rvd72's Profile
Seoul japanese - sushi hyo, cho, momoyama
Hi everyone, I am heading to seoul for 10 days in november. I will be celebrating my wedding anniversary and my dad's birthday.
I ask thinking of getting the omakase at hyo for my anniversary and kaiseki omakase at momoyama for my dad's birthday.
Is hyo a good choice for great sushi? I like sushi zo in LA for reference.
Is momoyama a good choice for kaiseki? I like urasawa in LA. The momoyama menu is confusing though because there are a bunch of different kaiseki omakases ranging from around 150k-300k won per person. Has anyone tried these? I dont mind paying 310k / person if it really is worth it but in my experience, korean places sometimes can be a bit of a scam in that they have an expensive item just because...without any real substance. Which is the best option?
Or is there another place that I should consider?
Also we will have my 5 year old son with me. Are these places tolerant of a kids or should I get a sitter? he is well behaved and has been to fine dining establishments all his life.
Best Sushi Omakase for this Sunday
I like Kiriko. But I think one of Kiriko's strength is in their cooked and raw dishes. If you just want sushi, I think Kiriko is a bit lacking.
But if you do go to Kiriko, ask if they have their homemade sesame ice cream and if they do...be sure to leave room for dessert!
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Kiriko
11301 W Olympic Blvd Ste 102, Los Angeles, CA 90064
Current best sunday brunch buffet?
I like the St. Regis Monarch Beach (in Dana Point) also. I also enjoyed the brunch at Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes (although I don't think it was champagne).
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Terranea Resort
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Totoraku!
of course i don't condone scamming your way in. just ask around and find a friend if you really want to go. if you don't have a friend...befriend me :)
Totoraku!
i know a few people who didn't get the card. those are people who went there but just went as guests and didn't really get into the experience, etc.
i have one friend who is a waiter at a japanese restaurant and he went with some of the chefs but he basically just sat there and ate the food so he didn't make any kind of impression on the chef, etc. he didn't get a card.
Totoraku!
The "2 types" things was said in jest. I am trying to get some "funny" clicks over there on that review...
Foodies in general are just way too serious. At the end of the day, it's all just food and the point is to tickle our senses...taste buds, sight, smell, touch, even hearing...
It's not *that* hard to get a reservation at Totoraku. The internet is full of people who scammed their way in.
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Totoraku
10610 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064
Solo Traveler Seeking Amazing Sushi in LA at non-Astronomical Prices
i don't think shunji moved. i think they just changed the name (and one of the two owners is gone).
i was there a few weeks ago and cecil was still there but the menus were updated to have the 7015 omakase, etc.
it was very good btw. i believe our omakase was around $85 + tax + tip.
Totoraku!
It was $180/person after tax and tip.
I don't think you actually have to show them the card when you walk in. I think you just need his card to make a reservation because his phone number is on it but you can get his number from anywhere on the internet.
However, you will have to tell him how he knows you...when you last visited, with whom, etc.
A lot of people gripe and moan about his "invitation only" policy but I actually understand the policy now that I have dined there.
Sure, the food is great and the meat is awesome. But this type of meal and meat isn't for everyone. There were 3 raw meat dishes to start as well as some exotic meats such as cow tongue, etc. I absolutely ate and loved it all but I know many people (my wife, my parents, most of my friends, etc.) who are much more squeamish about their food and will not eat raw beef, will not eat beef tongue, etc. For those people, it's much better to just take them to Korean BBQ or Cut (steak) or something like that. A random person walking in or a person making a reservation because they "heard" that it's a great place for meat can be disappointed. But sure, this does make it difficult for those of us who are foodies and know exactly what we'd be getting into yet still can't go there...
Chef Kaz Oyama-san runs a very special restaurant and this policy is really the only want to ensure that every guest comes in knowing what to expect and leaves happy.
In any case, I have a short list of friends who want to go so it looks like I'll be back maybe once a month or so!
Totoraku!
Ok, it's been awhile since I've posted in here. I'm on another site a lot more often these days. But it is nice to see that CH finally changed their UI so it's somewhat useable and readable now (yeah it's been that long).
