Thursday, December 21, 2023

Sushi Yamamoto@Beverly Hills ★★★

Favorite Sushi Restaurant. Yusuke-san seeks perfection and constantly makes updates on his menu seasonally. Incredible service and personal attention to detail from Yusuke-san. Sekogani (Female Snow Crab w/ Eggs) from Hyogo in season, and it was amazing. The Taka Tuna they get is exclusive for them from Japan. Had the honor to try Benny Blanco's Special Shrimp from Spain. Finally get to try the new limited edition Akabu Kohaku from Fifth Taste. Omakase $390. Wine & Sake Pairing $235. Corkage fee $150. Hot green tea $9. Bottled water $9 (filtered tap water not available). Reservations via Tock. Valet parking, $10 flat rate self-parking after 6pm, or park at Beverly Canon Gardens Parking (240 N. Beverly Dr) for $5 flat rate after 6pm with 1.5 blocks walk. [developing story]

Hokkigai (Surf Clam)
grilled with binchotan



Kohaku $100


Kichiji (Rockfish)

Kinmedai (Golden Eye Snapper) from Chiba, Japan
yuzu, scallions, kosho pepper

Akami, Chutoro, Otoro

Chutoro

Otoro

Akami Hand Roll

Benny Blanco's Carabineros Shrimp from Spain

Benny Blanco's Carabineros Shrimp from Spain

Saba (Mackerel)

Hokkigai (Surf Clam)

Hokkigai (Surf Clam)
grilled with binchotan

Kaki (Oyster)
scallion sesame oil

Sekogani (Female Snow Crab) from Hyogo




Sekogani (Female Snow Crab) from Hyogo

Sekogani (Female Snow Crab) from Hyogo

Bafun Uni (Sea Urchin) from Hokkaido

Bafun Uni (Sea Urchin) from Hokkaido


Astrea Caviar Toro

Toro End Piece

Kazu-san's Fresh Handmade Soba

Kazu-san's Fresh Handmade Soba with Yusuke-san's Shrimp Tempura


Toothpicks

Unagi (Fresh Water Eel)

Tamago (Sweet Egg Omelette)

Bafun Uni (Sea Urchin) from Hokkaido (add-on) $42

Satsuma Tangerine Ice Cream

Complimentary Hot Tea

Sushi Yamamoto
218 N. Rodeo Dr (former Urasawa place)
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
sushiyamamoto-beverlyhills.com/

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Cheng Can Cook: Baked Japanese Eggplant Recipe ★★★

Easy Eggplant Fix without Miso. I had to cook Eggplant tonight, but I realized that I ran out of Miso, so I came up the recipe below tonight. It ended up tasting like Miso.

Ingredients:
3-4 Eggplants
Bonito Flakes or Green Onions for Garnish (optional)

Sauce: (A bit of everything, more on the Cooking Sake & Mirin. Mix enough to lightly coat Eggplants)
Japanese Cooking Sake
Mirin
Japanese Sesame Sauce (can be optional)
Sesame Oil
Japanese Oyster Soy Sauce (or regular Soy Sauce)
Grated Ginger (optional) (Didn't use because I didn't have any Ginger on hand)
Cooking Oil

1. Preheat Oven to 475 degrees. Slice Eggplant into bite-size pieces.
2. Mix the sauce. Coat Eggplant with sauce.
3. Bake for about 45 minutes (depending on your oven) until Eggplant is soft well coated.
4. Garnish with Bonito Flakes or Green Onions (optional). Good with rice.

Sunday, December 17, 2023

Katsu Sando@San Gabriel ★★★

Katsu Sandwich by Daniel Son. (Sushi Sonagi) Snow Crab Korokke Roll with 3 kinds of Tobiko was amazing. Pork Katsu was thick, tender, and juicy. Crispy on the outside. Great with curry. Corn Potage (Japanese Corn Soup) was great. They have shaved ice with Kuramoto Ice from Japan seasonally. Would love to try next time when available. Cute mini-mart corner. Bottled Green Tea $3.95. Free limited parking in lot.

Snow Crab Korokke Roll $19.95

Katsu Curry Plate $15.95


Curry for Katsu

Corn Potage (Japanese Corn Soup) $4.95



Katsu Sando
710 W Las Tunas Dr Unit 6
San Gabriel, CA 91776
(626) 545-2266
eatkatsusando.com

Saturday, December 16, 2023

sushi ii@Newport Beach ★★★

Great Quality Omakase Sushi in Orange County. Felt like Ginza, Tokyo. Middle Tier Oribe Omakase Course $180 per person. Add-ons available. I added Aji ($10) & Ikura ($8). Love the Aji. Would like to try their Kaiseki Course next time. Complimentary Green Tea. Complimentary parking in lot.


sushi ii
100 West Coast Hwy Ste 202
Newport Beach, CA 92663
(949) 287-6268
sushi-ii.com

Thursday, December 14, 2023

The Steak Library@Lomita ★★★

High-End Japanese Steakhouse. Other than steak, they have a nice bar great for cocktails and drinks. Reservations via OpenTable. Free parking in lot.

Sky Restaurant $13
sake w/ lime

The Steak Library
1937 Pacific Coast Hwy,
Lomita, CA 90717
(424) 263-5373
https://www.steakslibrary.com

Torimatsu@Gardena ★★★

Best Yakitori in Town. Sasami Ponzu (Raw Chicken Breast) is not to be missed. Loved the Stuffed Lotus Root. Highly recommend pairing Yakitori w/ Beer. Soboro (Grated Chicken) Rice is nice to end the meal with. Their fruit sorbet is stuffed inside the fruit. Super cute. Great pricing. Quick & nice service on weekday early evening. The bill came out to be $116.25 + tax. Counter has the best seating. Located right next to Sushi Sonagi. Free parking in lot. I go to Torimatsu, Torihei, Koshiji, and Shin-Sen-Gumi for Yakitori in the area.

Okura (Okra) $3.50, Tsukune (Grated Chicken Meatballs) $3.75



Asahi (large) $11

Shiso Maki $3.75
perilla w/ chicken

Sasami Ponzu $11
raw chicken breast w/ ponzu sauce

Motsu (Liver) $3.75, Stuffed Lotus Root $3.75, Negi-Niku $3.75

Nasu (Eggplant) $7

Vegetables w/ Miso

Soboro Rice $8.50
grated chicken on rice

Ginnan (Ginko Nuts) $3.50

Negi-Niku $3.75

Yaki-Onigiri $5.50 (takes 20-30 minutes)


Peach Fruit Sorbet $8.50

Torimatsu
1425 W Artesia Blvd
Gardena, CA 90248
(310) 538-5764