Sushi Masters Competition 2009

Sunday, September 20, 2009, 2:30-6:00 pm

Aratani/Japan America Theatre
244 South San Pedro St. (Little Tokyo), Los Angeles, CA 90012

The Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) is pleased to present the SushiMasters competition in partnership with the California Rice Commission (CRC). JACCC is the largest Asian American cultural center in the U.S. and CRC is a non-profit organization that represents the growers and handlers who farm and process premium quality rice used in sushi and many other dishes. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit JACCC cultural programs.

Finals competitors include winners of the three SushiMasters Regional Competitions held earlier this year, including Randy Noprapa of Tara Thai Restaurant in Washington, D.C., Toshi Furihata of Moshi-Moshi Restaurant in Miami Beach, Florida and Hyun Min Suh of Sushi Ran in Sausalito. A fourth competitor will be 2008 SushiMasters State Finals Champion, Tomoharu Nakamura of Sanraku Four Seasons, San Francisco.

Attendees of the Finals Competition will not only be treated to a live, 45 minute professionally judged sushi making competition, there also will be the JACCC Food and Sake Festival, including cultural entertainment, a reception-style sample of cuisine from Southern California’s best Japanese and Asian restaurants, as well as sake tasting.

• America's finest sushi chefs compete to become the 2009 SushiMaster in an “Iron-Chef” style competition featuring celebrity judges and emcees
  
  
• JACCC Food & Sake Festival showcasing cuisine from local restaurants, caterers, food purveyors, as well as a selection of premium sakes
  
  
• Live cultural entertainment and much more

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Tickets:

Advance Sales - $125 VIP / $60 general admission
JACC Members - $100 VIP /$52 general admission
At the Door - $130 VIP / $65 general admission

Promo Code: Use LAFOODIE (all caps) and pay only $112.50 VIP / $55 general admission.

Tickets on Sale Now at Box Office or online at www.jaccc.org.

For more information on SushiMasters, please contact Box Office at (213) 680-3500 or visit www.SushiMasters.com.

Joy at Izayoi

Having experienced eating tapas-style in the past, my first foray into izakaya dining was at Izayoi in Little Tokyo. For those of you who didn't know, the name "izakaya" is a compound word consisting of "i " (to remain) and "sakaya" (sake shop), showing that izakaya originates from sake shops where a night out consisted of dining on bar food in between bouts of sake and beer, very similar to the concept of eating tapas paired with wines. Since I'm not actually much of a drinker, it was all about the food and for our meal, we sampled 15 different dishes, from salads all the way to dessert. Being a first-timer, Izayoi has definitely set a pretty high standard for future izakaya outings because except for 2 or 3 items that were just so-so, everything I had was extremely tasty.

First to arrive was the Cooked Broccoli Served Chilled with Spicy Cod Roe Dressing. This dish was pretty straightforward but I really enjoyed how the sweet and tangy onions along with the slight salty-heat of the dressing added great flavors to a vegetable that a lot of restaurants normally cook to an unappetizing mushy mess. Along with the broccoli came the Mustard Greens and Fried Bean Curd Tossed with Sesame Dressing, which was fresh and even re-freshing. Both were great starters for the meal to come.

A couple of dishes later, the Homemade Tofu with Ground Sesame Paste landed on our table. At first, it didn't look very appetizing. I kept thinking about camouflage colors every time I looked at it. After a few bites, I did end up appreciating how the fairly creamy tofu absorbed both the nuttiness and a tinge of bitterness from the sesame sauce for a duet of flavors that somehow worked well together. The Steamed Clams with Sake Broth also hit the spot. Though not a hearty soup, it's a bowl of goodness, tasty and light, that would be great to have on a chilly evening when you're not in the mood for a heavy meal.

Something that else that stood out for me was the egg custard presented in a tea cup with a little wooden spoon. It was a perfect complement to a meal with ts fair share of grilled and deep fried items. Both creamy and silky, it helped give our taste buds a rest in between courses and in a way, was a great palate cleanser as well.

Other delicious offerings from Izayoi were the Garlic Sauteed Scallops and Mushrooms, though a tad oily, still packed a lot garlicky punch while the Miso Eggplant was on the other end of the flavor spectrum because of the delicate sweetness of its miso glaze. Overall, most of the dishes we sampled were quite stellar, but there were those 2, even 3 items that did disappoint.

