japanese and 
Korean fusion restaurant and bar, gaining experience 
working killer 12-14 hour days under some of the 
best sushi chefs in Las Vegas.

 Christina’s parents are from Zacatecas, Mexico. 
Born and raised in Southern California, she attended 
Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena and completed her 
internship at San Gabriel Country Club. While in Las 
Vegas she helped open up Katsuya at the SLS Hotel 
then moved on to a position at La Cave Wine and 
Tapas Bar at Wynn hotel. Working in Las Vegas and 
experiencing the fast paced kitchens there prepared 
Jo and Christina to run their own restaurant here in 
Sierra Madre.

 I walked away from my chat with Jo and Christina 
saying, “These people are awesome! This place is 
awesome!” Hours for Sierra Fusion are lunch Tues-
Fri: 11-3. They close post-lunch then reopen for 
dinner: Tues-Thurs: 5-9. Fridays: 5-10. Sun: 10-3. Sat: 
10 a.m.- 10 p.m. Breakfast and Brunch are planned to 
start in June and you can check with Sierra Fusion for 
weekend hours – 626-355-3030. The address: 120 W. 
Sierra Madre Blvd. 

 Town updates: Les Champs Elysees is definitely 
and sadly gone and Centric Bike is closing. The empty 
store next to Happy’s Liquors is currently Emily’s 
PopUp Store, a used goodies store to raise funds for 
Sierra Madre’s own Emily Duggan, currently in City 
of Hope. Stop in and see what you could take home 
to help Emily. There were lots of books, btw. Take a 
look.

 The new pastor – Tara Beth Leach - at First 
Church of the Nazarene, Pasadena – west about a 
mile down Sierra Madre Blvd. starts this Sunday, 
May 22nd. Come meet her! One service at 10:30 a.m. 
All are welcome.

My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis

Blog: www.authordeanne.com

 “Tablespoon of Love, Tablespoon of Laughter” is 
available there.

SIGN UP NOW FOR DODGER STADIUM TOUR 

Sierra Madre, CA. – May 13, 2016 – Sign up 
now for your spot on the L. A. Dodger Stadium 
Tour and Box Lunch on July 16. Board a bus 
at 9:00 am in front of the Sierra Madre Public 
Library for a short ride to Dodger Stadium and 
take part in an exclusive hour-and-a-half-long 
tour behind the scenes, followed by a box lunch 
with Dodger dogs. 

 The tour is part of One Book One City, a 
popular annual community reading program 
sponsored by the Sierra Madre Public Library. 
The deadline to reserve your spot is July 1. 
Ticket prices are: $45 adults, and $35 seniors 
and youth under 18.

 The Natural, by Pulitzer Prize-winning 
author Bernard Malamud, is this year’s OBOC 
choice. The witty and biting novel is thought 
by many to be the best baseball book ever 
written. OBOC invites everyone in the area to 
read and discuss the same book during a month 
of exciting programs. The goals are to build a 
sense of community, promote literacy, and 
have fun.

 The Dodger Stadium Tour is only one of a 
series of baseball related activities during July. 
Reservation forms are available at the Library 
and online at www.cityofsierramadre.com/
services/library. 


SHARE SOME 

GOOD NEWS! 

 “The Kindness of Strangers” feature encourages readers 
to share their stories. I can assure you, they will be 
uplifting especially in contrast to all the the challenges 
and issues we have to deal with daily. So, if you have 
something you would like to share, please submit it to: 
editor@mtnviewsnews.com. It doesn’t matter where you 
were or when it happened. Share your good expeiences in hope that it might bring a little joy and/
or inspire someone.

 -Susan Henderson, Editor/Publisher MVNews


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com