Pacific Rim Cuisine Aloha Spirit Beach Front Dining "Who Could Ask For More?" "Couple exceptional cuisine with exquisite scenery and the result is bound to be a memorable dining experience." Busters combines its' friendly "Aloha Spirit" with the above in establishing what we consider to be a remarkable contribution to our Culinary Region. by Wayne Hardin - Editor in Chief So Cal Food.com Manila Steamers, New World Chips and Rip-Tide Guacamole, Half Moon Bay Cioppino, Balinese Baby Back Ribs, and Pad Thai Xanadu exemplify Busters' versatile menu of extraordinary Culinary talent. With a focus on what many have reflected to be "Island" cuisine, Aloha Restaurants (Monterey Canners-Jolly Rogers) has graced SoCal with the presence of Busters Beach House and Longboard Bar in two fabulous locations- Seaport Village in San Diego, and Alamitos Bay -Long Beach We've had the pleasure of sampling both locations, lunch and dinner- announced and un-announced, with waves of dining sensations throughout. Consistency, a vital part of successful restaurant operations, was found abundantly in both locations. Service with "Aloha Spirit" is an understatement, we witnessed a focused mission towards "Customer Satisfaction" - all aspects of our dining experience. As we fathomed the atmosphere and ambiance of Busters, one could not help but taste the sensations of a Coastal Community. Panoramic views of oceanic scenery, bustling murmurs of marina lifestyles, and glimmers of sunshine rebounding off coastal waters virtually onto our laps. As the sun sets, activity within Busters takes on a casual sense of celebration. Live "Beach-Boys" themed entertainment, raised whispers of the days events, with a sense of "Village" unity unlike any we've witnessed before. We've set the scene, now lets "Check Out da Eats!". Our lunch session in Long Beach consisted of Macadamia Nut Crusted Chicken (a large boneless breast delicatelycrusted with a macadamia nut coating, accompanied by an exquisite ginger soy glaze,served atop an abundant nest of garlic mashed potatoes, with spring vegetablesblanched to perfection), and the Pork Luau Sandwich (a healthy portion of shredded pork- slow roasted in banana leaves for 7 hours!- nestled atop grilled Barillo bread, onions, pineapple, and Maui Chutney, accompanied with the best Asian Cole-Slaw I've tasted world-wide!). Portions are extremely generous, as are the prices throughout Busters menu. But what caught my eye in reviewing the menu was the overwhelming diversity and variety available. Culinary creations stemming from all coastal fronts of the globe exemplify the legend behind Busters. As we learned from our Gracious Host, Debi Frumkin (Special Events Director), the menu concept evolved behind the travels of a well respected waterman known throughout many coastal villages as Buster. His love and passion for food, hospitality, and friendship landed him in many restaurant positions as he funded his surfing lifestyle. After many years traveling the globe, and stumbling onto a small "Diamond" find in Africa, Busters dream came to reality as he opened his own restaurant upon returning to Southern California, christening it "Busters Beach House and Long Board Bar. Topping off our lunch in Long Beach, we shared a dessert creation one would not expect to find within a coastal menu, "Crême Brûlée". Now, don't be swayed by the French aura, this version was infused with "Tahitian Vanilla Beans", and exquisitely crafted. Topped with fresh berries and a sprig of mint, my taste sensations were dancing with glee. After a delightful and informative lunch, "We Were Hooked". Three weeks to follow, while entertaining three Culinary Executives from Colorado and Chicago, my first intuition for displaying our regions Culinary Diversity was "Busters". Reservations in San Diego are not always necessary, but suggested. As our party awaited seating, we lounged in the Longboard Bar, sampling exotic blends of Rum concoctions, and the famous "Long Board" appetizer platter of Jamaican Voodoo Chicken - Barbados Crab Cakes - Maui Onion Rings - Coconut Shrimp - Tuna Tsunami - and Fried Calamari, all accompanied with an array of dipping sauces such as cilantro scallion mayo and Bloody Mary cocktail sauce. Coupled with the live music, Tiki-Hut style decor, and exquisite view of the channel, the ambiance was set and my guests were intrigued. Once again, the overwhelming variety offered within Busters menu made for difficult decision making. Once settled, we focused on sampling fare from four different regions of the menu. Our Seafood choosing came from the daily special menu and consisted of "Sesame-Crusted Ono" with jasmine coconut rice and sautéed spring vegetables. Surfing onto the shores of Hawaii, we sampled the Pork Luau with Hawaiian chutney. Venturing onto Thailand, my guest from Chicago and Prominent instructor from the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy, could not stop raving over the Pad Thai Xanadu. Onto the shores of Italy we travel, sampling Cioppino Pasta consisting of a delicate tomato garlic broth swimming with scallops, mussels, fresh fish morsels, clams, shrimp, calamari, atop a bed of al denté linguine. Our final choosing was a traditional "Long Board Pizza" Calypso style. A two foot long "Surfboard" shaped pie topped with Jerk Seasoned Shrimp, Red Onion, Peppers, Avocado, Creole Tomato Sauce, and toasted coconut. Rounding off a remarkable evening, we delved into sweet delicacies of Tempura Banana Fritters, Almond Tacos with Fruit Salsa, Todos Santos - a glorious wave of white chocolate on a triple chocolate brownie, caramel sauce, whipped cream, and a "Surfer Cookie". Busters combines its' friendly "Aloha Spirit" with the above in establishing what we consider to be a remarkable contribution to our Culinary Region. We have profound confidence Busters will achieve many goals throughout it's bright future, and look forward to watching their growth. Special thanks to the staff, both front and back of house, for their dedicated devotion to customer service and consistency in all they do. We'll show our deep appreciation by returning again, and again. Wayne Hardin - Editor in Chief SoCalFood

