Bite by Bite

Restaurant Review : Yoshida (Sushi, Japanese) $$$ *8 out of 10*

Guys, it’s good sushi in the middle of San Marino!  Yes, it’s not cheap but then again, what is in San Marino?  Honestly, I’m just grateful that this place even exists here. 

It’s a traditional neighborhood sushi joint with a simple décor and no fancy schmancy gimmicks; just good food with good service.  I’ve been coming here for years and years and years and my opinion of this place is solidified and restored on every visit.  

Yoshida’s is not exciting but it is dependable.  When I’m in the area I depend on it to satisfy my sushi desires.   There are a couple of must-haves for me here.  

Must-have #1 : The Titanic.  Nigiri with amaebi (sweet LIVE shrimp), quail egg, Yoshida’s special spicy mayo sauce, topped with 2 types of Tobiko (flying fish roe).  It may sound a little gimmicky but it is absolutely delicious.

Must-have #2 : Live uni (sea urchin).  When available, they usually keep the spiky creatures in a big bowl on display atop the sushi counter.  That’s a sure sell for me. 

Yoshida
2026 Huntington Dr
San Marino, CA 91108
(626) 281-9292

Restaurant Review : Hansong Buffet (Korean buffet) $$ *6 out of 10*

Park your car around the back with valet and then enter through the magnificently traditional Korean gates of Hansong.  Walk through their manicured garden complete with a man-made river and over the bridge to enter the buffet. 

The buffet is large and clean and consists of a soup and salad station, a cold appetizer section, the warm meat section, the seafood section, the miscellaneous cooked section, a sushi section, and a dessert and ice cream section.  

There’s plenty to eat but it’s a bit hit and miss.  The Korean food is yummy, especially the Yuk Hae (Korean raw beef), the whole chili peppers with their awesome Sam Jang, their Kimchee, and their meats.   The sushi counter could use a lot of work and is not something that I enjoy there at all.  Their baked desserts are meager and dried-out but two thumbs up to their fresh fruit and soft serve + froyo machine!

Pricing is a bit stiff for what you get.  
-Lunch is $16.95/person.  
-Dinner is $25.95/person.  
With so many delicious dining options in Ktown, I find it hard to pay the prices at Hansong for food that’s not always so consistent.

Hansong Buffet
1925 W Olympic Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90006
Neighborhoods: Westlake, Pico Union
(213) 386-1100
http://hansongbuffet.com

Restaurant Review : Sushi Izakaya Gaku (Japanese, sushi) $$$ *9 out of 10*

This unassuming place has exceeded my expectations.  The service was genuine and attentive, the atmosphere was comfortably intimate and the food was authentic and delicious. 

Everything was delightful.  We enjoyed the food so much that we kept on eating way after we were already full.  From the Ono Sashimi, to the Uni, the Gaku Egg, the Unagi, to the grilled Moi and the Roast Duck all the way to the perfectly cooked, perfectly executed Udon…it was all delicious.  

Please make a reservation or you will definitely regret it.  We were able to get in on our second attempt. The restaurant is small and it’s always full.  You don’t want to stand around watching other people enjoy their awesome meals while you’re getting hungrier and hungrier now do you?  

Sushi Izakaya Gaku
1329 S King St
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 589-1329

Restaurant Review : Aburiya Toranoko (Japanese, Sushi) $$ *7 out of 10*

The name of the restaurant can’t get much harder than this.  Sheesh.

Aburiya Toranoko has an extensive menu with some traditional stuff and tons of fusion stuff.   Our party combed through the menu and here’s what we had…  

