In the News: Ajisen Ramen Comes to Century City Mall

I just spotted this 'Under Construction' wall at Century City's Westfield mall this past week. Hit or fail? We shall see.

Shin Okinawa Izakaya (Torrance)

Considering the number of Okinawans living among the Japanese American population, you'd think a platter of sauted bitter-melon (aka, goya) would be served alongside teriyaki bowls here in Southern California. Yet only recently has Shin-Okinawa Izakaya hit Torrance's dining scene, dishing out a bountiful selection of crave-worthy comfort food like tempura-fried sweet potato, juicy chops of pork belly (rafutei), and a hot bowl of soba with sliced kamaboko (fish cakes).

Soki-soba

rafutei


tofu tsukune

I might've said this before and if I did then I really mean it this time: It's like you're in Japan when you're here, whether it be the flavor of the broth, the brush-stroked wall menu, or the bar-snack offerings of sliced pig's ear and monkfish liver (an kimo). I associate pickled squid and grilled innards with smelly-drunk businessmen, which is probably why I never touch the stuff, but every other Japanese person I know can't seem to get enough of it.

So for the rest of us there's all kinds of carb-heavy treats like Okinawa Soba, somen champuru (stir-fried vermicelli and vegetables), and for dessert, everyone's favorite Okinawan donut, sata andagi -- a fist-sized ball of sugary dough deep-fried until golden.


sata andagi


Arabiki pork sausages


Red Sweet Potato sticky balls

Like most izakayas, each plate runs between $5 to $8 at portions meant to accompany a mug of beer. Though it's also worth trying their selection of cocktails mixed with awamori, the island's poison of choice. Few places outside Japan serve stuff like this, so get it while you can.


Hiraya Chi (savory pancake)


Grilled pork sausages




Shin Okinawa Izakaya
1880 W. Carson Street Suite #A
Torrance, California, 90501
(310) 618-8357

Japan 2008: Aichi, Gifu and Tokyo

Hey kids! It's that time of the year when I post pics of my recent Japan travels. I just got back yesterday and jet lag has warped my head. I couldn't sleep 'til 5 am last night so I instead took time to upload my photos. On this trip, I went to Aichi and Gifu prefecture as well as Tokyo. My goal was to stick to healthy meals...

My first dinner in Nagoya was very much that. Most everything you see is boiled. Hijiki is sauteed lightly in oil but it's high in nutrients so you can't go wrong. In my ideal world, I'd have a Japanese mom cook all these dishes for me every day along with a hot pot of rice. It's all so good.

Nagoya had a dance festival last week so all the outdoor stalls (yatai) were set up to feed the tens of thousands of tourists. On the left, it's grilled squid and other squid parts basted in sweet soy sauce.


While in the sticks of Gifu prefecture I happened upon a stand offering fresh vegetables at $1 a bag. Here you see (from left) red potatoes, pumpkins, eggplants, bitter melon, cucumbers, shiso and peppers. If only I had a kitchen at the time.


Beef is a regional specialty in central Japan (Hida). So when in Hida, eat like the Hidans:

Peppered beef skewer...

sliced beef cooked in a leaf...

...and a tender slab of steak. Good lord. Diet postponed.

Grilled mochi on a stick makes for an excellent post-lunch snack.

Now off to Tokyo...

I found this cake shop in the basement of Takashimaya in Shinjuku:


The glass display case wraps all the way around and what you do is grab a clip board (on the left) and check off each item you want. There must have been over 100 cakes all priced at around $5 each. I was jealous of the ladies buying for their family cause at least they'd have the opportunity to sample each one.

We have Qoo here in Los Angeles, but I'd never seen mango-orange flavor. Very tasty.

Whenever I'm in Tokyo, I can never seem to evade the luring scent of Jangara Ramen. Truthfully, the place inside stinks like something nasty because they spend hours (if not days) simmering their special pork-bone broth. I'm hardly a ramen fan, but with that said Jangara Ramen is an amazing bowl of noodles. The broth is rich, flavorful and topped with so many ingredients -- boiled egg, thick cuts of stewed pork, bamboo shoots, red ginger, scallions, spicy cod roe -- that you couldn't possibly get bored. Though, healthy it is not.

