Kiriko Sushi – Innovative Flavors

I usually prefer my sushi pure and straightforward, as it is at Sushi Zo and Hiko Sushi. Kiriko Sushi is a Jonathan Gold favorite, so I decided to reserve judgment on the use of mango slices and lots of sauces. No surprise that Kiriko is really great, but it may have even turned me on innovation in sushi.

Tsujita – Holy Moley! Second Location! Night Noodles?

Huge news! via Grubstreet

Grubstreet claims to have confirmed that the now-shuttered Miyata Menji (nee GReats) space across the street from Tsujita will become the new second location of Tsujita. There is speculation that this new location will relent to the cries of millions of desperate tsukemen-seekers and start serving noodles at night. They’ll have to retrain their wait staff to now greet every person to come in at night with a different greeting: “You know we don’t serve noodles for dinner here? But you can go across the street.”

Fooddouche review of Tsujita lunch

Fooddouche review of Tsujita dinner

Blockheads – Taiwanese Shaved Ice!

The only adults who get excited at the thought of shaved ice are Asian (or shave ice, in the case of Hawaiians). Joining the Epicenter of the LA Food Scene™ (the corner of Sawtelle and Mississippi), Blockheads has taken the Sawtelle dessert scene by storm.

Seoul Sausage Co. – Rice Balls Like Your Korean-Italian Mamma Made

Another entry into what is fast becoming the new power center of the food scene in LA (the NW corner of Sawtelle and Mississippi in West LA), Seoul Sausage Co. comes fresh off winning that food truck TV contest to bring kalbi hot dogs and kalbi poutine to the masses.

Tsujita Update – Ramen Slipping?

Took advantage of the holiday to sneak over to Tsujita to revisit the awesomeness that is their ramen and tsukemen.. For the first time, I walked away with a criticism.

Plan Check – Umami Burger in Little Osaka

It sounded strange when I first heard that someone was going to open a burger place on Sawtelle, the epicenter of Japanese cuisine in LA. If you could get a burger in Little Osaka before Plan Check opened, it wouldn’t have been anything to write home about (ersatz Tommy’s on Pico aside). But the news rolled in that the man behind Plan Check was responsible for the beautiful eponymous Umami Burger and that he had withheld a gimmick from the Umami cartel – ketchup leather:

Slice Truck – Like Shaved Truffles on Hot Dogs

I had read something comparing the local joint, Slice Truck, to what many New Yorkers say is the best pizza in the world, Di Fara in Brooklyn. So I made a point to stop in, even though I was in the neighborhood to have dinner somewhere else.