First, there were the tempura squid legs. The tempura wasn't light or crispy. In fact, I found it to be a bit heavy. What I also found unappealing is that when trying to take a bite out of the squid legs, the whole thing literally came out of the tempura. I felt like a cat in front of an aquarium looking perfectly innocent while a part of a fish was hanging out of its mouth. Get the picture? The whole squid leg section was just too big to have been fried because there was certainly no way anyone could eaten the whole thing in one bite. Second and third actually because both the Miso Duck and Ponzu Grilled Chicken had the same problem. Both meats were a little too over cooked and as a result, a little chewy.

In the end, to have only 3 out of 15 items not quite come up to par, definitively speaks well of Izayoi. People have told me that izakaya food actually tastes better with sake and/or beer, but in my book, Izayoi's food really doesn't need any further enhancement. Their menu can definitely stand on its own merit.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157604544263808/

Izayoi
132 S Central Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 613-9554

Koshiji in Little Tokyo

Having tried Sakura House and having loved it, I thought it would be great to check out a similar restaurant closer to home and upon a recommendation from a friend, I ventured with friends to Koshiji in Little Tokyo.

Our meal started off with a complimentary fresh veggies and a delicious miso-based sauce. I have to tell you that the miso sauce was addicting, so much so that I asked for more for when my skewers arrived. For the rest of my meal, I had 8 different skewers, two different sides and also a dessert.

Strangely enough, although Koshiji as a Yakitori, serves various parts of skewered chicken parts, other than the chicken meatballs, I ordered other options. The first four skewers that came out for my tasting pleasure included the Pork Belly with Shiso Leaf, Green Beans wrapped with Pork, Duck Breast with Miso Sauce and the Eggplant with Ginger Miso Sauce.

Of those first four, I have to tell you that the pork belly skewer blew me away. Juicy, smoky and just absolutely delicious! I also loved the crunch of the green beans and of course, the meaty flavor of the pork it was wrapped in. The eggplant wasn't too memorable, but I remembered that I liked it while the duck was not a hit with me. It was over cooked and a little chewy for my taste.

Shortly following the skewers came my baked sweet potatoes. I really liked the presentation - standing up tall, almost like tree trunks. Dripping with butter, the potatoes added a nice sweet break between the more savory skewers. Then came the grilled garlic and oh my God, that garlic was just wonderful - sweet and melted in your mouth. I just so love having tastebuds!

Following the potatoes and garlic came the rest of my skewer orders, although technically the Lamb Chop with Lemon Pepper wasn't actually on a skewer. The Lamb Chop was pretty disappointing. Not tender enough and not peppery enough and not to be ordered by me again on a return visit.

Then came the Okra wrapped with pork, Chicken Meatballs and Quail Eggs. The Okra was tasty and you can't go wrong with flavor with the pork wrapped around it. Now the Chicken Meatballs were interesting. They had a spongy texture when eaten while hot, but then got firmer when cooled down. That spongy texture wasn't too my liking, but once the meat cooled down, I liked it much better, especially dipped in that miso sauce I mentioned earlier. The Quail Eggs were pretty good as well.

To end my meal, I had the Coffee Jello and let me tell you, that was an interesting eating experience. The Coffee Jello reminded me of a de-constructed cup of coffee without the cup. You get the coffee in the jello while the frozen grapes are your sweetener and the whipped cream is your cream, milk or half & half. So for you coffee lovers out there, this is something to check out.

Overall, except for a couple of items, the food was excellent. Even with the somewhat slow service, Koshiji is definitely now a Little Tokyo favorite.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157600014928598/

Koshiji
123 Onizuka St, #203
Los Angeles, CA 90189
(213) 626-4989

"Ramen Quartet" - A Tasting of 4 Different Restaurants

Latter part of last year, I organized my quarterly "Quartet" dining series for my group and this time around, we focused on checking out 4 Ramen restaurants from October to December. The four places we visited were Koraku, Hakata Ramen, Santouka Ramen and Daikokuya.

First up was Koraku in Little Tokyo. While strictly not a ramen house, what was interesting about Koraku was the sheer number and variety of ramen soups being offered. There was quite a list in the menu as well as special ramens being offered just for that day. For my order, I chose one of the specials called Sutamina Ramen, which had a shoyu (I think) broth and included garlic sprouts, ground pork, green onions and mushrooms.

If you were looking for something warm to ward off a cold day or night, I'd say this particular ramen would accomplish that just fine. It was a good solid dish, if not spectacular. There were certainly misses to it. I would have preferred firmer noodles. The broth was also a little too thin and there was a layer of oiliness towards the top of the broth that could have been lessened.

