tsukiji
may 14, 2002
whenever K is on vacation, we seem to hit a lot of japanese resturants, especially ones that are a bit of a drive away. because los angeles is such a huge flank of area on the map, it's not always feasible to be going far distances on the weekdays and succumbing to the literally, killer traffic, here. plus, there's nothing i love better than eating japanese food. so for the second time, we went to tsukiji, in gardena, to have their special sashimi donburi (bowls). if you're not a fan of raw fish, then this place may not be completely for you because a large part of their "bowls" are comprised of raw fish and a lil bit of cooked items. they have "bowls" ranging from tuna and mountain yam, salmon and cod roe egg, broiled eel and the one shown above is called the "tsukiji bowl" which is a surprise bowl containing whatever the sushi chef feels like tossing in for you. in total, i think they have about 8-10 different types of bowls.
the last time i was at tsukiji, i was seated at the sushi bar because they had no more tables left, but this time i made sure i was there when it opened so i could grab one of those tables on the tatami mats. you have to remove your shoes or else suffer the wrath of the sushi men behind the counter wielding mighty sharp cutting knives. and sure, clean socks are de rigeur but it's worth it to sit up there with the low tables and scope out the rest of the restaurant from that angle. one thing i'm really glad about are those "foot wells" that they have installed in japanese restaurants with tatami mat rooms now. what are "foot wells" you ask? here, take a look:
it's basically a hole/well dug into the upraised platform of the tatami floor to put your legs down into so your legs won't get cramped up or fall asleep in that torturous kneeling mode that the rest of us aren't accustomed to. i know people who were brought up kneeling like that think it's nothing but for the rest of us who don't twist our legs into origami forms, it's quite excruciating. so thank god for foot wells! at least i won't be making a fool out of myself trying to unknot my legs after a meal kneeling and screaming out in anguished pain. :p because i remember i had to do that in japan back in december of 2000 and trying to mask the discomfort while enjoying an expensive meal, with the owner of the restaurant looking on.
i also didn't get a chance to take photos last time, so i made sure i got a chance to do so this time for show and tell. i ordered the daily special comprised of various things (clockwise from top left): tuna and white fish sashimi (raw fish) and seared ahi (half cooked), tempura fried shrimps and vegetables, simmered foods such as bamboo shoot, taro ball, spinach and gluten puff (i gave that one away!), slice of tamago (egg roll) with a tofu salad plus broiled fish filled with a chunk of cheese (?) and finally, broiled and simmered salmon in a shoyu sake sauce.
and here we have the quintessential standard: california rolls (yes, *so* authentic i know), hamachi (yellowtail), uni (sea urchin), mirugai (giant clam) and unagi (broiled eel).
i personally thought the food was better the first time i went and although the sushi was good, it was a bit small for the price and expectations. you may think i don't have the know how to judge japanese food because i'm not japanese but i think i am pretty good at gauging japanese cuisine, since i really cook a lot of it at home and have done so much research into it. but then again, that's my opinion. i have to say that los angeles has a huge abundance of fine japanese cuisine at fantastic prices -- thanks to the large population of japanese immigrants in the south bay area. and los angelenos should really be lucky for that. as popular as tsukiji is, i'm still going to search for more tasty places to dine at. and i know you appreciate me for that.
i finally got a chance to see fishpimp's niece, jocelyn, the other day. jocelyn is only 3 days younger than jasmine. so the two aunts are always comparing notes and trying to say that our own niece is better than the other. :p haha, kidding. anyway, i was lucky enough to be granted access to see this lil doll and my first impression was "what big feet she has!" i wanted to bind them up! but fishpimp wouldn't let me get near her with binding cloth and tape. :p it's really interesting to see jocelyn because fishpimp and i have been aunts beginning at the same time and i feel like she's my niece too. :) and did you know k and i thought of the name "jocelyn" and her parents approved! how cool is that?
well, more dining adventures later this week! which means, more mandatory gym adventures as well, as long as my twisted foot is healed. boo. damn, it's always one thing after another.
