Nagomi @ Mar Vista Farmers Market

A couple Sundays ago, I ran into this gem of a catering truck in Mar Vista. Few dared to approach it because, well, tacos were nowhere to be found.

Cafe Nagomi offers a lineup of fresh "gourmet" Japanese food using: 1) organic brown rice, grains, vegetables, and tofu; 2) naturally brewed organic soy sauce; 3) miso with organic whole soy bean; 4) sun dried sea salt; 5) PI water.

Not included are: dairy, eggs, refined sugar, bleached products, artificial anything, animal product other than seafood, and microwaved food.

Truthfully, I've never been a slave to the organic trend but I've always been fond of Japanese comfort food which is really what this was. What exactly Japanese comfort food might be is up to personal taste, but I always conjure up images of a hot bowl of rice, hijiki (sea vegetable), sauteed kinpira gobo (burdock root) and goma-ae(spinach in sesame dressing). Throw in a raw egg and fermented soy beans for good measure. (~~^D^;~~)

I tried out their "Nagomi Plate" which came out to a whopping 14 bucks with tax. It included the special main dish of the day, which happened to be black cod with miso, along with two sides of choice:

• Hijiki
• Kinpira Gobo
  (Sauteed gobo, lotus roots and carrots)
• Goma-ae
  ( Boiled spinach dressed in sesame paste )
• Nasu-Nibitashi
  (Stewed Japanese eggplant)
• Ratatouille
  (Vegetable stew. No liquid added)

• Edamame
• Jap Che
  (Korean style stir-fried glass noodle)
• Vegetable Gyoza
  (Pot-sticker)
• Tofu Karaage
  (Fried marinated tofu)

The man behind the glass window packed up my lunch nicely for me in a white paper box. I was pretty skeptical at first that a 14 dollar lunch-to-go would be worth the price but when I got home to sample it, I was pleasantly surprised. It actually reminded me of home. (Well, my home away from home, at least.) The cod was absolutely flavorful and juicy. And the sides, though modestly portioned, were just as tasty.

So let's just pretend that Mitsuwa market down the street didn't carry similar dishes. If you're looking for tasty, healthy homestyle Japanese food just look for the big blue taco truck.