Kotohira Restaurant

I'm not in this area often, but was attending an audiophile event in the area. What I love about traveling a few 10-30 miles outside of my neighborhood is that it really pushed me to find a new restaurant to try. Being at the event, walking up and down stairs, visiting rooms by rooms filled with amazing HiFi can really stir up an appetite. It can also make me very hangry. 

What sucks about being a nowaday foodie is no matter what, you are in charge of picking a place. Even if that baton has passed... it always comes back.

Kotohira was discovered by the love Yelp app. I'm not a fan of the reviews people leave, but I use it just to know what there is around me. I've been to this plaza before where Kotohira is located. I've eaten at Furaibo a few times mainly for their tebasaki karaage. 

I wanted something warm, hearty, and comforting. Kotohira was a perfect choice. It had the traditional Japanese lunch combos available with sizeable bowls that will make you take a nap. Here are a few things I was able to snap.

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Side udon that comes with a combo. Slurp away.

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Pan fried gyoza. Dip this in a mixture of vinegar and hot chili oil.

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Chicken Karaage. Another one of my favorite dishes as mentioned before somewhere in this blog. I love extra lemons. I'm salivating just thinking about it.

Bento combination with tuna sashimi, chicken karaage, grilled saba, tempura, and Japanese root vegetable. When I went to Japan a few years ago, I ate a lot of combinations like this. It's really comforting and brings back a nostalgic memory.

unagi over hot rice. 

Subtle scoop of Neapolitan ice cream.

Edit 1747 W Redondo Beach Blvd Gardena, CA 90247

3rd Generation - Huntington Beach

3rd Generation Sake Bar specializes in Ramen, Sushi hand rolls and popular Japanese side dishes like chicken karaage. I've been to their location in DTLA location and now a new space has opened in Huntington Beach. 

Shishito Peppers With Dried Bonito - One of my favorite appetizers. Simple, doesn't need much seasoning, and 1 out of 10 is spicy so may the odds be in your favor.

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One of the things I get super excited to see on the menu is baked blue crab. In Japan, handrolls are shaped like a cylinder, so don't be alarmed. The blue crab handroll is wrapped with soy paper so it doesn't overpower the crab. Dab of wasabi and a dip of soy is how I like to eat this.

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"Toro My Belly" - Ground Yellowtail, Albacore Belly, Topped with Chu Toro and Caviar. Melts in your mouth.

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Highly recommended Grilled Seabass. So buttery and velvety. Each bite was meaty, but tender from the fat. One of my favorites of the night. Those crispy brussels were also amazing with fried garlic chips.

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Yellowtail Carpaccio - Yuzu Citrus Sauce, Cilantro, Olive Oil, Tomato Micro Greens.

Address: 7311 Edinger Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92647

Tel: 714.892.1700

Sushi Gen - Downtown Little Tokyo

I found Sushi Gen a few years ago when I started making more cash to afford higher end sushi. I didn't start to understand the craft until after my first visit here. After my first visit, I came back a few more times and it never fails to deliver. The ratio between rice and fish is always perfect in the nigiri. The quality of their seafood surpasses the expectations of local joints. There's a lot of great sushi places out there, but Sushi Gen always has that charm every time I go. People think it's all about the hype and the long lines that drive people to go. I'm not going to say that's not part of it, but they deliver on what they are proud to serve and I like to stick up for that because they shouldn't be shunned out for being "popular" just like they shouldn't be raved about just because they are "popular".

I've heard great things about their lunch specials. The sashimi lunch here is what everyone goes nuts for. The line was also no joke. We got there at 10:40 to wait in line. They don't open till 11:15AM. After the first crowd gets seated, the rest of us leave our name and the number in our party. Make sure your party is here or you won't be seated when called. Don't be mad about it either. There's a lot of hungry eaters waiting in line ready to take your seat anytime, so just be prepared. We got seated at 12, perfect timing for lunch.

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Each entree is served with marinated steamed tofu and lightly pickled cucumber and cabbage.

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This is the unagi set with side sashimi. The unagi was very flavorful, fatty, and scrumptiously decadent. Dust a little sansho pepper on top and dig in. I highly recommend this set. For $28, it's a great deal.

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The side sashimi that comes with the unagi.

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Their famous $17 sashimi lunch. Comes with a good portion of hot rice, this was a lot of food than what I bargained for! Fish was absolutely amazing. The tuna slice you see behind the hamachi, I believe was bluefin tuna. I could see the fat marbling throughout and knew this bite was going to be a treat. My eyes literally lit up after my first bite. They also served chopped up spicy tuna, negitoro, a few ends from the yellowtail and tuna. Also a grilled salmon piece in the back. Totally worth it.

422 E 2nd St Los Angeles, CA 90012

Little Tokyo, Downtown

Katsuya - Glendale

John's mom took us here for a quick birthday lunch. We were at the Americana to take her shopping and she decided to might as well take me to a belated birthday meal. I've only been to Katsuya for Happy Hour which was pretty fun. All Happy Hours should be fun. If it's not fun, the truth is probably you aren't a fun person. Just saying...

For $19, you can order their sushi lunch

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Sushi top to bottom: tuna, yellowtail, salmon, albacore, shrimp, scallop, and unagi

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You get 7 pieces of sushi, a spicy tuna handroll, and a freaking 10 piece California cut roll. Everything was pretty good and definitely worth the $19 lunch deal.

You just have to make sure to eat the handroll first, or the Nori will start to moisten and turns chewy.

We also ordered a Spider Roll to share:

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I didn't mention that we all ordered our own sushi lunch special. It was more than enough. We had trouble to finish our spider roll and California rolls. There's normally no wait to be seated which was also a reason for us to check it out. Outdoor seating is preferred though I haven't sat inside before.

Enjoy.