So, I took it upon myself to introduce her to some of her people’s deliciousness, and also to satisfy a craving =)

Link: Furaibo

Had Kaiseki.

First dish, or Sakizuki, comprised of “a pairing of something common and something unique.” To me, it just comprised of deliciousness. The anchor to this dish was definitely the eggplant purée.

CHEF’S GARDEN EGGPLANT PUREE, SCOTTISH SMOKED SALMON, OSETRA CAVIAR, CRÈME FRAICHE, CHIVES
Pair: JEAN PHILIPPE, CUVEE

 Zensai, made up of seasonal ingredients, was a playful dish. Each bite required some assembly. Before indulging, from right to left, sprinkled a bit of the bacon powder on top of the sliced calamari, which was stuffed with Maryland blue crab, then, topped it with mushrooms and greens, and finally, dipped the whole thing into the balsamic reduced dots. Yum.

BLUE CRAB STUFFED SWORD SQUID, MUSHROOM SAUTE, BACON POWDER, BALSAMI REDUCTION
Pair: 2010 ALBARINO, MORGADIO, RIAS BIAXAS, SPAIN

Modern Zukuri was interesting…  sashimi was wrapped with avocado, topped with a yuzu sorbet, and were flanked by jalapeno jello dots.

KANPACHI TARTARE IN AVOCADO, PONZU GLAZE, YUZU SORBET, JALAPENO GELEE
Pair: 2007- PINOT BLANC, DOMAINE PFISTER, ALSACE FRANCE

 Otsukuri was just regular, high quality, sashimi. =)

TUNA, JAPANESE SEA BREAM, LOBSTER, KUMAMOTO OYSTER
Pair: SAKE-TOKUBETSU JUNMAI SAKE, CHIYOMUSUBI, TOTORI, JAPAN

 Mushimono comprised of an egg custard with mushrooms and crab. It was topped with uni.

UNI CHAWANMUSHI
Pair: 2007 — SLUMBERGER GEWURSTRAMINER PRINCE ABBES:

 Shiizakana was a perfect al dente pasta.

ABALONE PASTA, PICKELED COD ROE, ABALONE LIVER SAUCE
Pair: 2010-CONTESE DI GAVI, PIO CESARE, PIEDMONTE, ITALY

 For Niku, sashimi-grade beef laid on a big leaf, while soaking up sauce.

AMERICAN WAGYU, HOUBA YAKI, KYOTO RED MISO SAUCE
Pair: 2007 — PINOT NOIR EVENING LANDS, WOLA-AMITY HILLS, OREGON

Towards the end of the meal, Shokuji arrived, with six pieces of nigri sushi.

JAPAN SNAPPER, TORO, AJI, LIVE SCALLOPS, AMAEBI, SEARED TORO
Pair: SAKE-SHICHIDA YAMAHAI KARAKUCHI, SAGA JAPAN

 These two were my favorite. Spanish mackerel and live scallop.

Ama ebi is another one of my favorites…

Miso Soup with ama ebi head.

 Finally, Mizumono. Green tea crème brûlée, chocolate cake with ice cream, and fresh fruit – mangoes, white kiwi, grapes.

GREEN TEA CRÈME BRULEE, FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE, VANILLA ICE CREAM, FRUITS
Pair: 2008-LATE HARVEST SAUVIGNON BLANC/SEMILLON MALDANADO, CALISTOGA, CA

Not pictured are the many wine and sake pairings that came with each dish, which if we drank them all, would’ve gotten pretty buzzed. Yea, so next time, I take a taxi….

At the end of the meal, Chef Nakayama greeted us.

This place is definitely a new favorite. Tasty dishes. Intimate setting. Great service. Wonderful experience.

I’ll be back.

Cheers!

Link: N/Naka

Being my first time, I really wanted to try something special. I was very curious about the tomato seafood ramen served with garlic bread, but alas, they didn’t have any for lunch time. So, I settled on the hakata ramen. I’m not going to lie, I was initially drawn to it as a second choice after reading on the menu that it was limited to 20 servings per day. Ha!

