A Sushi Place You Don't Want to Miss!

I love sushi.  It's light, flavorful, and actually pretty healthy (if you don't overdose).  Unfortunately around campus there aren't too many spots where I can get my craving fulfilled.  Soy, the japanese grill, is a frequently visited spot by most students, but I don't find the rolls to be very fresh.  When I'm about to eat raw fish, I don't like to take too many risks.

 One of my favorite go-to sushi spots is downtown in Little Tokyo. Located right in the heart of the town, Tenno sushi is a great quick stop for dinner.  It's fun, casual, very inexpensive, and tasty!

I was a little hesitant upon passing the restaurant for the first time.  The sign outside the door saying "50% off all sushi" had me a little worried.  But I swallowed my initial assumptions and trusted the advice of my friend Tory (who lives in Little Tokyo).

I was seated by a waiter who looked like a Japanese body builder (interesting combination).  Both the menu and sushi list were quite extensive.  Not only do they offer sushi sashimi, and maki (hand rolls), but there is an entire entree menu as well.  Anything from teriyaki bowls, to grilled salmon, and udon is available.

Sushi Menu

I was amazed by the vast array of specialty rolls they had.  The Pink Lady Roll caught my attention.  It filled with spicy crab meat, spicy tuna, cucumber and avocado.  Then topped with seared tuna, sliced lemon, and ponzu sauce.  Now that's some serious sushi.

Although my eyes were mesmerized but the vibrant pictures of the sushi creations, they immediately focused on the simple sushi menu.  $3.65 for a California roll? That's unheard of!  Its almost $8.00 for some not-so-fresh sushi at Seeds in the campus center.

I decided to start with some vegetable tempura, and then ordered the Spicy Albacore roll for my meal.  Interestingly, the roll actually came out before the tempura.  There definitely seemed to be a lack in communication between all of the employees.  The restaurant has about 10 different waiters running around and serving all of the tables.  We were asked on three different occasions for our drink orders, and the check came out before we even finished our meal.  The food came out quite quickly, but it all felt a little chaotic.  

The roll was great.  I love albacore.  It's very light, but still has that distinct taste from your average tuna.  The spicy kick really vamped up the flavor.

Spicy Albacore Roll

I have mastered my wasabi-soy sauce dipping recipe whenever I go out for sushi.  It is usually pretty heavy on the wasabi, but I like to bring the heat.  The chili's in the roll very chopped very fine, but distinct among  the silky albacore.  I rarely had to dip my pieces into my spicy sauce, the rolls were already so flavorful!
    

Vegetable Tempura

The tempura was pretty average.  About 8 different pieces came out battered and fried.  The batter itself was pretty thick.  I usually like a lighter and crispier coating, but the vegetables inside were steamed pretty well.  The crunchy green beans were the highlight, but overall it was a little disappointing.

Green Tea Ice Cream

For desert I had a scoop of green tea ice cream.  This is my go-to for after sushi.  It's creamy but not too overpowering.  Great palate cleanser after all of the salt.

The whole restaurant and sushi bar is very casual.  They play Top 40 hits the entire night, so it's a quite the lively environment.   And they have karaoke on Friday nights!  I've never had to wait for a table, and the prices are astonishing for what you get!  If you're really hungry you can get rolls and a teriyaki bowl for under $15.  You have to venture a little further than Figueroa and Adams, but Tenno sushi is the perfect college restaurant.  

Katsuya by SBE in Hollywood

If you're looking for more of an exquisite dining experience, my two favorite spots for sushi in LA are Katsuya (Hollywood) and Wabi Sabi in Venice.  Yes, this is the Katsuya featured on "The Hills", and a great star spotting location.  You can never go wrong with the Spicy Tuna on crispy rice or any of the sashimi.  The decor inside will blow your mind.  You can embrace your inner star and feel fabulous with the rest of Hollywood.  The other Katsuya locations offer the same amazing menu, and are great options if you don't feel like dressing up or spending all of your allowance.

Wabi Sabi on Abbott Kinney

Wabi Sabi encompasses the trendy vibe of Abbott Kinney.  All of the sushi is amazing. They also offer an array of small plates and other asian fusion dishes.  Definitely a great local spot for consistently good food and a chic environment.

