South Bay Japanese Marathon

What do bloggers do in their free time? We eat; that's a given. But we also meet up to eat. In this case, we journeyed the South Bay one Saturday afternoon, searching for our Japanese fix.

More...

Organized by the multi-talented Fiona of Gourmet Pigs, this marathon had been in the making since our last expedition into the concrete Jungle. We teamed up with Javier the "Teenage" Glutster, Mattatouille, Choisauce, RumDood, Pepsi Monster, and budding blogger Danny for this trip. My girlfriend Yoko proved essential for some of the translations and the photos on this entry.



First stop: Gaja for okonomiyaki, a type of Japanese crepe/griddle cake. Made from yam flour, filled with ingredients, and fried on a teppan, this was my first experience at an okonomiyaki-ya. Thanks to the hot tip from I Nom Things, we were able to discover this fun DIY place. She even has several recipes if you want to try it at home. Of course, if you can't figure out the Japanese instructions, you can also get help from the friendly staff. Remember to proclaim "Yes!" in a tone as to indicate to your waiter your satisfaction for his efforts.

Here's the waiter helping with spicy cod roe, mochi, cheese monja-yaki, a creamier, more gooey relative of the okonomiyaki. The monja-yaki is fried to form a crust, but then mashed and eaten with individual spatulas. This particular monja-yaki had the miniature texture of the cod roe and the runny mochi and cheese.

Pre-cooked

Not terribly appetizing in appearance, but fun to eat nonetheless


Our Modern Mix Okonomiyaki had beef, squid, oysters, noodles, egg and preserved ginger, a seemingly odd mix, but formed a satisfying pie. Topped with the special sauce, Kewpie mayonnaise and bonito flakes, this could easily make a decent meal for the hungry traveler. Unfortunately, the life of a marathoner is tough; it was one slice, then out the door for our next stop.



Second stop: Patisserie Chantilly, a delightful Japanese desserts shop. The picture at the top of the page is from Chantilly. Our large group rolled in and took over the small place. We laid down $3 each and partook in a foodie communism experiment. A communal order of three macarons; black sesame, vanilla, and chocolate profiteroles; passionfruit mousse; cheesecake souffle; cheesecake bar; chocolate tart; and a white sesame blanc manger was put down and quickly devoured. Luckily, Pepsi Monster bought additional treats and donated it to the still hungry citizens. Funny how even in desserts, communism doesn't work.






If given the chance, make sure to try the souffle fromage, it is cheesecake heaven; at least you'll feel like you're eating clouds.


After a failed stop at Otafuku, our valiant troupe ended up at Hakata Ramen. Given that our soba stop fell through, we entered into a furious debate over a suitable replacement (I only say furious because at this point we were starting to get hungry again). Before our table was ready, we hopped back into the caravan and drove down to Ichimiann Bamboo Garden for homemade soba

It certainly doesn't take much to constitute a "bamboo garden." But I guess if it took acres of bamboo to be considered a forest, pandas wouldn't be so endangered. Of course I quickly got over the lack of foliage when I sat down to my platter of cold zaru-soba, a refreshing mound of buckwheat noodles served with accompanying dipping sauce. I found each noodle to have springy integrity...chewy, a little before al dente. According to Matt, the sauce is mixed with soba water afterwards and drank. I preferred the brown rice tea instead.




Last stop: Izakaya Bincho, the charming mom and pop restaurant with extremely demanding chef/owner. On that day, the staffing situation was even worse. With a sick wife, the husband manned the entire place by himself. Although it's not unheard of for him to turn away customers, the restaurant stayed especially empty that night. This was my first visit since its closure last year as a yakitori. The tsukune chicken meatballs, which were godly last time, disappointed this time, probably due to the lack of bincho charcoal. Juicy as usual, but there just was no depth of flavor you'd get with the ashy charcoal. Instead, the braised pork belly shined. Despite the overexposure of pork belly these days, the chef managed to bring out the melty texture of the pork and supplement it with a rich braising sauce. He doesn't rely just on the fat of the dish as so many restaurants do. In fact, the long braising time made the whole slab fall apart enough to eat with a spoon. The tebasaki fried chicken wings with sweet and spicy sauce stole the show. Amazing flavors hit me all at once, intense at first, but gradually fading and lingering on the palate. The wings were deep-fried, but they didn't weigh me down. All I could feel was the crispy skin and the sticky sauce. With the decline of the tsukune, I believe the tebasaki is the new gotta-have-it dish. Though I will still give runner-up position to the agedashi tofu. The chef's dashi shows amazing care in its umami complexity. Plus large slabs of silken tofu make this a hearty dish for tofu.

