Pete,
Tei An is a great restaurant; Teach, the chef has been a finalist for the James Beard Southwest Chef of the Year three times in the last four years. While Tei An does serve sushi, it is only a small portion of an extensive menu. SueSue and I are there every Saturday night that we are in town.
My advice is to first review the list of the evening’s specials and look for the tempura and fish specials. The fish collars are excellent, esp. the baby yellowtail collar. We are usually looking for fish that we have never had before, like cornet fish, bonnetmouth, or currently tilefish koji style. Then focus on the tempura dishes, recently French beans and fresh sea eel. If no special menu tempura dishes are interesting to you, order the vegetable tempura that is on the regular menu. Teach’s tempuras are amazing. Another favorite is green tea soba with micro greens a beautiful dish that illustrates Teach’s very light touch with dressings and seasoning. The dish is greatly enhanced with uni, which is optional. Also, on the regular menu is duck yanagawa an amazing dish. Other favorites include white seaweed salad, Shumai dumplings, chicken hearts, pork skewers, tuna carpaccio, and scallop carpaccio. Also you can trust the wait staff for their recommendations.
I will be there tonight with Florida Jim and Diane and will get tonight’s special list, scan it, and email it to you. Send me your email address to
senna22@hotmail.com.
Feel free to use my name when making reservations it might help you. Yo is the front of the house manager. Or if you like, I will be happy to make the reservation for you.
It is a truly great restaurant and would be in any U.S. city. Despite eating every week, we always have great food adventures there every time.
best,
bill