Sunday Sandwiches

Spencer needed a ride home from LAX after his quick weekend trip to the University of Georgia.  I offered to pick him up with procrastination from homework on my mind.  I worked up quite an appetite after circling the arrivals gates a few times and decided to take us into Venice to one of my favorite lunch spots.

I posted about Gjelina Take Away a couple of months ago when I went on my dinner date with GuGu.  The pizzas were fresh, hot, and delicious.  This Sunday morning, actual Gjelina was packed.  Probably around 15 people were standing outside.  This is most likely the case every Sunday, for the late brunch crowd.

The GTA open restaurant layout is awesome.  I love how it is casual and quick, but still classy. The displays of the salads and cookies are always fresh and appealing.  And the wood burning pizza oven brings a modern feel to the small kitchen.

Turkey Reuben
Roast turkey, russian dressing, gruyere cheese,
and house-made sauerkraut on rye bread.  Pressed
to order.

The first bite

Instead of getting a pizza, I decided to go for a sandwich for lunch.  The Turkey Reuben immediately caught my eye.  I've always been a big fan of rueben sandwiches, but thought that this one might be a little bit lighter.  Although the ingredients themselves may have been lighter than the average corn beef combo, this sandwich probably weighed about 3 pounds.  I picked up my order from the wooden counter and wondered if they accidentally wrapped a brick instead of my sandwich.

Spencer in his natural hipster habitat.

All of benches and crates outside the restaurant were taken, so Spencer and I decided to walk around the corner and find some stumps to sit on.  I unwrapped my sandwich and was instantaneously excited for the grilled thick rye bread.  The sandwich steamed and smelled delicious.  The first bite was a perfect combination of sauerkraut, melted cheese, crunchy bread, and roast turkey.  The meat reminded me of sliced turkey leftover from thanksgiving.  Not that deli sliced, think and floppy meat.  Piled high, the thick pieces were moist and just what I was craving.  The sauerkraut had the perfect amount of pickling, and the cheese almost tasted like an aoili.  It was flavorful and dense.  I finished probably 4/5 of the ginormous sandwich before I was stuffed.

Tuna Melt
Olive oil poached tuna, caper aoili,
cucumber pickle, gruyere cheese, and arugula
on toasted rye bread. 

Spencer posted up on his bench, while eating his tuna melt.  I thought it was an interesting choice after just telling me that he was having some stomach issues earlier that morning.  It looked really good! But he said it was just ok.. I blame his disliking of vegetables (as he pulled the cucumber pickle out).  That's what gives it all of the flavor!

Well my lunch was great.  Only complaint is the price.  $15 for a sandwich is quite a bit, but the ingredients are top notch! And coming from Gjelina, I wouldn't expect it to to be the cheapest lunchtime feast.  I'll definitely still be back for more!

Get Fat Date with Afek

Junior year TOLO date.  Right after
winning my first state championship
title

Afek Kodesh is one of my closest friends from high school.  Although we both chose USC, my busy schedule with diving, and his demanding classes in the engineering school make it difficult for us to see each other as often as we would like.  When we have the chance, Afek and I like to go on what we call "get fat dates".  We catch up on our new and exciting lives at SC, and reminisce on the good old days at Overlake at exciting new restaurants (usually of my choice).  So far, we have visited Finn McCool's, an irish pub on main street in Santa Monica, and Umami Burger (he's absolute favorite-which I will sure to post about soon.)

The best thing to ever pass through
my mouth and into my stomach.

Our most recent voyage involved a late night trip to Venice Beach, one of  my favorite neighborhoods in LA.  Besides the beach, skate park, boardwalk, fascinating people and culture, the restaurants and food are phenomenal.  Although I eventually see myself ending up in San Diego, if I were to permanently live in LA, Venice Veach is where you would find me.

Originally I wanted to take him to a mexican restaurant called "Mexikosher" in West LA, but unfortunately it is only open for lunch.  Us both being Kosher, him a little stricter than myself, it is a place we will eventually have to try.