Braised pork belly

Tebasaki (Deep-fried chicken wings)

Agedashi Tofu

As I've settled into my home in LA, I've found so much diversity in the cuisine. I don't know if there's anywhere else in the world with so many ethnic options within driving range. With denser communities, they start to blend and lose some of their uniqueness within each cuisine. LA's just large enough that you can find places that just specialize in okonomiyaki, Japanese desserts, soba and izakaya. We have so much at our fingertips; it's a shame if you don't take advantage of it. I appreciate that I can have a Japanese food marathon without even once mentioning sushi. That's the kind of dining city that LA is.

Gaja
gajamoc.com
2383 Lomita Blvd, Ste 102,
Lomita, 90717
(310) 534-0153
$18 per okonomiyaki though that can probably feed 3-4

Patisserie Chantilly
patisseriechantilly.com
2383 Lomita Blvd, Ste 10
Lomita, 90717
(310) 257-9454
$3-4 each dessert

Ichimiann Bamboo Garden
ichimiann.com
1618 Cravens Ave
Torrance, 90510
(310) 328-1323
$6 a bowl

Izakaya Bincho
112 N International Boardwalk
Redondo Beach, 90277
(310) 376-3889
Get here early on a non-weekend and pray for a seat
~$20 per person if you're eating at the end of a marathon

^

Read More

Redondo's Cantina: Ortega 120

Ortega 120
1814 South Pacific Coast Highway,
Redondo Beach, 90277
(310) 792-4120


With a suggestion from my girlfriend's mom, we ended up at Ortega 120. She told me the location had previously been a lobster shack not too long ago, and then an Italian restaurant before that. Guess it must be a bad location.

The restaurant itself was comfortably airy. Tables were far apart, giving you room for just your group. They project some old movies on a wall and have several large TVs showing various sporting events. Noticing loungy couches along the wall, I could see how the place could easily be converted into a night club.

More after the jump...

Positioning itself as a somewhat more upscale, but still festive, Mexican restaurant, Ortega 120 does a great job of walking that line. The food is excellent, created by Thomas Ortega, formerly of Water Grill, Lucques and Patina. In LA, that seems to be the mark of a decent chef. Patina grads seem overly abundant in this town. My carnitas were juicy and delicious. The pork falling apart as my fork cut through the mound of meat. Speaking of mounds, the portions are rather large.

My main criticism comes from the tables and chairs. They have the leather topped tables with the large weaved seating that never seem to fit comfortably at the table. I might be able to bare it at a taqueria, but at a more upscale place like this, I'd like to sit comfortably.

Ortega 120 has everything it takes to be a success. I want to publicize it as much as possible so it doesn't take the route of the old lobster place or Italian joint. As much as it's a shame those places didn't last, the real shame would be to let this new restaurant falter as well.

^

Read More

Bland Indian, Isn't that an oxymoron?

Addi's Tandoor
800 Torrance Blvd
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 540-1616
http://www.addistandoor.com/
$20 per entree

Given my frequent visit to the South Bay, I figured I needed to acclimate myself with the available restaurants in the area. It seems that no one eats in the South Bay, at least no one eats anywhere worth mentioning. Perusing some of my favorite food blogs, I am hard-pressed to find reviews in the area. Even FoodDigger and Yelp don't seem to have very much either. Since I felt open to any cuisine that night, I decided to simply go to one of the highest ranked restaurants in Redondo on FD--Addi's Tandoor.

More after the jump...

We made a reservation a few hours before arrival at 7:15 on Saturday night. Good thing we did; every table had a little "RESERVED" by the time we got there. It put me at ease to see many regulars who seemed to know Addi personally and also to hear several British accents. Seeing as how British cuisine is devoid of anything close to flavor, they've successfully assimilated other cultures. India, of course, was no exception. Now London is actually one of the dining capitals of Europe.

Our waiter seemed polite, but it took a good ten minutes or so before he even approached our table. Although he was a nice guy, the rest of the night was also marked by negligent service as he chatted up the other tables. It's one of those situations where I would have been very satisfied if I was on the other side of the looking glass, but since I wasn't, I'll have to dock Addi's for service.


