Ресторан Ponzu в Палм-Спрингс продлил социальный час до вечера с японскими закусками и коктейлями

Extended Social Hour, Japanese Small Bites and Signature Cocktails Make the Afternoon the New Happy Hour in Palm Springs (RestaurantNews.com) There’s a certain magic to the late afternoon in Palm Springs – when the day begins to slow down, the cocktails start flowing and there’s still plenty of time before dinner. Ponzu Sushi Palm Springs is making that time of day even more enticing. Following the success of its popular weekend brunch, Ponzu has expanded its Social Hour to Monday through Thursday from 2:30 to 6:00 p.m., creating an easy new destination for locals and visitors looking to meet friends, unwind after a day in the desert or simply turn an afternoon into an occasion. And this is not your typical happy hour. Ponzu’s Social Hour menu brings together some of the restaurant’s signature flavors in a selection designed for sharing – or enjoying all on your own. Signature cocktails including the Mango Passion, Jasmine Cloud, Yuzu Drop, Skinny Tagarashi Rita and V-Violet are $15, while wines are offered for $12 and $14 and sake selections range from $10 to $18. Then there is the food. Ponzu’s Social Hour small bites, priced from $8 to $15, include favorites such as Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna, Gyoza and Spicy Edamame, along with an enticing selection of cold carpaccio featuring salmon, yellowtail, Hamachi and albacore with fried onion. For sushi lovers, the individual Hand Rolls/Tamaki offer a particularly tempting way to sample Ponzu’s seafood, with selections including Red Snapper with shiso and yuzu koshu, Bluefin Tuna, Seared Salmon Belly and Snow Crab. It’s the kind of menu that encourages ordering “just one more.” In addition, a Chef’s Tasting Experience for two is now available in the afternoon until 6:00 pm. It is a refined nine-course journey featuring Seasonal salad, Crudo, Seasonal Vegetable Tempura, Hiyayakko, Nigiri, Maki, Palate Cleanser and Dessert. The Social Hour joins their weekend brunch, and daily lunch and the response from both locals and visitors has helped establish the restaurant as an increasingly popular spot to spend the afternoon. With its indoor dining room and patio seating, Ponzu offers a setting equally suited to a casual drink with friends, an afternoon date or a leisurely pre-dinner gathering. And there’s another reason to keep Ponzu on the radar. The Palm Springs restaurant is about to get a little company. Ponzu is currently in the process of opening a second location in San Diego’s Liberty Station, with the new restaurant expected to open later this year. The expansion will bring the Ponzu experience – sushi, Japanese-inspired cuisine, cocktails and a distinctly social approach to dining – to a new Southern California audience. For now, however, Palm Springs has the original. And with Social Hour stretching all the way from 2:30 to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, there’s a lot more time to enjoy it. Ponzu Sushi Palm Springs located in downtown Palm Springs (right across from the Marilyn Monroe Statue, is open Monday through Thursday from noon to 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Reservations are suggested for indoor or patio dining and are available at PonzuSushiPalmSprings.com and through OpenTable.