ToroTaku's Profile
Korean BBQ in/near Torrance/Gardena
San Sui Tei is also a Japanese Style Korean BBQ
http://www.yamaya.us/sansuitei
I prefer this style because the portions are smaller (uniform cuts of a particular section) and a variety of different cuts can be ordered such as loin, short ribs, and diaphragm. They also have a variety of Offal such as tripe. The parent company specializes in Kim Chi.
Korean BBQ in/near Torrance/Gardena
Shilla in Gardena has been a favorite for a number of years.
Shilla Restaurant
16944 South Western Avenue, Gardena, CA
(310) 538-8848
Sakae Sushi - great "comfort" sushi in Gardena
Love this place as well. It's meant to be eaten at a later date rather than immediately so they prep their sushi rice differently. More vinegar, and pressed rice giving it a chewy consistency.
Review - Cafe Hiro (Cypress, CA)
Cafe Hiro is grest for lunch too. They have good curries and pastas. Echizen down the street on Valley View is also a good place for Japanese style lunches.
Big fat futomaki!
Unfortunately, it's difficult to get futomaki at a sushi restaurant. Inari (fried tofu stuffed with sushi rice) and futomaki are not traditional restaurant food which is why they are generally only for takeout from places like Mistuwa. Most sushi restaurants also don't like to serve futomaki because it is too filling. 1 roll and most people will not be able to eat anything else.
shabu shabu at home
Have you thought about Pork? I use the think sliced pork at Mistuwa and Marukai along with Spinach. It's great. You also don't have to scoop out the residue out like you do the beef. I've tried butchers before but they don't usually get it think enough. Besides... Japanese markets also have the sauce, radish for grating etc. Have you tried the Mitsukan ponshabu sauce?
The Miso at Haru Ulala--I must eat it every minute! Please help me find some!
You can buy it at any of the Japanese markets. If you go to Mistuwa (Torrance) it will be on an end cap right next to the produce section. If you have to ask for help make sure to ask for "moro-miso." The top and side label is usually in Japanese so it will be hard to tell if you've got the right one but look at the bottom. Mitsuwa puts their own white label that will describe it in English. Don't forget the Japanese cucumbers... it won't taste the same without them.
Teriyaki Fries - used to be in the valley
Rascal's Teriyaki (3 locations) might satisfy the craving. You can also order a Teri-Avacado cheese burger to go with it.
Some of you might remember Spikes (original location San Gabriel) now the closest thing is B-man's which is run by his son.
Ma Dang Gook Su: Dang good bowl of noodles
May be a little off topic but I've always been curious about the spaghetti they have on the menu. I'm assuming it's there for a reason since it's so obscure compared to everything else. Has anyone ever tried it?
What's the spiciest (yet still edible) Dish you've had in LA?
Renu Nakorn: Ordering the Panang and Beef Salad extra spicy.
South Bay Thai, Indian, and/or American-Chinese Restaurants that you go to often
THAI - This place is really good for the Gardena Torrance area. It's not a pricey sit down place like Chaba in Redondo. The pad thai is good and the curries are also solid. Thai beef salad has a good kick with the tang as well. It's not Renu Nakorn but we're talking Gardena/Torrance...
Three Spices Thai
16400 S Western Ave
Gardena, CA 90247
(310) 516-6514
www.threespice.com
Disneyland
Don't forget the sweet cream cheese pretzel at the end of main street. Awesome!!!
Torrance lunch spots
CynD: La Espanola has hot dishes for lunch? Really??? I've been there a few times to buy Jamon and recently paid an arm and a leg for Iberico but it was for a client. It definitely beat the Jamon Serrano they usually have in their window.
Paella... hmmm... must try.
Torrance lunch spots
Can't go wrong with Mitsuwa Marketplace for eating lunch alone.
Santouka Ramen, Curry, and a good Katsu place in there as well.
Old Torrance (Cravens/Torrance/Carson) has some good places for a cheap bite.
Ichimi-an (Soba-Udon) as well as Rudy's (Diner food) Biscuits n Sausage Gravy is cool for lunch sometimes.
All within 2-3 min of Western and Carson.
Dinner for large group near LAX
This place is big and can seat that many people. Nice place to hangout with a large crowd.
