Torrance - TORIHEI

It’s conveniently located in a Japanese plaza right next to the Mistuwa Market. I can see myself getting in a habit of not cooking right after the grocery shopping and go dining out somewhere close.
Torihei has been rated the best Yakitori-ya in the So.Cal. among the foodie circles. We had been warned it being busy, so we got our 8pm reservation a week ahead and walked straight right in, passing all the eye-rolling-hungry-souls in the 45 minutes line. We felt good even before ordering anything.

Right after we walked in, thanks to their fancy fan, it’s virtually smokeless compared to other yakitori-ya.

The menu was pretty big and not limited to chicken only. Service was decent.

Below left, White radish - 1.95 from the Oden section, was cooked perfectly with nice light oden broth flavor.


Above, Grounded chicken on rice bowl with soup - 5.95, for those who need rice in every meal.

From the left, Chicken thigh, Half raw egg w/ salmon roe, & Breast w/ plum. For these less than two dollars each skewers, all the bites were all cooked to the right tenderness and seasoned well.

Again, the fire & salt masters at Torihei just keep hitting the perfect spot. (Beef tongue, Gizzard & Chicken wing)

The whole squid with mayo was gone in seconds.

While some people might considered the liver being cooked too rare here, it tasted fresh and creamy soft.

Fuwa-Fuwa (soft) chicken ball was one of my favorite bites. It was sauced generously and I really enjoyed the texture of little pieces of chicken cartilage (soft bone) they mixed in the balls.

It was a birthday dinner so we bought our own Banana Chocolate cake from Frances Bakery - Little Tokyo. There was this cakeage fee of $15 where they served the cake with some candle and plates. It was not the best of the deals but it did the trick.
Now I am a fan and yes TORIHEI is easily one of the best Yakitori-ya you will find in the Southern California.
TORIHEI

http://www.yelp.com/biz/torihei-torrance | 1757 W Carson St Ste A Torrance, CA 90501 | 310-781-9407

Los Angeles - The Lazy Ox Canteen

The Lazy Ox Canteen has been one of the longest queue in my MustTryList in LA.
Knowing Yelp’s offering passport to Little Tokyo this week, with 20% off, I was pushed over the edge with an open arms.

The host and waitress were very efficient and friendly. The place was packed at 7pm and full of energy.

Above right, toasted Peruvian corn seasoned with lime & salt. I love crunchy snacks as a starter.
On the left, as one of the Chalkboard Specials, creamy farro with sun-dried tomato & bone marrow butter was the first dish out in no time. It’s very rich and flavorful.

Soon followed by the second dish, dashi marinated yellowtail with avocado, hash brown & tonburi - 15. I piled all the ingredients like a layered wedding cake with the hash brown as the base. The crispy hash marries the soft avocado and fresh hamachi happily ever after.

Buttermilk fried 1/2 quail with smoked sesame, wilted greens & chive dressing - 14, above. The bird was tender and paired well with the sauce. The batter could be a bit more crispier to my likings.


Lastly, the braised beef paleron with cream of wheat, kumquats & red wine - 25. The paleron was super tender and a bit on the sweet side with chopped beets and kumquats in red wine reduction. This sure was the highlight of the evening.
It’s a place worth coming back and next time I will sure to bring a few more company to really explore the Chalkboard Specials.
The Lazy Ox Canteen
Menu: http://www.lazyoxcanteen.com/menus.html

http://www.lazyoxcanteen.com | 241 South San Pedro Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 | 213-626-5299