The recently opened and aptly named Fenixa Breakfast & Sushi is a business risen from the ashes of the tragic fire in March that partially destroyed Geisha Japanese Restaurant.
Fenixa founder Raymundo Cortes had worked at Geisha for over 20 years, initially a dishwasher who was quickly promoted through the ranks to manager. When the restaurant closed, Cortes and business partner Daniel Sanchez, along with many other longtime employees at Geisha, were looking for work, so they decided to pool their money and resources to open Fenixa in September.
The space’s blended design and décor mirror the cuisine: traditional American breakfast in the morning and sushi at night, both with Mexican influence. Breakfast options boast chilaquiles and huevos rancheros, along with a classic scratch-made country-fried steak, seafood-specialized omelets and blueberry, chocolate and strawberry pancakes.
Sushi side selections include fresh sashimi and nigiri in addition to rolls like California with real crab meat, the Home Ruler with spicy albacore, avocado, cucumber and cilantro topped with yellowtail, jalapeño and ponzu, and the vegetarian fave Spiced House combining tempura eggplant, yam, carrot, and baked tofu topped with yellow curry. Beverage offerings are choice espresso and an extensive selection of loose-leaf tea, with future plans to offer beer/wine.
How did breakfast and sushi end up under one roof?
RAYMUNDO CORTES: Before we took over this space, it was a breakfast place and both Daniel and I had previous experience cooking breakfast, so we thought that would be a good idea. And since we already had the space, we thought why not offer sushi too, because we were so familiar with it from our time at Geisha.
Describe the Mexican menu influence.
Daniel and I are both Mexican and grew up there cooking traditional food we learned how to make from our mothers. That was our culinary foundation, but working here in America, we cooked mostly classic breakfasts along with Asian cuisine, which is what we serve here. But our Mexican roots still come through in menu items like chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, the homemade salsas and other little Mexican touches. And that’s the same for the sushi, utilizing ingredients like jalapeño and cilantro. We also plan on expanding the menu, doing fusion dishes, adding salsa to the sushi rolls and maybe even doing rolls with carne asada and al pastor.
2623 41st Avenue, Soquel, 831-201-4886; fenixasushi.com