Arriving with a bit of an appetite, I made my order a combo, which added a side salad served with a grated daikon vinaigrette..

…and a small bowl of curry rice.

So, did I like it? Well….. it was okay. I definitely think the reviews that I read overhyped this place. Situated in Studio City, I expected prices to be a higher than the norm and even the taste to be different. The use of fried onions as a garnish to the soup, I think, detracted from the broth. It was unique, but it reminded me of the chinese egg noodle soups. Though I was pleased to find the pork belly slices to be generously cut, a big hunk of it was straight fat. On the plus side, the noodles were properly prepared – firm, slight chew. As for the sides, they weren’t memorable.

I would return and try something else, maybe get lucky, and be able to order that tomato seafood ramen.

Link: Ramen Jinya

I ordered egg and pork toppings, not knowing that the regular already comes with half an egg and pork.. -_-

Link: Shin Sen Gumi Hakata Ramen

I ordered the Shio for both of us. She loved it.

#81 is my default order. It’s regular sized Shio Ramen + Egg + Pork Bowl.

Sinful. Delicious!

Link: Santouka

Link: Kushiyu

… though a bit sweet, it was still tasty.

this place is known for kushiyaki.. here, i had asparagus, swordfish, chicken meatball, chicken with green onions…

…and gizzards….mmmmm

they also serve sushi. amaebi.

I’ll definitely be back. Cheers!

Link: Kushiyu

Link: Ayame

I ordered the miso and added all sorts of toppings, like an egg and wonton. I also tried a bit of their spicy paste, as well. The noodles were different (not in a bad way) from what I’m used to. Nevertheless, I thought everything was pretty tasty.

I’ll be back.

Link: Mottainai Ramen

Sesami Flavored Shrimp Tempura Udon

Link: Oumi Sasaya

Link: Musha

Meiji Tofu Temptation – four kinds of tofu served with sea urchin and truffle oil, lemon and olive oil, balsamic and salmon roe, and gochujang and black caviar.

takowasa – raw octopus and wasabi plant stalk

popcorn shrimp

kamo seiro udon – served with a warm duck broth

kamo seiro soba

close-up of the duck broth. it was actually pretty tasty.

C’est tout.

Link: Gonpachi

… which is why I eat out 85-90% of my meals..

Link: Mifune

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 6 Tablespoons white miso (fermented soybean paste)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
• 1/4 cup sake
• 4 6-ounce black cod or sea bass fillets (each about 3/4 inch thick)

Start marinating the fish for this dish at least two hours before you plan to serve it.

Mix first 4 ingredients in shallow baking dish. Add fish and turn to coat. Cover dish tightly and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours.

Preheat broiler.

Remove fish from marinade. Broil until just opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side.

ordered way too much.

takowasa

hiyayakko

cheese eggroll

soboro don

hakata ramen

Takoyaki

Tempura Udon…. plus red chili powder.

baked green mussels…YUM

agedashi tofu

Yep, non sushi items are pretty good here as well.

Link: Sushi Ichiban Kan

it was delicious.

Link: Mitsuwa

Matsui, 21605 S Western Ave, Torrance, CA 90501

Oh… for those not familiar with this drink, it’s an EXCELLENT hangover cure or preventer (if you drink it before your night on the town). One of these saved my life when I was in Tokyo.

I’m not sure if it will be a mainstay at Mitsuwa or is just part of the “House Fair.” In either case, at $15 for a 6-pack, I think I’ll go back to stock up. 

Links
Mitsuwa
House Foods

This time, I got a 6-piece thing of eel box sushi.

Link: Ichimi Ann

(were live) sweet shrimps

shrimp heads with some pozu… mMMm

Namesake, Shibuya House Roll. Americanized, tempura filled fatness. Guilty pleasure.

Salmon Skin Hand Roll. I really liked that they baked the salmon skin. Other lesser places would’ve fried it.

Other than the chefs, my friend and I were the only Asian people. Ha!