I think I first read about this mysterious restaurant here. But then I started seeing some reviews over on another site which got my interest up. Unfortunately, I asked around but nobody in my circle of friends and acquaintances could get me into this restaurant. A few times, I made a quick post over at a social networking site along the lines of "Anyone have a contact that can get me into Totoraku? If you don't know what I'm talking about, move along...." but I guess everyone would just move along.
I did get a few requests from friends along the lines of "if you get in, take me!"
There are 2 types of people in this world...those who have dined at Totoraku and those who wish they can dine at Totoraku. Until Friday night, I was of the latter...but after Friday night, I am now of the former!
The food was fairly similar to the course laid out by the others in the reviews here. We started with a plate of assorted appetizers. We then had some raw beef and beef tataki plates. The binchotan grill came out and we then grilled tongue, filet mignon, inside/outside rib eye, kalbi, skirt steak, etc. We also had the awesome tomato salad, vegetables, etc. We got there at 7:30 and stumbled out the door at around 11:30.
A few things that I'd like to point out though.
1) I love Japanese people. They are so cute in how they act and talk. It's such a pleasure and I love it. They remind me of hello kitty, kerropi, and the rest of the sanrio characters. Chef Kaz Oyama-san and his wife and workers all exemplified the great Japanese culture of being absolutely polite, humble, and just so freaking cutesy. Love it!
2) I shared a glass of my French wine with both chef Oyama-san and one of the waitresses and they both loved it with a "oishii desu!" Totally made my day that they liked my wine. It wasn't one of the crazy expensive wines that were on the wall but it was a fairly respectable (at least for me), Baron Rothschild 2003. It needed some decanting but we didn't have one so it wasn't as good as it could have been, 2003 wasn't so great of a year, etc. but oh well.
3) I have had a lot of beef in my day and this experience was awesome. There are individual slices of meat at various places around LA and the world that come close (e.g. unmarinated short ribs at Park's, special JB at mapo in Gardena, wagyu kobe beef at Cut, kkot deung shim at moo deung san in Seoul, Korea) but to have it all in one place is awesome!
I had some great company and the 7 of us (including a couple of girls who didn't drink much) polished off a tremendous amount of wine including champagne, reisling, rose, merlot, cab sauv, bordeaux, and finally...a port.
Sure the price is a little high but you're really getting top quality meat here. I believe chef Oyama-san simply throws out a lot of meat that he deems unworthy. I also don't think he necessarily makes a lot of money here so treat this as the awesome experience that it is and give them a proper "itadakimasu" when you start your mean because you are humbly receiving...
And in the end? I GOT HIS CARD! I'm in.
So who wants to go??? I can take you...:)
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Totoraku
10610 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064
Urasawa, August 2009 Report -- Number of Visits: 5; Number of Courses: 40
got it. i do have a nice bottle of haut brion that i have been saving for a special occasion. I was going to drink it next May when I graduate from school with my MBA but maybe it will go to this experience.
Urasawa, August 2009 Report -- Number of Visits: 5; Number of Courses: 40
btw, if someday you would let me know the next time you go to Totoraku and have space...I will be eternally grateful...I still don't have a contact out there.
Urasawa, August 2009 Report -- Number of Visits: 5; Number of Courses: 40
I think he used to go to korean bbq pretty frequently when Sung was there. I believe he mentioned going to Chosun but I'm not sure.
Nice review and pics by the way. I would guess that you bought a new camera recently? Your reviews were always good but the pictures were a little lacking until this recent set.
Urasawa, August 2009 Report -- Number of Visits: 5; Number of Courses: 40
yes, he has come a long way. I actually wrote one of the earlier blog/reviews about Urasawa a few years ago (I would guess maybe 4 years ago). A lot of people read it and went to Urasawa. Hiro-san always asks "how did you hear about my restaurant" and most people said Chowhound, "some guy's blog", etc. Whenever I would visit after that first time, the other patrons would always say something along the lines of "dude, you're the guy who wrote that really long review with all those awesome pictures"...Hiro-san always told me that he "doesn't know computer" and left it at that when he found out that I wrote some reviews.
I guess someone later brought him a printed copy of one of those earlier reviews where I had made that remark about his English. His English is much better now but back then, communicating with Hiro-san was part of the experience. Oh well, it's a shame and it did kind of sadden/annoy me a bit when it happened.
