Light & Healthy's variety of fresh offerings draw both tame and adventurous sushi lovers

Backwards baseball caps and t-shirts that read "I Love Dead Fish" aren't usually the standard garb for serious sushi chefs. But at Light & Healthy Sushi Bar on Lyons Avenue in Newhall, the seriousness of the restaurant is where it should be: in its fresh, top-quality sushi. In fact, the casual attire behind the sushi bar is all part of the charm at this no-frills restaurant, where substance over style is the key ingredient.

Open now for over 15 years, Light & Healthy has remained a favorite in Santa Clarita and has lost few converts, if any, to the newer sushi restaurants that have popped up in this valley. After sampling from other establishments, diners always seem to come back to the sushi bar at Light & Healthy, and judging from its friendly atmosphere and tasty offerings it's easy to see why.

Table seating is available at Light & Healthy, but to fully enjoy the character (or characters) of the restaurant, the all-you-can-eat sushi at the bar is the best bet. The chefs are not at all intimidating. Of course, regular diners have their favorites, but newcomers are in good hands no matter who is doing the rolling and slicing.

After pulling up a seat at the sushi bar, diners shouldn't be fooled by the simple, yet ample sushi selection on the all-you-can-eat menu. While Light & Healthy doesn't serve up the most unusual or exotic types of sushi, the quality, freshness, and taste of its maki (cut rolls) and nigiri (sliced fish pressed onto a pad of rice) is unsurpassed in Santa Clarita.

The Spicy Tuna Hand Roll stands out from the menu with freshly chopped tuna bursting from its crisp seaweed cone. The Tuna Nigiri is simplicity at its best as a perfect sliver of deep red tuna lounges atop a pillow of sushi rice with just the right amount of wasabi dabbed between.

Albacore Sashimi Plate

The gamut of salmon sushi is perhaps the best indication of Light & Healthy's fresh fare as the fishy smell often associated with salmon is absent from any of the delicious salmon offerings on the menu. The Salmon Skin Hand Roll is stuffed and bursting with warm salmon and its crispy delectable skin. The Salmon Nigiri is excellent as sliced salmon (sprinkled with smelt roe, sliced scallions, and drizzled with ponzu sauce) is perched atop a bed of sushi rice. For the more adventurous, the salmon roe sushi crowned with a raw quail egg makes for a salty and rich delicacy.

Raw eggs of fish and fowl aside, there are more palatable options for the less-than-daring crowd as well, such as the easy-pleasing California Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll, or the Shrimp and Crab Roll. Whatever the selection, diners are sure to enjoy any dish at Light & Healthy. In addition to the variety of maki and nigiri sushi on the all-you-can-eat menu, standard dishes such as Teriyaki Chicken, Miso Soup, and Egg Rolls are available from the kitchen. Although all of these side dishes are outstanding, diners usually save room for the fish - after all, it is all you can eat.

Light & Healthy Sushi Bar is open seven days a week. All-you-can-eat sushi lunch is available for $22.95 per diner and all-you-can-eat dinner is $24.95 per diner. Light & Healthy Sushi Bar is located at 23546 Lyons Avenue in Newhall and can be reached at 255-1921.