Shibuya, 4774 Park Granada, Ste 8B, Calabasas, CA 91302

Link: Sushi Ichiban Kan

Link: Ichimi Ann

It sucks that this place isn’t open at night. I could eat here every other night at least.

Link: Ichimi Ann

They import their buckwheat from Japan, and make the noodles fresh daily.

Indeed, as part of the Inaba group, the soba was pretty much the same as that served at I-naba and Ichimi Ann Rolling Hills. That means, fantastic. Of course, soba wasn’t the only thing I ordered.

Oyako Don. The egg had the right amount of runniness to it. YUM!

Battera – marinated mackeral box sushi. This can be ordered 2-, 4-, or 6-pieces at a time. I really only wanted 1 or 2, but I thought 4 would take a better picture. Ha!

Awesome lunch spot. For dinner or a date however, I think I’d rather pay more and go to Inaba. In any case, I’ll be back.

Tip: Cash only and street parking can be a bitch.

Link: Ichimi Ann

shrimp tempura.

eel.

Links:
Mitsuwa
Mishima

Fried rice was pretty yummy.

I also tried the chicken karaage. It was okay, nothing fancy.

Kyushu Ramen, 15355 Sherman Way Ste N, Van Nuys, CA 91406

I also had small salad, gindara saikyo yaki (miso-marinated black cod), chawanmushi (egg custard), hiyayakko (cold tofu), and miso soup. They were delicious.

Link: I-naba

Ordered the Spicy Cod Roe, Mochi, and Cheese Mix. We were looking forward to warm, melted, gooey mochi – knew it would be delicious.

Sooj mixed it up… and we started off prety traditional.

while watching it sizzle… munched on some spicy mayo takoyaki.

flip. sizzle, sizzle

Plop. Putting on the condiments. okonomiyaki sauce. mayo in a star-pattern. green stuff. dancing. bonito flakes. Hit the Spot nicely!

next, we got a little creative. my pac man eating sooj’s heart.

last scoop was all me.

Craving satisfied! Cheers!

Link: Gaja Moc

Ramen Nippon, 6900 Reseda Blvd, Reseda, CA 91335

Link: Sushi Ichiban Kan

the salad, however, was pretty tasty.

I’ll come back, if I get amnesia.

Link: Curry Up Cafe

tried the Calamari Tempura.. it was eh..

Don’t know if I’ll be back. We’ll see.

Link: Mon Restaurant

I liked how they brought out soba-yu towards the end of the meal, without me having to request it. Authentic Japanese!

Though known primarily as a soba shop, they do have other things on the menu. They have many advertisements up for tempura items, none of which I had. Instead, I sampled a mini chirashi don. The fish in the chirashi don were fresh, and the rice was flavorful. I did appreciate that it came with a shiso leaf to wrap my favorite piece of sashimi with. Yum!

Lastly, this place does not serve alcohol. However, they do encourage you to BYOB! I’ll have to keep that in mind, the next time I come. Cheers!

Link: Ichimi-an

The first thing that I did when the food arrived was slurp a spoonful of the broth. It was silky smooth, robust, and most importantly, INVIGORATING. Well-read in the touted health benefits of capsaicin and ma ratsu (ingredients found in Chin-Ma-Ya’s offerings), I succumbed to believing that the Tan-tan men to be another GREAT HANGOVER CURE…. until I realized that I took an Advil about 1/2 hour before. Nevertheless, I left the place full and satisfied. I will most definitely come back again.

Chin-ma Han, basically Mabo Tofu, was sweet, salty, spicy, and delicious! I would be fine if my meal was just this.

Cheers!

Link: Chin-Ma-Ya

Bukkake Cha-Soba… it was decent, but definitely not the best ever.

The grilled Chilean Sea Bass was just okay. Kind of dry.

Kesho Sushi. Now, sushi is what this place is good for.

I still like this place; now, I know to just stick with sushi/sashimi.