Hawaiian Ono Sushi $6 (I definitely have had better) —- “live” octopus sashimi w/plum and yuzu sauce $19 (why is “live” sashimi cooked?) —- Shimaaji (Jack Mackerel) Sushi $8 (decent) —- Aji Sushi (Spanish Mackerel) $8 (not fresh) —- Uni Goma Tofu $11(subtle, interesting…didn’t love it but grew on me more and more) —- Snapper Sashimi w/Pomegranate $13 (I found it too oily and the pomegranate hid the taste of the snapper without giving it any kick) —- Grilled Norwegian Mackerel $8 (best thing we had all night) —- Kumamoto Oyster Plate $20 (4 oysters with different toppings.  It was fresh, cute, pricey, small… I think I prefer the traditional toppings) —- Spicy Yellowtail Cut Roll $5 (booooring) —- Monkfish Liver w/Miso Sauce $7 (the sauce was sweet and overwhelming which made it hard to taste the Ankimo) —- Black Cod w/Sweet Miso $12 (decent, average) —- Ikura Sushi $7 (pretty good) —- Udon Vongole $11 (good chewy udon.  Dish is a bit heavy overall).  

For drinks I tried the Cucumber Chiller $10 and hated it.  It was way too sweet and syrupy for me.  I also tried the Strawberry Sake Champagne $10 which was a bit better.

I really love A.T.’s urban arty space with their open outdoor patio. The service was pretty good too.   While there are many things to try, I found myself quite disappointed with the food.  The fusion stuff didn’t really do much to complement flavors but worked instead to mask the true taste of the ingredient.   The traditional nigiri fell below my expectations on freshness and taste.  I can walk a block down the street and have great tasting sushi for fewer dollars. 

When I return, and I probably will to give it another go, I think I will have to change my game plan and try for more of the cooked stuff.  There are tons of interesting stuff on the menu and I did enjoy my experience there enough to warrant a return.  

Sun&Thurs-Happy Hour all nite
Mon-Sake nite-1/2 off sake bottles
Tue-Ladies nite-1/2 off specialty checklist for ladies
Wed-Wine nite-1/2 off wine bottles

Aburiya Toranoko
243 S. San Pedro St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Neighborhoods: Downtown, Little Tokyo
(213) 621-9500
http://www.toranokola.com

Restaurant Review : Haru Sushi & Roll Cafe (Japanese, Sushi Bar) $$ *8.5 out of 10*

Even with all the good reviews about this place, I really didn’t think I’d like it.   My fear was that it would be too Americanized… basically, a place for rolls.  I’m happy to report that my fears were quickly put to rest.   They do have an Americanized menu and clientele but what makes Haru stand apart from the rest is that they have a solid traditional foundation.  They have utilized this, tweaked it, and have been able to satisfy their customers’ tastes while maintaining a high standard. 

Their fish is fresh, their service is great, and Haru, the female sushi chef who wields a huge sharp knife and a big sociable personality, is always a hoot.   This is a definite neighborhood recommendation.

Haru Sushi & Roll Café
480 S San Vicente Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Neighborhood: Mid-City West
(323) 782-0547
www.harusushicafe.com

Restaurant Review : Kiriko (Sushi, Japanese) West LA *8 out of 10*

My love affair with sushi continues…

The chef doesn’t stray far from the traditional at Kiriko…he experiments a little, but not too much, just the way I like it.  With a strong traditional foundation, Kiriko delivers quality sushi over and over again.  

Kiriko is a small hole-in-the-wall.  It’s always busy and the service is warm and polite.   Validated parking is available at the Olympic Collection Banquet and Conference Center at the corner of Olympic and Sawtelle. 

Omakase is the way to go here.  The chefs know what they’re doing and I’m happy to trust them.  Don’t forget to finish your meal with some of their amazing homemade ice cream.

Prices are definitely on the high side, but it sure is worth it.

Restaurant Review : Chaya Downtown (Japanese, Asian Fusion) *6 out of 10* DTLA

The $1 oysters at Chaya save the day!  No one seems to know how long they’re going to have this special but it’s here right now so take advantage of it.  They’re fresh and tasty; a perfect way to round up your stressful workday.  Pair them with a beautiful outdoor patio, a cool city skyline and some cocktails and you’ll see a huge smile on my face. 

Aside from the oysters the food needs major help.  Every time I order real food here, I cringe.  On my last trip I ordered “grilled” octopus $8, a spicy tuna hand roll $4, and an ume shiso maki (plum, shiso leaf, cut roll) $5 along with the oysters.  The “grilled” octopus was actually fried, not grilled.  It was greasy, tasteless and tough and had about 5 measly dried-out octopus pieces in it that was drowning in mayo.  