Our reservation was at a small latin american spot off Rose in Venice.  Now I have been here twice before, but always for brunch.  I must say that their huevos rancheros were as good as my last trip to mexico, and the grilled salmon tacos were delicious as well.  Whenever asked my favorite food it is a no brainer for me, fish tacos.  The meal I will eat before I die are the fish tacos at the Kilauea Fish Market on the island of Kaui.  The salmon tacos at Oscar's were some of the best I have had in LA, but still do not compare to the freshness of the fish and tortillas from the Market.

Although brunch was never a let down, I wanted to try the trendy cuisine for dinner.  Our reservations were for 7:30 thursday night.  After hitting awful traffic west on the 10 we arrived around 7:45, but still had to wait another 20 minutes for our table.  The spot was completely packed and loud (which afek doesn't prefer.  He complained about it at Finn McCools.. maybe he just really wants to go on a romantic candle lit dinner with me at some fancy french restaurant?  Not really my forte).  When finally given the choice to sit at the bar, or wait a little longer, we were starving and immediately took our spots on the bar stools.  Sitting right on the counter was really fun to watch the chefs prepare all the authentic creations and side dishes.  One dish I noticed constantly on a skillet was some sort of Brussel sprouts.  Dish is the Brussel sprouts with applewood smoked bacon.  I'm sure its delicious (minus the bacon).

When looking at the menu, Afek and I were both starving, so everything sounded good.  For me it was between the salmon tacos (I know, I don't like change) and the Chicken enchilada with mole.  Afek and I both went for the enchilada.  I've had mole a few times before, different experiences each time, but our waitress said it was becoming more and more of a popular dish, so I felt pretty confident with my decision.

Organic Chicken Enchilada with Mole
(Sesame seeds, peanuts, raisins, chile ancho,
chile poblano, raw cocoa) Served with
Ajillo rice. 

While we waited for our meal, Afek and I talked about where we see ourselves living after school, (me-somewhere in cali, and him- in some city... maybe NYC?) while we watched the whirlwind of a kitchen behind the counter.

Once our food arrived, we devoured it.  The mole was delicious.  Mole I've had in the past has always had somewhat of a smokey taste to it, something I've never been too fond of mixed with the coca underlying tone.  This mole was sweeter, a great combination with the shredded chicken and hidden peanuts and raisins.  The Chile ancho and poblano gave it that extra kick that tied the whole dish together.  The simple rice was a perfect side to clean your palate in between the rich bites.  Although the two enchiladas were not extremely large, the thick sauce filled me up pretty quickly.  But that doesn't mean there wasn't room for dessert (it was a Get Fat Date after all).

Instead of ordering a desert at the restaurant, I wanted to walk around and show off Abbott Kinney to Afek. Although I was just planning on going to N'ice Cream with him, we ended up on the trendy street during food truck friday. Probably around 40 or so trucks were lined up on either side of the street, with many dessert options to choose from.  Because Afek still hasn't been to Diddy Riese, I wanted him to experience the ice cream cookie sandwich magic. The Chunck-n-Chip truck first caught my eye and we immediately checked out the selection.  Although their interesting combinations of unique cookies and ice cream flavors (blue lavender and french toast stuck out the most), the line was too long and moving too slowly for our non existent patience.  Instead we went to the belgian waffle truck.  The line wasn't too long outside the Crispy Waffle & Frite truck.  Although the fried chicken and fries delivered in cones didn't look too appetizing, I couldn't help but notice the hot waffles coming out the back side of the truck.  I specialized my order with a Liege Waffle with vanilla ice cream and Ghiredelli Chocolate sauce.  Afek just got a waffle with strawberries and the chocolate.  Although they put a little too much ice cream on top (can't believe I'm actually saying that), I was able to finish the whole thing!)  Afek on the other hand, was defeated by the massiveness of the waffle.  Even though he argued that I didn't finish all of my rice at dinner, I won the fat date.  Celia. 1.  Afek. 0.

We finished off our date by going  back to my apartment and watching the most recent New Girl on Hulu, and then I drove him back to his apartment on campus.  All together I would say it was definitely a successful date.