Torrance | gas•tron•o•my

I should go ahead and declare February Japanese Food Appreciation month. From budget sushi to high-end fishes, not to mention spicy ramen and modern Japanese fare, it seems that the bulk of my meals these past 25 days have hailed from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Continuing on my streak of delicious Japanese cuisine, I traveled to Torrance for a feast of yakitori and oden at Torihei. I was joined by a band of merry eaters including The Astronomer, Remil, Danny, Amy, and Dennis (Amy’s fiance). Torihei is Danny’s favorite spot for skewered and grilled goodness in the South Bay.

Torihei is the collaborative effort of chefs Masataka Hirai and Masakazu Sasaki. Chef Hirai heads up the yakitori portion of the menu, while Chef Sasaki is an expert in Kyoto-style oden dishes. [To learn more about the histories of both chefs and their specialties, I recommend reading Exile Kiss' thorough write up.]

Danny spearheaded the ordering effort, sticking mostly to the yakitori side of the menu. However, I heard from a trusty source that the oden dishes are equally superb.

Every table is outfitted with wooden boxes filled with shichimi togarashi (Japanese spice blend) and sansho (Sichuan pepper powder). Both are used as dipping condiments for the grilled items. The numbing sensation of the Sichuan pepper powder paired marvelously with the skewered odds and ends that graced our table this evening.

Continue reading ‘Torihei – Los Angeles (Torrance)’

Back in November, gas•tron•o•my reader Anh tipped me off to Mitsuwa Markeplace after I whined about the frozen deconstructed sushi I endured at Mako Bowl in Pasadena. “Go to Mitsuwa Marketplace, Cathy!” encouraged Anh. “They’ve probably got the most decent grocery store sushi I’ve ever seen.”

When the running gods cursed me recently with a shoddy pair of running shoes that needed returning in Torrance, the food gods smiled down and reminded me of Mitsuwa nearby. Hip, hip, hooray.

Mitsuwa Marktplace is part grocery store and part food court—The Astronomer and I explored both on our afternoon visit. After scanning the available eating options, we began our feast at Mifune.

The life-like plastic food displays along each of the vendors’ kiosks were very helpful in determining where and what to eat. For a measly $6.50 we received a bowl of pork katsu curry and a hot bowl of wakame udon.

Both the pork katsu curry and wakame udon were solid. In all honesty, at $6.50 a pop, it’d be silly to complain. The pork katsu had a nice, crisp exterior, while the smooth curry was spicy and mildly sweet. I’m always surprised by how creamy Japanese curry is each time I eat it.

The wakame udon tasted really healthy—clear broth with lots of seaweed floating about. The udon noodles had a pleasantly firm bite.

After our meal at Mifune, we were feeling pretty stuffed. To make room for more Japanese goodness, The Astronomer and I explored the grocery store section of the marketplace. I picked up some rice crackers (the ones wrapped in nori were bomb), while The Astronomer went for some Pocky.

Next, we grabbed some sushi at Daikichi, Mitsuwa’s only sushi vendor. As promised by Anh, the selection appeared to be fresh and vibrant.

After a bit of hemming and hawing, I finally settled on a spicy tuna roll ($4.99) and some inari ($4.50). The spicy tuna roll was the spiciest spicy tuna roll The Astronomer and I have ever consumed. Our eyes were seriously watering with each tasty bite. The plump little inaris were filled with sweet and vinegary rice. There’s something so simple and satisfying about inari that I can’t resist.

Mitsuwa Marketplace has great energy and excellent eats; this is the way food courts should be. Sha sha.