The spicy tuna was food-processored into a tuna mush that didn’t look appetizing at all.  Although the tuna wasn’t of the best quality it did taste better than it looked, thank goodness.  

And how can you mess up an ume shiso roll?  I mean, it’s so simple right?  It turns out that you can mess it up especially if you don’t know how salty your ume is and you put way too much into the roll so that you cure your diner’s mouth and have them desperately reaching for water.

8 stars for the patio/restaurant space
8 stars for the oysters…until they last
3 stars for the food 

PS Free validated parking underground for 4 hours in the City National Bank Plaza
PPS Happy Hour is 7 days a week all night until closing. Includes half price drinks & HH menu.

Restaurant Review : Fat Fish (Sushi) Ktown LA *7 out of 10*

I actually like this place.  It’s an ultra-modern Kaiten-zushi place where you watch the food go round and round on a conveyer belt and you pick up what you want from it. 

The sushi pieces are teeny tiny but the fish is fresh and tasty.  There are a lot of cooked rolls with fried stuff or mayo-ey dynamite stuff; you know, the usual American fare.  What really wins me over is not the sushi itself but the prices.  Here’s the low-down:

7 days a week :
Lunch : 11:30AM-3PM : Every plate is $2 (except for the uni).
Dinner : 5PM-7PM : 50% off everything.
Dinner : After 7PM-close:  ever plate is $2!

So your best value is to go when it’s $2 per plate because there are no plates under $4 at full price.

Restaurant Review : Sushi Gen (Japanese) Little Tokyo, DTLA *9 out of 10*

This is my favorite lunch place in Little Tokyo.  They have really good sushi/sashimi lunch combinations at reasonable prices.  The fish is always fresh and the daily crowds that gather there are always hungry, so expect a wait.  

I always order the sashimi lunch.  The meal starts with a tiny plate of tsukemono (pickled cabbage), some silken meat-stewed tofu, and a miso soup.  Then you get your plate of tuna-FIVE different ways, Hamachi, Halibut, crab(mixed with imitation crab), grilled salmon, seaweed, and octopus served with a bowl of rice.  Your plate does vary slightly from day to day depending on the availability so don’t be distressed if it does. Personally, I believe there’s way too much tuna on the plate.  I would much prefer a variety of different fish but tuna is popular and Gen’s tuna is the best. They are super generous with their portions.  I’m usually hungry after a sashimi lunch but I’m STUFFED after eating it at Gen.  I find myself trying to give away my fish away!  What a value at $15 bucks!  

If you don’t like sashimi try any of their other lunches.  You won’t be disappointed. 

Their bar is pretty darn good too but it can add up to a pretty penny.   For a while this used to be my favorite sushi bar.

Restaurant Review : Z Sushi (Japanese) Alhambra, CA *3 out of 10*

I’m sorry Z sushi.  I really wanted to like you but I was super disappointed. 

I went there for lunch with a friend of mine and ordered the Sashimi Lunch Plate for $12.95.  This came with a side green salad and some miso soup; nothing spectacular but okay.  Then my sashimi came.  It LOOKED good but it tasted horrible with the exception of the snapper. Nothing (except the snapper), was fresh and it tasted like the fish was cut with a dirty knife.  I could taste other fish flavors that did not belong to the piece I was eating.  Arghh…….

I’m giving it 3 stars because the décor was nice and the server did a decent job.

Restaurant Review : Komasa, Little Tokyo *10 out of 10*

Komasa is my favorite go-to place for no-frills sushi and traditional cooked Japanese food!

Overall, it’s the best.  I find that it always” hits the spot.”

The fish is fresh, good portions, the price is cheap, and the addition of good ol’ traditional cooked Japanese foods is a major plus.

You don’t order directly with the chef.  You order through the servers who serve as translators.  Chef Minoru, the heavy-handed chef who almost thoughtlessly slices his fish, was a sushi chef  in Japan before he opened this spot over 15 years ago.  He’s been a precious staple ever since.