Also, I don't think ground meat really is a good choice for ramen or even soup in general. The ground pork in my ramen basically weighted itself to the bottom of the bowl. I almost forgot that it was there until I was half way done with my soup and finally started picking the meat up with my spoon. Even with all those cons, this ramen still had some good flavor coming from the garlic sprouts and green onions and that at least was satisfying. Would I come to Koraku again? Yes, if only to try out some of the other options on the menu. I just wouldn't order the Sutamina Ramen again.

From Koraku, we traversed all the way to Gardena to check out Hakata Ramen and it was certainly night and day. I'm a definite carnivore because I just loved the meatiness, porkiness of the Tonkotsu broth that came with my ramen. What I also really liked was being able to customize my ramen eating experience. Firm noodles? Check. Normal soup oil? Yes. Strong soup base? Definitely. At Koraku, I ate my ramen. At Hakata, I experienced my ramen. It was just that good. The broth was rich and hearty. I really felt like I was having meal vs. just soup. I also loved the spice factor of the spicy miso ball that I added to the broth and honestly, probably could have added another one for even more action.

Along with the soup, our group also sampled each other's various side dishes, which included the rice ball (more triangle actually), spam musubi, the mini gyoza and the grounded chicken bowl. I didn't really find anything that special about the gyoza or the chicken bowl. I found the rice ball moist and I liked how they weren't skimpy with mushrooms and carrots that were mixed with the rice. Being Filipino, I was raised on spam, so I definitely felt at home with the spam musubi. I definitely had a great meal there and am looking forward to a return visit.

The South Bay was certainly putting a lot of miles on my car because our next ramen outing was at Santouka in Torrance. I have to say that of all the ramens I tried in this dining series, the shio ramen that I had at Santouka surprised me the most. When researching the differences between all the different kinds of ramen broths, shio was described as being a clear, almost transparent chicken broth. The shio broth at Santouka was rich, milky looking and reminded me more of Tonkotsu (pork-bone) broth. Of course, when I got home and read through Chowhound postings again, there was a reference from "rameniac" stating that Santouka's shio broth was actually a shio-tonkotsu hybrid, so the Ah-ha came into play at that point.

But not having that reference handy, I worked through my surprise and proceeded to enjoy my shio ramen. While the noodles could have been firmer, the broth was fantastic. What I found interesting is that the hybrid version definitely had a cleaner and smoother taste to it, similar to a more traditional shio broth, but I also appreciated the tonkotsu's contribution of a richer, stockier soup. It was practically the best of both worlds. Along with the soup, I enjoyed both the leek rice and the egg that came with my set. The leeks added a nice hit of "green" flavor to the rice while I actually enjoyed the egg on its own without even adding it to my soup.

Finally, the "Quartet" ends at Daikokuya back in Little Tokyo. Daikokuya's claim to fame is that they only have one kind of broth for their ramen and that's the Tonkotsu broth. With having visited Hakata Ramen earlier in this dining series, I couldn't help but compare their version of Tonkotsu broth to that of Daikokuya. Both broths were rich in porky flavor, hearty and definitely mind-boggingly delicious, but there was a subtle difference between the two.

To my palate, the Hakata ramen was more refined. It's the part of James Bond that is sophisticated, cool under pressure, elegant. You can taste the porkiness of the broth but it wasn't completely in your face. Daikokuya, on the other hand, was that part of James Bond that was rough and tumble, aggressive and took no prisoners. The broth of Daikokuya's ramen was more intense, more meaty and definitely made its presence known, and just like Hakata Ramen, I did more than eat this soup, I lovingly savored it. Do I prefer one over the other? No. I really enjoy both. As mentioned earlier, I'm just a carnivore kind of girl. When choosing one over the other, it would depend on whether I wanted to dine with James in a tux or with him while he was interrogating someone.

Since I ordered a combo, I also had a salad and pork over rice with my ramen. I really liked the dressing that comes with the salad. It's a creamy citrus dressing that is a good balance between a little sweet and a little tart. The pork over rice was a miss. It was mostly just fat when I would have liked more meat.

Overall, this was a wonderful "Quartet." It was really fun exploring the world of ramen and its many differences, whether it's difference in broth or in how different restaurants cook and/or present them to their customers. Growing up on packaged ramen, it was only last year that I experienced real ramen when I first visited Daikokuya, so I'm definitely stoked that I was able to check out other wonderful options. My definite favorites were Daikokuya and Hakata with Santouka close behind and while I may not necessarily go out of my way to visit Koraku for ramen, at least, I know if I did, I won't be too disappointed.

