Mahe Restaurant Offers a Refreshing Atmosphere and Great Sushi

During such a crazy week of hosting and toasting, wrapping, celebrating and with everyone home from school, it did not seem like a good time to try a new restaurant, so I brought my husband and two kids to one of our regular spots, Mahe, in Dana Point, located at 24961 Dana Point Harbor Dr.  

We love the casual but modern feel of the restaurant, as well as the friendly and helpful staff. They have a comfortable, heated patio in front for dining, a sushi bar, the regular dining room, a lively bar and Teppan tables. We love sushi, so almost always opt for the sushi bar, but this night, it was too full, so we went to the dining room. It is decorated with blonde wood, clean-lined furniture and beautiful polished surfboards hanging on walls, high ceilings and large windows.

Our waiter took our drink order and brought us complementary edamame quickly. My husband and I split a large Sapporo, but they have a full bar, wine list and offer several wines by the glass.

Mahe has a varied menu of appetizers, ranging from a grilled artichoke to steamed clams and fresh oysters. My daughter ordered the coconut shrimp appetizer. It came with six jumbo shrimp prepared with coconut tempura and served with a chili sauce for dipping. She thoroughly enjoyed it.

When it comes to ordering sushi, the Kehlets are creatures of habit and although we certainly have not tried all of the 22 sushi rolls on the menu, we can enthusiastically recommend our favorites. I choose the Jackie Chan roll every time we eat at Mahe. I love salmon, and the Jackie Chan roll is a California roll with a generous portion of crab, topped with salmon and avocado. It has never disappointed.

My husband loves tempura and so for him, the Super Crunchy roll is the one he always orders. It contains shrimp tempura and fresh vegetables. It is topped with a zig-zag of flavorful sauce. This night he branched out and also tried the Rain roll.  It also contains tempura shrimp and crab inside with Cajun tuna and avocado on the outside. This was delicious, but super spicy and it definitely has a kick to it.

My son went with the Crunchy roll, which is the Super Crunchy without the veggies and sauce. He also loves the Spider roll, which includes soft shell crab, crab and cucumber. My daughter had the Mango roll, which looked fabulous and had crab, yellowtail, mango and avocado with bluefin tuna on top.

The sushi is always good here, and we love the sushi chefs who are happy to make you something special, if you ask. Mahe seems to draw a nice group of people and we have often had the opportunity to meet, and chat with other patrons at the sushi bar. There is a large screen television over the sushi bar, so it is a great spot to catch some college football or an Angels’ game. They have live music on the weekend and special pricing during Happy Hour. Although we have not had a meal at the Teppan tables, we often see families, especially with younger kids enjoying that. There is a fairly large regular menu that includes steaks, seafood, salads and other entrees in addition to the sushi. If you need a refreshing break from the holiday craziness or any time, I recommend Mahe.

I give Mahe 4 out of 5 Patches.