Friday, January 31, 2025

Guzzu PM (DTLA) x Toriei (Shizuoka) Pop-Up@Arts District ★★

Yakitori Omakase Pop-up from Shizuoka. Generous portion. Good quality. Meat & vegetables were nicely arranged on the menu. Nice cocktails. Definitely pre-order the drinks by Wolf & Crane. Pre-order price for $15 drinks is $10. Add-ons available. Very causal vibe. Service was very backed up. We were not seated until 8:00pm for our 7:30pm reservation. $40 per person + $10 drink (optional). Ample free parking on street.

Sasami Wasabi (Tender with Grated Wasabi)
Momo with Yukishio (Thigh with Snowflake Salt)

Yuzu Lemon Drop $10 pre-purchase ($15 value)
Japanese High Ball $10 pre-purchase ($15 value)



Zensai
Potato Salad with Crispy Chicken Skin
Japanese style potato salad topped with fried crispy chicken skin


Shiozuke and Toribushi
Lightly salted vegetables dressed with moritsuyu, topped with toribushi

Chicken Liver Pate Monaka
liver pate finished with Akashi whisky sandwiched between a roasted monaka shell with a daikon salad (yuzu kosho dressing) and tomato raisin

Agedashi Nasu w/ Steamed Chicken Tender
lightly fried eggplant in a sweet garlic soy with steamed tender topped with ginger sauce and a myoga, green onion, red shiso salad

Tsukune (Meatball with Tare)

Negima (Thigh & Tokyo Negi with Tare)
Tsukune (Meatball with Tare)

Vegetables w/ Sansho Miso
assorted vegetables with sansho miso

Teba (Wing with Spicy Soy Sauce)

Chicken Bone Soup
chicken broth with mitsuba


Shime
Soboro (Ground Chicken) & Eggs
topped with roasted shishito, served with shibazuke pickles

Guzzu Bento-ya
1102 Lawrence St, Los Angeles, CA 90021
(310) 858-0336
https://www.guzzubentoya.com/

Sunday, January 26, 2025

Miyabi Uni@Torrance ★★

Uni Specialty Restaurant. I liked all my favorite seafood in that Uni, Scallop, Salmon & Salmon Roe Donburi, but the Uni in my Donburi happened to be bitter this time. Having Uni is like lottery. Some of them will be bitter. Not busy on Sunday night. Yelp reservations available. Free parking in smelly underground lot. Street parking would be preferable if available.

Uni, Scallop, Salmon, & Salmon Roe Donburi (small) $33.95

House Green Salad $11.95
organic spring mix w/ house sea urchin dressing

Uni Garlic Canape $14.50
four sliced of French toast w/ sea urchin & garlic butter

Hokkaido Scallops Carpaccio $19

Bluefin Tuna Carpaccio $24

Grilled Squid

Spider Roll $18.50
deep fried soft shell crab, cucumber, pickled burdock

Yellowtail Carpaccio $21

Miyabi Uni Original
soy sauce, garlic butter & red chili spaghetti topped w/ fresh sea urchin, shiso leaf & crispy seaweed

Miso Soup for Uni, Scallop, Salmon, & Salmon Roe Donburi

Miyabi Uni
1231 Cabrillo Ave Ste 101
Torrance, CA 90501
(424) 340-6449
miyabiuni.com

Pho N Mor Annex@Alhambra ★★

Nice Pho Restaurant in Alhambra. Good pricing. Enjoyed having Bahn Hoi, bundled rice vermicelli, which I used to have at Vietnamese restaurant when I was a child. Was kind of looking forward to the colorful Bahn Hoi as pictures in the menu, but it came as plain white. Egg Rolls were extra crispy (I think because they are wrapped & fried w/ rice paper) and went very well wrapping with lettuce and dipped in fish sauce. $5 Thai Tea was huge, but maybe request less ice is better. If you don't drink it fast enough, the drink gets too watery from the ice. Wanted to add crystal boba for $0.75, but they ran out of boba. 15 % off Thurs-Sun 8am-11am. Took me a while to catch the name "Pho and More". Annex from its Commonwealth location. Just opened last year. Walk-in ok and large table available for large party. Free parking in lot.

Bahn Hoi Cha Gio w/ BBQ Pork $18
7 tiny vermicelli rolls served w/ 2 egg rolls on a bed of vegetables with choice of BBQ Pork, Beef, or Chicken

Bahn Hoi Vermicelli not as colorful as pictures

Iced Thai Tea $5

Condiments for Pho

Pho Dac Biet $14
house special w/ well-done flank, rib eye beef, soft tendon & beef tripe

Crispy Egg Rolls (5 pieces) $12
crispy egg rolls filled w/ pork, clear vermicelli & vegetables
served w/ fish sauce

Wrapped Egg Roll with lettuce & condiments & dipped it in fish sauce.
It's going to be messy...

Pho N Mor Annex
736 E Valley Blvd
Alhambra, CA 91803
(626) 545-2140
phonmor.com

Saturday, January 25, 2025

KinKan@Los Angeles ★★★

KinKan "Flavors of Fortune" Osechi-Inspired Menu. Japanese Thai fusion. Love Chef Nan's friendly, easy-going, & fun personality. Amazing Japanese dishes with Thai influence. $195 per person. Hot or Iced Green Tea $8. Free limited parking at small adjacent lot. Corkage fee $35.

Madai Curry, Daikon Mochi
For Prospertiy

Chef Nan in the middle

Ice Green Tea $8


Ohmine 3 Grain Muroka Nama Genshu



Hot Green Tea $8

Uni, Amaebi, Onsen Tamago, Warm Dashi
For Longevity



Zuke 2 Weeks Dry-Aged Maguro, Grated Nagaimo, Renkon, Thai Larb, Shoyu
For a Bright Future

Creamy Tom Yum

Squid Ink Tapioca Chip, Hokkaido Scallop, Creamy Tom Yum
For Success & Fortune

Squid Ink Tapioca Chip, Hokkaido Scallop






Dungeness Crab, Angel Hair Pasta
For Generosity

Niwa No Uguisu Doburoku


Niwa No Uguisu Doburoku


A5 Wagyu, Risotto, Crying Tiger Sauce
For Strength & Luxury




kamoizumi Nigori Ginjo Summer Snow


Taro Mochi, Warm Coconut Cream
For Unity & Joy

kamoizumi Nigori Ginjo Summer Snow


Ice Cream Monaka

KinKan
771 N Virgil Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 421-3771
kinkanla.com