If you're a Japanese candy fiend like me, you'll know that most candy from Japan is now stocked at your Los Angeles Asian market. I double dare you to find something in Japan that you can't find here.

KitKat is the rare exception. If you look hard you can find unique flavors like this one, Matcha Tea. Sadly, I only had enough money to buy two. It was the last purchase of my trip, so I made sure I took a picture of it before passing it along to friends.

Already looking forward to 2009...

Chabuya (Sawtelle)

I've been AFB (away from blog) recently because it's that time of year when I'm too miserly to eat out. The same feeling came around last February after which I dared myself to live off a pot of curry for an entire week. The sense of accomplishment is tremendous.

This year, I'm not nearly as ambitious. It's easier to just have grandma treat me to lunch on her Social Security check, which she did last weekend. We sat down for a mid-afternoon meal at Chabuya along Sawtelle Blvd. She had the chicken donburi (rice bowl) and I the tsukemen, a version of ramen where the noodles and broth are separated.

Since opening a couple years back, the Japanese noodle chain has noticeably beefed up their menu. They initially christened their dining tables with only their signature ramen, but when that didn't seem to win customers' hearts they branched out to things like donburi and Vietnamese sandwiches. It was a smart move considering Americans enjoy a menu with variety.

In celebration of summer, Chabuya is currently serving an assortment of cold dishes topped with generous portions of vegetables and meat. The sugary shoyu sauce comes in a separate cup and you pour it over the noodles to your liking.

***WARNING ***JAPANESE CULTURAL TIP BELOW *** **WARNING **

Tsukemen, on the other hand (see photo above), is a completely different dish. It's eaten by dipping a few strands of noodles at a time into the warm broth, a dense version of that of ramen. I watched in horror the girl next to me pouring broth into her plate. Although the results weren't cataclysmic, I still wouldn't do it. The broth is at perfect concentration while in the cup. Pouring it onto the noodles would dilute the taste.


Cold noodle portions are generous at Chabuya. The broth is richly tasty and the bigger-than-bite-size toppings will keep you full 'til dinner. It may not be the best meal you'll ever have, but for $8 I'd say it's nicely satisfying. Thanks again, Grandma!

Hello Kitty Ramen in a Can

I'm gonna let you in on something: I'm broke. Not the kind of broke where I'll be gurneyed to Skid Row, but the kind of broke where I force myself to eat Wonder Bread and Carl Buddig lunch meat every day just to afford weekend dinner with friends. (Since when did $20 become the new $10?)

It's not all that bad though. It compels me to look through my food pantry more often. Tonight I found a can of Hello Kitty ramen, something I bought in Tokyo last year. The beauty of it is that it requires no heating. You eat it as-is, in room temperature. I haven't checked the facts but I bet you can take this can with you into the next millennium. The noodles are made of konnyaku -- also known as konjak, devil's tongue, voodoo lily, snake palm, elephant yam, according to Wikipedia -- which has a firm, jelly texture so they never get soggy. There's also a few slices of bamboo shoot which probably stay "fresh" because the soup broth is thick with oil. (Think Exxon Valdese.) Yeah, sounds pretty gnarly, but it started selling in Japan to meet the demand of all those people too busy for real food. Just imagine those fanatic online gamers too caught up to leave their rooms, not even for a bathroom break. (I knew someone who ended up peeing in a jar, but I'll save that story for another time.)

So yeah, I've had better ramen. I slurped up a few noodles and then put it back in the fridge. I'll check up on it in a few weeks but I'm guessing it'll look the same as when I first opened it. What I probably should've done is put it in my earthquake emergency kit. Aside from being a great alternative to powdered mashed potatoes I bet it'd make an excellent cold-compress.

Santoka @ Mitsuwa, WLA

I spent a good portion of my Sunday afternoon konked out on my living room couch. I couldn't help it. I threw caution to the wind and ordered a LARGE bowl of shio ramen at Santoka. Soon after, flatulence was thrown to the wind as well. A few hours later I attempted a 5 mile bike ride to the beach, and well, let's just say it didn't go as well as I hoped. Shio, I assumed, was supposed to be the lighter of the three broths. But the extra inch of Santoka's oily goodness didn't help. Still, I have no regrets. I savored every bit of it, as should you.

Santoka at Mitsuwa Market's newly rennovated food court
3760 Centinela Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90066