Mirchiwalla Wings

As an appetizer, I wanted to taste how spicy their spicy chicken wings can be. The dish came out colorful and visually pleasing. The interplay between the fiery red of the drummettes against a bed of yellow, orange and green bell peppers made the plate a canvas. A conveniently wrapped lime gave the chicken some last minute zest. I eagerly bit into one of the wings, only to immediately recoil. What was this? I thought I was eating Indian food but it tasted as dry as British humor. Isn't "bland Indian food" an oxymoron? Well whatever came out certain was lifeless and overcooked, such a shame considering how pretty it looked.


Starting counter-clockwise from the left: lentils, lamb khorma, vegetable makhani, basmati rice

The entrees all come either a la carte or with naan, rice, raita (yogurt)and dal makhani (stewed lentils)as a "dinner" option for $5 more. We got all the above, but only because I needed something to eat my lamb with and an order of rice is an outrageous $4.25. I don't care how special your pilaf is, that's too much to pay for rice alone.

For awhile now, I've been ordering lamb khorma at most of the Indian restaurants I go to as my standard measure of quality. It is a rich curry made of ground nuts (usually almonds or cashews), yogurt and coconut milk with other spices, making it extremely rich. As for lamb, I've always loved it. Of the less-exotic meats, it would be my favorite by far. My first reaction with the khorma at Addi's is the intense concentration of lamb flavor. The meat they used must have been an old animal, because the flavors were so concentrated. However, the meat itself was tough. Despite the lambiness, which I admired, the curry was one-note. The vegetable makhani was too sweet for my tastes. Plus I don't like tomato based dishes like makhani.

I'll have to be honest here. I didn't realize it until I got into the restaurant, but I was actually mildly congested that night. Being a little sick, I wasn't able to taste as well as usual so I can't offer a completely unbiased review of the food. I did however, bring some home with me to try again when I was feeling better. Eating it as leftovers, the food definitely tasted better, but still not as amazing as I had hoped. If each Indian household makes its own curry mixes, this is one home in which I wouldn't want to be a guest.

^

Read More

Yakitori Bincho

(310) 376-3889
112 N. International Boardwalk
Redondo Beach, CA 90277

Adequately Fed: $25
See Below
(Out of Five Stars)

Considering the full name of this place is Japanese Grill Yakitori Bincho, the restaurant is much less casual and unassuming. Only open since March, they husband and wife team have completely underestimated the popularity of their yakitori-ya. Especially after the review by Rameniac hyping their little restaurant, the wife tells me that they are packed usually from the 6:00 opening to midnight. The tiny place had counter seating for six or so and another four tables for a total of probably no more than thirty. But the limiting factor is the husband, working the grill and preparing nearly every menu item. He does the cooking, she waits tables and washes dishes. When the restaurant was half-full, almost every seat was reserved, he told her to turn away all other customers. I'm sure neither one expected the monumental success of their humble eatery.

I reserved two seats at the counter to watch the chef at work. The way he juggled orders was impressive, although he could work on his organization. Another few months and he'll probably have it down to a science. The kitchenette was just a deep-fryer, wok, range, counter, sink, reach-in fridges and a small but effective grill. The charcoal used for the grill is the "binchon" according to the waitress. We ordered a few dishes and some tea. I would've enjoyed a bottle of sake, especially to support a fledgling business, but I had to meet the girlfriend's mother afterwards and figured it best to stay sober. At least I paid in cash. Always pay in cash for small places; credit cards eat up too much of their profits.

Cabbage and Edamame 2/5



Our meal started with a simple appetizer of cabbage served with a dab of miso. I've never seen this before; as far as I know, it isn't any sort of traditional appetizer. It seemed more like a sloppy salad. Either way, it was exactly as it sounds, cabbage and miso. The edamame was too salty. I appreciate complimentary edamame though, and in fact, refuse to pay $3 or so for soybeans.

Agedashi Tofu (Deep-fried tofu) 5/5



By far the best tofu I've ever had, the agedashi tofu was silky smooth and crunchy at the same time. The green onions and grated daikon topping gave a cool freshness to contrast the hot tofu and warm broth. The broth, a combination of dashi (kelp and fish stock), soy sauce, ginger and mirin (sweet rice wine) was good enough to drink on its own. I was also quite impressed with the quantity of tofu served. The picture may not be too clear, but it was a large bowl as opposed to the usual tiny serving of tofu at most other restaurants.