Koraku Restaurant
314 E 2nd St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 687-4972

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594367236845/

Hakata Ramen
2015 W. Redondo Beach Blvd., #C
Gardena, CA, 90247
(310) 329-1335
http://www.shinsengumiusa.com/

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594395156529/

Santouka Ramen
21515 Western Avenue
Torrance, CA, 90501
(310) 212-1101

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594468325330/

Daikokuya
327 E 1st St
Los Angeles, CA, 90012
(213) 626-1680
http://www.daikoku-ten.com/dk_home.html

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594468402395/

Ebisu Japanese Tavern

Last November, after having gone on the LA Conservancy Little Tokyo Walking Tour, a few of us decided to check out Ebisu Japanese Tavern for lunch. It's an interesting space with what looks like a boat in the middle of the restaurant where people can sit around.

As for the food, I have to say that I wasn't very inspired by the lunch menu in front of me. For some reason, nothing looked that interesting. Of course, I was also fighting a bad cold at the time so that could have contributed to my lack of interest in food, but I went ahead and ordered anyway.

I ended up getting a combo plate which included a salad to start followed by deep fried creamed corn croquettes and shrimp "egg rolls." The shrimp egg rolls were wrapped in a wrapper that was different than what I'm used to and of course, I'm completely blanking on that what was.

I liked the salad. The dressing had a creamy citrusy flavor that I enjoyed tremendously. As for the croquettes and the shrimp egg rolls, there was really nothing special about them and are something I'd never order again, if I ever returned to Ebisu.

Those seated closest to me ordered sukiyaki, Japanese peppers with some kind of fish flakes and soba noodles. The peppers got raves, but the sukiyaki and the soba noodles apparently were nothing to write home about.

Overall, with all the other choices in Little Tokyo, I don't plan on returning to Ebisu anytime soon. There was just nothing there that appealed to me that much.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594427386972/

Ebisu Japanese Tavern
356 E. Second Street
Los Angeles, CA
213-613-1644
http://www.ebisu-la.com/

2006 Tofu Festival

This past summer, I attended the Tofu Festival in Little Tokyo for the very first time. Since I do like tofu, I was very much interested to see what creations they would come up. My palate was definitely ready for whatever challenge lay before me.

Luckily, we got there early to avoid some of the intense heat that came in later on in the afternoon, plus we didn't have as many lines to stand in, which made it easier to sample quite a variety of tofu dishes. But before any sampling was going to take place, scrip tickets had to be purchased. With dishes ranging from as little as 1 ticket to the highest being 7 tickets, I figured that I'd do pretty good with $20 worth of tickets and believe me, I used every single one of my tickets. A perk with going with other people is that we also did a lot of sampling of each other's dishes. I can definitely say that I had more tofu that one day than I've had in an entire year.

Along with the items you had to "purchase", there were also quite a few vendors giving out free samples. The samples were primarily various beverages, which were very much appreciated. Now on to the food.

There were two soy products that were kind of unusual (at least to me). One was soy "croutons." Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of this product but upon sampling them from someone else's dish, I found them to be too dry and even a little hard, so it was definitely a miss for me. The other new soy product was soy jerky and I can't believe how much I liked it. You could tell that it wasn't meat, but it was still chewy and the spices they used really gave a lot of flavor to the dried tofu.

As for the foods I really liked, one of them was a cold gazpacho soup with tofu. Yum! It was definitely appropriate for the hot weather, but the spicing of the soup was really good and the tofu kind of absorbed some of that flavor, so it made the tofu that much tastier. I also really enjoyed a Japanese eggplant curry with tofu. That curry was to die for. If only I had rice, I would have been a really happy camper. Other things I really enjoyed was deep fried tofu that came with a Thai sweet chili sauce and for dessert, my soy Chai Tea ice cream was heavenly.

Misses for me included the tofu sausage in a lettuce cup. That sausage was really dry and there was no flavor to it and while I liked the creamy texture of the tofu appetizer from Maison Akira, the whole dish just had a fishy taste to it that did not appeal to me at all.

When the tofu dish was good, it was really good. When it was so-so, it was really so-so. I can't say that there was anything innovative in regards to any of the tofu dishes, but overall, it was a very fun day and I would definitely make a return trip next year.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594257984707/