Link: Sushi Ichiban Kan

mmmMMmMmmmm

One cool thing about this place is that they serve osumashi instead of miso.. it’s a clear soup with shiitake mushroom, tofu, and a nice piece of fish (it tasted like rock cod).

the house salad was really whatevers. could have done without.

Chirashi Don…. the reason why I came here. the seafood was cut thick and fresh. I could eat this everyday.

…. sweet, sweet shrimps can never do wrong.

Tempura was crisp and light. Check out the steaming tempura sauce…

This gigantic yellowtail collar was pretty solid. Quality was decent and delicious.

I will definitely be back. Cheers!

Link: Sushi Ichiban Kan

5 stick special: 2 more meat balls, 2 more chicken thigh w/ green onion, and 1 pork belly. YUM!

Link: Shin Sen Gumi

in lieu of half fried rice, which i typically get when i order ramen, i tried their saba no miso ni (mackerel cooked in miso sauce)

Was in the area around lunch time, stopped by. Decent. I’d go back.

Kyushu Ramen, 15355 Sherman Way Ste N, Van Nuys, CA 91406

Link: T.O.T.

Tip: For Yakitori, it is 5 sticks minimum per person. Parking is in the Olympic Collection. This place is closed on Tuesdays.

Yakitoriya, 11301 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Also tried the Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce. It was okay as well.

Best thing to get here, is still the Spicy Miso Ramen.

Ramen Nippon, 6900 Reseda Blvd, Reseda, CA 91335

Japanese-style cod roe and sea urchin, squid, seaweed, and shiso leaf.

Tuna and Clams in Tomato Sauce

The $1 salad.

Most Awesome. Always Crowded. Will be back!

Spoon House, 1601 W Redondo Beach Blvd, Gardena, CA 90247

salmon.

yellow tail

miso marinoated black cod.

had Green soba, presented as 9 perfectly, bite-sized globs. tasty!

Senbei. This crispy rice topped with avocado and spicy tuna deliciousness wasn’t on the menu. JL asked for it. It was mMmmMMmmm.

I would definitely come back. Next time, omakase. Cheers!

Link: Sakura Sushi

Cheers!

Link: Bistro Ka

It was okay. Wouldn’t go again.

Link: Oishi Restaurant

To make up for lunch, I went with the Sooj to I-naba for damn good soba for dinner. mMmMMm.

Tip: Cash only.

Ramen Nippon, 6900 Reseda Blvd, Reseda, CA 91335

Matsui, 21605 S Western Ave, Torrance, CA 90501.

It was an all-you-can eat affair. Between the 3 of us, we killed 11 plates of beef! So good.

Tip: Parking after 5:00pm is $5.

Kushi Shabu,123 Astronaut E S Onizuka #305, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

side order of more pork over rice. so effing good.

Link: Santouka

Shabu Hachi, 11680 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Matsui, 21605 S Western Ave, Torrance, CA 90501

This is December 2009, as a humorous reminder to those celebrating year-end company parties.

.. which is pretty similar to the one from December 2008. LOL! If anyone knows how I can grab one of these for my wall at home, let me know!

Link: Tokyo Metro

Check this out. Pretty Amusing…

oh toh toh toh.
maa maa maa maa.

Link: Teishokuya of Tokyo

Link: I-naba

also had buri kama. this one was HUGE.

… i love japanese food.

ordered mix Gozen…  ebi, kani cream croquette, and millefeuille katsu

…. millefeuille katsu.. multi-layered sliced black pork loin cutlet… last time I had this was in Tokyo.

.. i like this…

steamed grain rice..

..steamed egg.

….and cold tofu, of course. =)

this place is damn good. cheers!
 

Link: Kagura

the other night, rather than having the usual dinner, i upped the ante, if only a bit, and ordered the “Special” Cold Soba, and this is what arrived. 

the fresh, handmade soba submerged in a cool broth, and topped with a lot of color.

..it was accompanied by a variety of veggies and a couple of prawns fresh from the tempura bar; i actually watched them make it… this place is world famous for their tempura. crispy and clean. perfectly prepared.

now, a couple of staples to my i-naba diet…

cold tofu.