Tsukune (Chicken Meatballs) 5/5



I must apologize for the low quality of some of these pictures. The dishes came out fast and I could hardly keep up between my camera, Moleskine and chopsticks. Most of their yakitori plates came as either shio (salt) or teriyaki flavored. For some of the yakitori, we got two, one of each flavor. The tsukune convinced me that chicken has been underestimated by me way too many times. I muttered an "oh my god" under my breath so as not to give away my instant infatuation with this guy's chicken balls. The shio with lemon juice was satisfying, but not as delicious as the teriyaki with a touch of hot mustard. Please order this if you ever go to Yakitori Bincho. It's only $3 and could not be better spent.

Negima (Chicken Thigh with Leeks) 3/5



While this negima was better than the one at Nanban-kan, I didn't find it particularly special. Although the menu said leeks, they look and tasted more like scallions to me. With this dish, I preferred the shio to the teriyaki. Don't want to burn out on the sauce.

Tebasaki (Chicken Wings) 3.5/5



The shio tebasaki deserved a 4 while the teriyaki was an average 3, hence the 3.5 rating. As I mentioned in my Nanban-kan post, I still prefer the fried chicken wings at Fu Rai Bo to the yakitori grilled chicken wings. Although this chef made the wings incredibly satisfying, that's all they were--satisfactory.

Shiso Chicken Thigh 2/5



Shiso, as I mentioned in my Sawtelle Kitchen post, is the perilla leaf. It has an interesting flavor, somewhat like a delicate fennel. It is commonly paired with ume (dried plum) in the form of a sauce in this instance. I thought the shiso flavor didn't show through at all in this dish. Such a shame too, because when shiso shines, it blinds.

Cartilage (4/5)



Listed as cartilage on the menu, I wasn't exactly sure what part of the chicken this came from. Because of the uncertainty, I ate it with a little unease. Still, the crunchy texture worked so well to contrast with the tender meat. I love the feeling of crunching into cartilage in my mouth. When I eat a drumstick, I always savor that part the most. In this dish though, it wasn't shaped like any easily recognizable part of the chicken. If someone knows where it's from, please let me know.

Lotus Root with Meat 2/5



I haven't seen lotus root used in Japanese cuisine as commonly as Chinese, but this was a creative way to combine textures as with the previous dish. The meat didn't strike me as particularly compelling, and the lotus lacked depth. I was hoping it would be crunchier, but the grilling process had softened it. Lotus itself is not strongly flavored, so it was too easily overcome by the meat.

Bacon-wrapped Tomato 5/5



Eureka, I have rediscovered bacon! Oh for so long I have delegated you to the list of foods I bid good riddance to because you were not delicious enough for the negative healthy effects. Yakitori Bincho has rekindled our relationship. The cherry tomato gave a juicy acidity that worked so well in conjunction with the pig fat that my tastebuds were in harmony.

Shiitake Mushrooms with Meat 3/5



This skewer really demonstrates how the meaty flavor of shiitake mushrooms work well in conjunction with meat. I'm assuming this was the same ground chicken used to make the tsukune, but whatever it was, the star was really the mushroom.

Ochazuke (Rice Porridge) 3/5



Though I ranked this bowl of rice soup an average 3, it was actually a great way to round off the meal. I didn't feel quite full until I had the starch of the rice mixed with a dash of wasabi, nori and ume. The subtle flavors cleansed the palette that had been too heavily inundated with the grilled items.

Yakitori Bincho is great for the simple chicken items, but hits roadblocks beyond the grilled chicken. I prefer them for their chicken dishes to Nanban-kan, but I like the specialty items such as beef tongue and seabass at Nanban-kan. It wouldn't make sense to sell that kind of food at this location though. They're good at sticking to what they do best.

I loved the vibe of Yakitori Bincho. If only this place were close enough for me to become a regular like Rameniac. The phenomenal success in just two months makes me happy for the couple though. I look forward to seeing their expansion, perhaps at least with the obligatory Mexican dishwasher (I mean no ill-will, that's just how the restaurant industry in California works).

Recommendation: Order some sake, shoju, Sapporo or wine. Anything alcoholic to support the restaurant would be great. Also make reservations.

Update: Last I heard, this place got shut down by the Fire Marshal.

Read More