I like to start with the $16 sashimi combination along with some sushi that I’m in the mood for at the time.  The rolls are unceremoniously thrown and just plopped onto a plate but they’re so yummy and perfect the way they are.  I usually like to finish with something cooked.  Maybe an order of unagi, some tempura, and definitely my “Ochazuke”, which is tea poured over rice.  It’s much better than it sounds and I think it’s perfect to round off the meal.

The staff is efficient and attentive.

Parking and validation is available in the Japanese Village Plaza.

The main deterrent for me to come here will be the wait.  The restaurant is small and it gets packed.  They actually try to discourage away people at the door! Get there before 6:00- LOL! Otherwise, perfect!

Restaurant Review : Sake in Placentia *3 out of 10*

I’m sorry Sake but you could definitely do better! I don’t mind Korean owned Sushi restaurants.  After all it is quite the trend especially for the restaurants that do a lot of business in rolls and lunch combos.  What I do mind is going to a restaurant, paying good money, and NOT getting good food.  But then again I was out in Placentia where apparently there’s not much of a selection for Japanese.

I ordered a Chirashi for $14.95, which is sashimi on a bed of sushi rice, one of my favorite go-to lunch meals.  The sushi rice was a little hard but seasoned well.   The Avocado was delicious. The Red Snapper, Ono, and Octopus were decent.  The albacore was passable.  The Tamago was dried and tasteless! Tamago! In this case a pre-packaged, you-just-have-to-open-the-bag Tamago! The Tuna was about 3 days old and yuck.  The Hamachi was downright disgusting.  I would have spit that one out if I had not been in a business meeting.  

Also, the portion was so small that I was actually shocked.  There is usually no way that I would finish the rice portion of a Chirashi but this was an exception.  My husband even asked me why I ordered only an appetizer!  LOL!

The hubby ordered the Pork Katsu Bento Combo B and our guest ordered the Chicken Katsu Bento Combo B for $9.95.  This was probably a better option.  He said that the katsu was cooked decently, not too oily but a little on the dry side.  Unfortunately, he was still hungry after his meal as well…

Restaurant Review : Tokyo Table in Arcadia  *7 out of 10(w/Shabu Special!)*

What a great deal.  They’re having all-you-can-eat Shabu for $15.95 right now! This includes a drink and unlimited appetizers. Appetizers include Fries, Vegetable Tempura, Fried Gyoza, Spicy Tuna Roll, Spicy Tuna Crunch Roll, California Roll, and Edamame.  Strangely, I really enjoyed the California Rolls.  It was creamy with not a lot of rice and well flavored.

The meat was pretty good. Of course it’s not the best marbled shabu meat out there but it was still tender and definitely worth the price.  Their sauces were a little off.  The ponzu was a bit too sour and sweet and the sesame sauce didn’t have the subtle richness it should have. O well.

When we first walked into the restaurant, it was almost empty and there was no one to greet us.  Once we hunted someone down we told them that we were going to sit in the patio.  After 10 minutes of waiting, no one came so we had to get up and flag someone down again.  FINALLY, our server came and eventually he turned out to be pretty sweet and attentive.  I guess he needed to warm up a bit.

I would definitely go back for this but I’m kind of scared to.  I mean, OF COURSE I pigged out…do I really want to do that again anytime soon?  Hmmm…Oh, who am I kidding?  I’m so there!

Restaurant Review : Maki & Sushi in Arcadia *7 out of 10*

Do big portions at Japanese restaurants exist?  They do here!  Okay, okay, not the most authentic of places but it’s pretty solid.  They prefix their meals with edamame, a large side salad- your choice of ginger or peanut dressing, and miso soup.  

Their rolls are huge, their fish is pretty fresh and their children’s meal can almost feed an adult.  The restaurant is clean and cozy and parking is easy.  So if you’re hungry and in the mood for some American-style sushi , swing by!  It’s definitely one of the better restaurants among its kind.