Sushi restaurant gets roasting for whale scandal

LOS ANGELES - "Is this the whale?" joked a noisy patron, pointing to some dark red slabs of tuna on the small tray of sushi, which had just been deposited on his table at one of California's renowned sushi restaurants.

"Come on guys, it's your signature dish! Where's it gone? I'm feeling left out here!"

His waitress wasn't laughing. Hours earlier, the small, exclusive venue, called The Hump, had found itself at the centre of an explosive culinary scandal that has thrown an awkward spotlight on practices at one of America's top sushi spots.

A New York Times report claimed that chefs at the restaurant, which overlooks the runway at Santa Monica airport and has a dedicated pilot's page on its website, were under investigation for allegedly serving endangered whale meat to high-end customers.

A raid on the restaurant was the climax of a secret sting operation mounted for several months by the makers of The Cove, the documentary that won an Oscar for its hard-hitting portrayal of the Japanese dolphin-fishing industry.

Armed with hidden cameras and zip-lock bags, and accompanied by federal agents and activists, the controversial film's director, Louie Psihoyos, visited the restaurant and was served slices of a meaty fish described by the waiter as "kujira". That's Japanese for whale.

When the dishes were DNA-tested, it turned out that they came from Sei whale, a threatened species which is found worldwide, but killed under Japan's allegedly "scientific" whale-hunting programme.

The restaurant's premises were duly raided by the police last Sunday. Prosecutors filed charges on Wednesday against its sushi chef, Kiyoshiro Yamamoto, 45, and owner, Typhoon Restaurant Inc, of illegally selling an endangered species product. If convicted, Yamamoto could face a year in prison and a fine of US$100,000 ($143,250). The company could be fined US$200,000.

A spokesman for The Hump has refused to comment on the allegations, but in a city where the animal rights culture is as entrenched as the culture of eating small and expensive portions of raw fish, the scandal seems unlikely go away.

News crews from ABC and NBC have been parked outside, interviewing customers. The local chapter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is planning a weekend of protests.

Adding to the public's interest in the case is the small restaurant's devotedly A-list clientele. Santa Monica airport is for private flights only, and is one of the most convenient locations in Los Angeles for landing a Gulfstream jet.

As a result, almost every Hollywood star and movie industry mogul uses the airport, and Julia Roberts, Steven Spielberg, John Travolta and Tom Cruise are regularly spotted there.

The Omakase menu, in which "truly adventurous" customers "entrust your entire dining experience to our chefs", comes in at slightly over US$300 a head.

This was the menu on which the apparent "kujira" was sold, according to a waitress. "Chef had been getting it from Japan for a few months, to serve to people who wanted adventure. I'm not supposed to talk about it, but since the police came we are no longer serving it."

- INDEPENDENT, AP