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BUSTER’S BEACH HOUSE & LONGBOARD BAR

Go to Elmer Dills Restaurant Reviews Here

Reviewed by: Judy Kilpatrick

Few waterside views are as enjoyable as the sweep of Alamitos Bay and the channel going out from there to the ocean. Sitting in Buster’s in the early evening, when sailors are coming home from the sea, it’s like a fascinating freeway of boats from small to huge, displayed against the glimmering sunset. Buster’s sits smack on the channel, and almost every seat in the long narrow rooms enjoys the view. The place didn’t capture the fancy well enough when it was the undistinguished Jolly Roger, but Aloha Restaurants has transformed it, not only the ambience but also the food. It’s now on my Long Beach ten–best list.

The story line tells us that Buster has traveled far and wide and brought back his tropical favorites from seacoasts around the world. The ambience, therefore, is the beach/surfing look. Surfboards hang over the bar and on the walls. The island bar is surrounded by the kind of seating you’d find in the Virgin Islands. The young servers are in Hawaiian shirts. And the dining area carries over the motif. Incidentally, there is live entertainment and much noise in the bar, but you have a choice if you like to be able to converse. Because it’s long and narrow, you can elect to sit at the farthest remove where it’s quieter.

Buster, of course, is mythical (the claim that he brought back mismatched silverware from his travels is good for a laugh), but his creators have, indeed, brought together an eclectic menu that reads like a tropical travel brochure – Baja lobster quesadilla, Kiluaea onion rings, Jamaican jerk chicken, Balinese babyback ribs, or a Fisherman's seafood stew called Half Moon Bay Cioppino. There are appetizers like coconut shrimp, chicken on a skewer, Thai salad, sashimi, to name a few, most in quantities to feed a half–dozen. There are fun pizzas to share, served on either a long or a short board, with a thin, thin, crispy crust (shaped like a surfboard naturally) and holding, if you want, a pepperoni and mushroom, a Thai flavored, and a shrimp, three different tasty pizzas on one board.

The house specialties I’ve tried are all excellent. In fact, the big surprise at Buster’s is that all the ambience is matched by fine food.The house specialties include a generous pork luau 7–hours marinated in banana leaves with Hawaiian chutney and Jasmine rice.The fish and chips, made with Alaskan halibut, is the best I’ve found in these parts, so good I have to wrestle with myself to order something else. The prime rib you should skip, you can get that anywhere. Two desserts are a must. A fruit fantasia arrives on a short board: sweet flat bread covered with small pieces of fresh fruit topped with a mango glaze and sifted confectioner’s sugar. It’s enough for four to six. Another don’t miss is Todos Santos. Picture a thin white chocolate wave behind a large moist triple chocolate brownie with whipped cream foam surrounded by caramel and chocolate sauce, and all finished with a surfer cookie. Could anything possibly be more decadent to wind up your visit to Buster’s?

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