Cozymel's Mexican Grill
(310) 606-5464 cozymels.com
2171 Rosecrans Ave, El Segundo, CA 90245
South Bay Korean Food
Not your traditional K-BBQ:
Da Maat
2814 Sepulveda Blvd
Torrance, CA 90510
Also, think about trying a Japanese version of BBQ. The servings are a bit more but you can get different sections of beef with a variety of marbling that you will not find at Korean BBQ houses.
San Sui Tei http://www.yamaya.us/sansuitei/course.html
2529 Pacific Coast Highway
Torrance, CA 90505
Telephone No.: (310)257-1800
Food Fair at Mitsuwa again
For ramen lovers... Kujiraken is coming to the Costa Mesa store. Originally slated for the Torrance location but was axed due to the strict health codes in the city of Torrance.
http://www.mitsuwa.com/event/eevent.php?e=32
This ramen shop is excellent. I hope they can duplicate the soup that made them so famous in Japan.
Impressive Dinner Near LAX?
Fleming's Steakhouse
2301 Rosecrans Ave
El Segundo, CA 90245
Phone: (310) 643-6911
Minutes from LAX and you will not have to use the freeway.
Best Sag Paneer?
Not LA but definitely worth the trip if you are looking for excellent Sag Paneer.
India Restaurant
17824 Pioneer Blvd, Artesia, CA
(562) 860-5621
restaurants in norwalk
El Recoto on Gridley and South is a nice Peruvian Rest.
El Recoto
11433 South St
Cerritos, CA 90703
(562) 924-1919
India Resaurant is also solid.
17824 Pioneer Boulevard
Lunch places in the South Bay area.
How long can you be out for lunch? Southbay is big. Plenty of Asian food in Gardena and Torrance. Mistuwa Market (Santouka) Hawaiian (Loft, Back Home at Lahaina...) Korean (Cho Dang for Tofu Soup, My Secret Recipe (Redondo Beach Blvd)
You're gonna have to narrow it down.
SUSHI KEN in Torrance is Outstanding
I've been going to a really great Sushi place in Torrance called Sushi Ken. I haven't written a review (although I knew I didn't have to after my 1st visit) because I needed to make sure it was the real deal and was consistently good over multiple visits. It's hidden in a plaza behind a Cost Plus on Hawthorne. It's very traditional sushi and they don't do the roll concoctions you'll find at many sushi restaurants today. The fish is flown in from Japan daily and they always have a great selection of fish. Being in Torrance they cater mainly to the Japanese clientele that live in the area.
Sushi - Excellent! It's my personal favorite in the Southbay and is also on par with Mori, Nishimura etc. in WLA. What is great is that the owner is the only one behind the counter so you always get the best service rather than one of the assistants at a more popuplar place. The Nigiri is perfect size and in balance with the rice. He does traditional sushi but does not force the Sushi Nazi attitude on you. He understands that there is a limit and feels that the paying customer has the right to experience a flavor that they feel is the best for that person. You won't get attitude if you ask for wasabi other than what is put on the sushi. He doesn't like confining poeple to eat a certain way. He feels that sushi like all foods is only as good as the person eating it thinks it is. It's fun to pick his brain during a meal to hear his stories. I also share my experiences with him about places like Nozawa or Mori... not being able to dip in my own soy sauce vs. them choosing how much I should like. For me, (nothing against other Sushi places of which I also frequent) the more I understand and educate myself about sushi the more I am starting to figure out that it's okay to like what I like and convey that to the sushi chef. It's okay to ask for a tad less wasabi or a tad more depending on what the sushi is and it's okay to add more soy sauce to something I might feel tastes better to me if it had a tad more soy sauce on it.
Decor - New and very clean. Traditional light wood counter and modern black and marble tables. The lighting is a bit bright compared to what I'm used to. They also have a unique counter table attached to one end of the sushi bar. I tried the table out with a party of 3. 1 of which was a not so intense sushi person that didn't want to sit at the counter. It worked out perfectly because the 2 of us sat against the side of the sushi bar and were served as though sitting at the counter our 3rd sat next to us as if on a normal table.
Service was great and friendly. The Sushi Chef/Owner was truly nice. He doesn't have the Sushi Nazi type attitude and is extremely pleasant and fun to talk to. His English is pretty good too.