When you are in Hiro-san's inner circle, he is a cool guy though. He transcends that chef/patron relationship. Although I was too lazy / flakey to take him up on any of his offers, he asked me to join him on the LA marathon, join him for korean bbq on his day off, etc.
Urasawa, August 2009 Report -- Number of Visits: 5; Number of Courses: 40
heh yeah, wise words. I didn't actually mean to piss him off. I wrote in my blog something along the lines of:
"Although Hiro-san's English is not very good, he is able to effectively communicate his wit and sense of humor to his patrons"
Perhaps that can be taken as an insult but I like to think that it is precisely because English is his second language that he did not realize that I was not actually insulting him but paying him a compliment.
When he saw me he said "I did not like what you wrote about me in your blog. You said that I can't speak English and that my English is bad? Please don't write about me or my restaurant anymore." - and needless to say, it made for an awkward dinner for the rest of the night.
Urasawa, August 2009 Report -- Number of Visits: 5; Number of Courses: 40
Nothing against Hiro-san but I don't think I'll be back either. I've been here 4 times and the last time was over a year ago. Unfortunately Hiro-san and I had a little bit of a falling out last time I was there.
The food and experience is simply superb and my memories will last with me forever but I couldn't afford to eat there anyway (and still made it out there a few time despite that fact) and with our latest mishap, I don't think I'm welcome there anymore anyway.
Tsukiji sushi in Gardena (brief report)
Maybe I'll try this place again. I live down here in the south bay and went to Tsukiji twice but wasn't impressed either time. I usually go to Sushi Zo (yeah I know it's not in the south bay) for good sushi and for neighborhood sushi, everywhere has been the same mediocre quality of Sushi Sei, kanpachi, siori, tsukiji, sen na ri, etc.
Killer Shrimp?
the one in the south bay (Redondo Beach) closed many years ago (like 6 years ago?). The MDR one closed more recently...(within the last few months). I liked going there but didn't go there very often...only like once a year or so.
Can't afford Ursawa
for what it's worth, i also recommend Zo. it's where i always go for great nigiri sushi when i don't have the funds to go to urasawa. i like Zo more than hiko, mori, etc.
RVD.
Urasawa - World-Class Excellence in L.A.! [Review] w/ Pics
exilekiss,
Awesome review. I'm glad you liked my earlier reviews. Urasawa is just plain awesome.
My latest review is at http://www.foodiedan.com - but I haven't been there in a few months.
RVD.
Urasawa - Wine list info
I am not sure of corkage (as it may have changed) but it was $30 last year. His sake list is pretty good.
RVD.
Confirmed the conventional wisdom re: Ivy at the Shore tonight
most of the dishes aren't so good but i absolutely love their lobster risotto. it's not on the menu but every time i've been there, it was available as a "special".
RVD.
DiningAlone-What High Quality/Upscale Restaurant Would I not Feel Weird at on A Saturday Evening?
i usually head out to a sushi bar and eat at the bar alone. it's not too bad.
and yeah...the bar at Cut is great.
Urasawa. My first time.
I'm glad you liked it. I don't see how anyone could be disappointed with a meal there despite the cost.
I made my reservation for my wife and I for 4/4. He said that there is a big group of 8 people showing up so I guess it looks like I won't get my favorite seat. Oh well, no big deal I guess. I'll sit anywhere.
And yes, I'll have my camera with me for the latest and greatest pictures.
RVD
http://www.foodiedan.com
Urasawa. My first time.
I try to head out there twice a year and he does change around the menu a bit but I usually have had about 1/2 of the dishes and the sushi doesn't change that much. Sometimes he has a few special sushi pieces (if an especially rare fish was available or something).
Also, for other people wondering about the $400 price tag...yes, it's a lot and you should splurge every now and then but my wife and I don't drink much alcohol so when we go, we just go through about 3 bottles of their bottled water and the price comes out to about $350/person.
RVD.
Urasawa. My first time.
Great review. You're right in that each piece of sushi is not a "course" but I started getting really full about 1/3 of the way. Oh don't worry...I still ate everything. I'll be headed back there again next month to celebrate getting into Business School.
I applied to UCLA (Anderson), UC Berkeley (Haas), and Penn (Wharton). I made a deal with my wife that we'd go to Urasawa if I get into Wharton. I ended up getting into all 3 so it's time to celebrate! It's an executive program so it means that I will not be leaving LA...which means means I won't be leaving Urasawa-land...