Gindara Saikyo Yaki. Told you I’d get this again, and again, and again. so freaking amazing between sips of beer.

Cheeers!

Link: I-naba

Though I was really looking forward to picking at Buri Kama, I was very pleased with the Gindara Saikyo Yaki. In fact, it was AMAZING and so, so flavorful (miso-marinated)! The soft, buttery texture of the filet and crunchiness of the skin were true delights. It complemented my glass of Sapporo quite nicely.

I will definitely order this again.

Cheers!

Link: I-naba

It looked good, but the line was too long for me to wait. I was starving! I went to nearby Matsui to eat my usual…

Small Tofu Salad.

Ten don combination with cold soba!

Links:
Otafuku
Mitsuwa

After I finished the noodles, they gave me a pot of sobayu (water used to boil the soba) to add to the rest of my dipping sauce. It was definitely a pleasurable experience. mMmmMm.

Of course, I ate other things …

Assorted tempura that came with the Soba.

Freshly-made cold tofu.

..and a couple of sticks of chicken gizzards to go with my Asahi beer. mMmMMMmmmm.

Gizzards are my favorite yakitori item…….. =)

Anyways, this place is amazing and really packed at night. Cheers!

Tip: The entrance is in the back. The door on Western Avenue is non-functional.

Otafuku Noodle House, 16525 S. Western Ave., Gardena, CA 90247

Hakata Ramen comes with tonkotsu soup, which is made by slowly simmering pork belly and pork bones. What is pretty cool about Shin-Sen-Gumi is that you can custom order pretty much any part of your ramen. It was my first time there, so I stuck with everything normal - normal noodle hardness, normal soup flavor, normal amount of oil. At the “default” setting, it was still very good. 

What was also cool was that when I finished my noodles and started on my half-size order of Soboro don, the waiter asked me if I wanted extra noodles – Kaedama. Looking at my bowl still filled with a good amount of soup, I said OK. At a cost of an extra $0.95, I expected maybe a half portion more of noodles. Instead, the ramen chef plopped a full-size amount of noodles into my bowl!!! So, I was basically eating two servings of ramen. And yea, I finished it. =P

In lieu of getting the fried rice, which I normally do when eating ramen, I ordered the half-size Soboro-don, ground chicken rice bowl. It was tasty!

Where the ramen magic happens. I sat at the counter and had a great view of the ramen chef preparing my noodles.

Ramen is not something I eat that often, but next time I do, I will be hard pressed not to return to Shin-Sen-Gumi.

Cheers!

Link: Shin Sen Gumi

Here are pictures of other things I consumed…

Tofu Salad.

Battera – Osaka-style sushi made with Mackerel 

 and tempura… mMMMMmm. Apparently this place is mainly known for their tempura, which was outstanding. It was crunchy and despite being a fried item, tasted really clean.

Eating here was a pleasant experience. I’ll be back.

Cheers! 

Link: I-naba

When I first saw pictures, the Navy/Blue caught my eye….so much so that I would even daydream about it. The color combination is not typical and it just oozes with class.

After a quick email confirmation w/ one of the distributors that the sleeves were leather, I HAD to pre-order it. It’s set to arrive sometime in September this year.

The Gray/Black one is very sleek, as well, and I was so, so close to picking this one up as well. Fortunately, I showed a bit of restraint, but you never know. If one of my stock trades does what I want it to do, this just might end up in my closet too! We’ll see.

Droooooooooooooooooooool.

Link: Wings + Horns

Anyways, I ordered the large-sized combo that included negi meshi, miso ramen, and komi tamago.

Visually pretty, the Negi Meshi was underwhelming for my taste. Basically, it is chopped onions over rice. Next time, Iwill order a different rice dish or skip the rice entirely.

The miso ramen was decent. The soup broth was flavorful and the noodles were semi-crunchy. The pork slices were delish. Santouka serves a much better ramen than a lot of places, but not the best in my book. 

Anyways, I’d come again. Cheers!

Link:
Santouka