Price - Can't forget the most important part... It's much cheaper than Nozawa, Mori etc.
Omakase is 60 - 75 depending on how much you add on at the end of the course. Several different styles of Omakase as you become more of a regular the menu changes.
Sushi Ken
22831 Hawthorne Blvd # Bi
Torrance, CA 90505
(310) 378-9595
Kanzen... disappointment.
I know there are others that love this restaurant and I'm not picking fights here but I have to express my disappointment with Kanzen Sushi in Torrance. I went with high expectations of what looked like a Mastsuhisa/Koi style menu of standard Japanese dishes with a bit of a twist.
Decor - was simple and cozy. A few tables and booths along with a sushi counter that seated about 12 people. Not the warmest place and a bit too much echo for my taste in the floors and walls.
Service - was good for the most part but they were a bit too friendly with the chit chat (w/ locals or friends) and not as attentative to the customers as I would have liked but they were friendly.
Sushi - The standard Nigiri sushi was very mediorce. The rice was a bit hard and cold from I am used to. There was also a bit too much vinegar for my taste. I tend to like silver skinned fish like Kohada, Aji etc. but I was told it wasn't something they normally had Mon through Thu but possibly on weekeneds. I also tried to order Bluefin tuna (hon maguro) but they only had Yellow fin (Kihada.. the bright pink stuff) and the better tuna was also something that would be available on weekends.
Roll Sushi - I liked the roll sushi. They had a variety of rolls that were a but pricey. The lobster dynamite roll was $21. They also had an unusual take on Battera which is sushi rice pressed in a mold with a sashimi layered on top. They however have a twist in that they mix ingredients into the sushi rice like salmon flakes and diced ginger prior to assembling the sushi so the rice itself has a different texture and flavor. Again, I personally don't like to mix fishes like salmon and mackerel.
I prefer to dine out on weekdays rather than fighting the crowds on weekends. I was disappointed to find that the restaurant neglects trying to build regular weekday customers by limiting their fish variety and trying to order the more expensive fish for their weekend crowds. I suppose it's a business and you have to cater to your market but at those prices I would expect the sushi counter to have better quality and more variety.
Dinner for 2 $90 with tip. (no alcohol) 1 Shrimp tempura appetizer, 1 seared tuna salad, 1 lobster dynamite roll, 2 pcs tuna sushi, 2 pcs snapper, and 1 spicy tuna roll.
There are much better in the Southbay...
Nishimura update anyone?
I've tried Kiriko and a few other board favorites but I've yet to try Nishimura. I've tried to search a few threads but there wasn't anything current. The threads often mentioned good sushi and so so service. I'm wondering why some of you had stopped going if they served great sushi.
Who has the best sushi rice?
I'm looking to try one of the popular sushi spots (Sushi Zo, Nishimura etc.) mentioned on the boards and have read through them but I'm wondering if any of you have noticed you like Sushi at one restaurant over the other because their rice is better.
I think most sushi fans have an idea of what they look for in a really good piece of tuna, or saba but the other important partner to the fish is the rice.
Can someone chime in about the sushi restaurant with the best rice. Maybe overheard the owner talking about a special blend of rice he uses with a vinegar that may be different from others.
Thanks
La Mirada Recs
I work near the corner of Rosecrans and Carmenita and there aren't any restaurants worth mentioning now that Renu Nakorn has closed for remodel. Pre theatre (nice clothes) I would reccomend:
Arte Cafe
12741 Towne Center Dr Ste M2
Cerritos, CA 90703
El Rocoto Restaurant (Peruvian) ((Next to Kabuki Sushi)
11433 South St, Cerritos
CA, 562.924.1919
India Restaurant (Good curries)
17824 Pioneer Boulevard
Artesia CA 90701
Just to name a few. El Recoto is next to the Cerritos Mall but only 10 minutes to the theatre across Pionner and East on Rosecrans.
Awesome/affordable mexican food near LAX?
Cozymel's is also really close to the airport on Rosecrans just east of Sepulveda. No need to take the freeway.
COZYMEL'S
Manhattan Beach
2171 Rosecrans Ave.
El Segundo, CA 90245-4718
Phone: 310-606-5505