RVD.
http://www.whartonblog.com
http://www.foodiedan.com
Finally made it to Urasawa!!! (photos)
Corkage is $35 I believe (at least that's what he said last year).
He used to have no corkage a few years ago but he changed that last year.
Hiro-san likes a drink every now and then so be sure to offer him a glass.
RVD.
Rain: New Restaurant in Torrance. "It was raining french fries and good wine..."
lol. for some reason it reminds me of going to a korean club once...ordered a bottle of johnnie walker black for $150 (yeah, it really was marked up that high and this was in 1995) and they brought over a bottle of johnnie walker blue ($310 on the menu - $150 or so at the local market) and poured us shots.
i did tell them their mistake (i didn't want them to charge us $310 in case he misheard me) and they quickly took it away but that was my first shot of jw blue...after that, every international trip had me bringing back a bottle of blue.
so...was the food any good? didn't sound like it but it also sounds like your group was not hungry. you still had a pretty big wine bill at the end of the night though...nice.
RVD.
Matahisu-Omakasa Thumbs Down!
my wife isn't a big fan of certain types of food (ankimo, salmon eggs, caviar, etc.) so we've never been in the omakase room at matsuhia. she orders the sashimi salad, sushi, and rolls off the menu and i usually order some of the more exotic dishes and finish off with some sushi.
they don't have a "everyone at the table must get omakase if one person gets it" rule so i've had their 3 omakases ($90, $120, and $150) a few times.
the specialty of matsuhisa really is in their cold and hot dishes. there are a few gems in there that everyone talks about...black cod miso, rock shrimp tempura, ankimo, oyster/uni shooters, sashimi salad, etc. it's the peruvian influenced japanese food that sets matsuhisa apart from your local sushi joint. if you don't like these dishes and just want to go for some sushi and rolls, matsuhisa isn't really the place for you (ok, my wife goes there EXACTLY for the sushi and rolls but anyway...).
i'd say that the $120 one is the best one. the $150 one is slightly better (more toro instead of tuna, etc.) but not worth the price difference imo.
i don't think the omakase is terrible, i just think it's a little lacking. it's certainly not exciting...it generally includes the ankimo (monk fish liver) + caviar, salmon tacos, etc. overall, i still think it's better than most but not as good as some.
by far the best omakase is at urasawa but you're paying $300+/person so it's just not fair to compare the two. urasawa is at least 2X at good though.
i've been to matsuhisa over 20 times over the years (my wife really likes it). at this point, i've had most of the items on their menu and these days, i usually just order off the menu. i'll mix it up with an omakase every now and then to see if they came up with anything new, and they haven't changed much over the last 10 years.
the prices aren't that bad if you order right. i actually went to matsuhisa last night (2/8) so if you were there, i may have seen you. i was at a table for 4 right in the middle of the restaurant. i was there from 6:30-8:00.
we ordered (from memory so things may be off): oyster shooter (for me), ankimo (monkfish) pate with caviar, new style sashimi (salmon), 2 rock shrimp tempura, sashimi salad, and lots of sushi/rolls (2 salmon, 2 yellowtail, 2 albacore tuna, 1 spanish mackerel, 2 red snapper, 3 spicy tuna rolls cut, 3 avacado rolls cut, 1 house special roll cut, 3 shrimp tempura handrolls, etc.), dessert (sorbet). we also had 2 bottles of beer (nobu + asahi), 1 small kettle of sake. we were stuffed and the total was about $320 before tax, tip. i've spent that much for 4 people at my local sushi place (sushi sei in hermosa beach) and i'd say that matsuhisa is definitely better than my local place.
here are some pics from my prior trips to matsuhisa: http://www.danpaik.com/gallery/3123358_373TE#P-1-15
RVD.
South Bay Secret: Coccole Laboratorio del Gusto
btw, this place is closed now. there's a sign saying that a new restaurant called "Catalina" will be opening soon.
RVD.
Review: L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon
I agree in that the single piece of shrimp (or prawn) wasn't worth the $40. I didn't taste it but I can't imagine it being worth it. My dining companion didn't seem that excited by it either.
I thought the rest of the meal was pretty good though.
RVD.
