Japanese Food and Cooking

Your Sushi Robot Update: Wasabi-squirting R2D2s and Orwellian Management Strategies Key to Japanese Sushi Chain's Success

Sushi-making robots aren't exactly new on the scene. Back in 1995, The New York Times reported that the Suzumo Machinery Company had designed a $86,000 droid capable of turning out a piece of nigiri sushi every three seconds. While several Japanese chains used the robots then and lowered prices ... More >>

Suehiro: Little Tokyo Lunch Special

Going old-school

Ask Mr. Gold: Tokyo Lunch Special, Going Old-School at Suehiro

Anne FishbeinMr. Gold, with dim sum menu​Dear Mr. Gold: Can you recommend a good place for lunch in Little Tokyo? I seem to be around there a lot lately. --B. Mullins, Los Angeles Dear Ms. Mullins: You mean other than Lazy Ox? Well, you should try Daikokuya for ramen, of course, if not the c ... More >>

Cheap Eats: Rainy Weekday at Bernie's Teriyaki

K. RobbinsChicken Teriyaki plate at Bernie's​To combat the biblical torrent of the last few days, we've been indulging in all sorts of rainy day comfort food. Soupy ramen, mac 'n cheese, hot toddys. When we woke today to yet another gray, blustery morning, we knew we needed to branch out. So w ... More >>

Wanna Be A Sushi Chef? Enter Ocean & Vine's "How You Roll" Sushi Creation Contest

Christie Bishop​ Always dreamed of being a sushi chef? Or, at the very least, do you think you have a recipe for a killer sushi roll? If so, get out your at-home sushi kits, wasabi powder, ginger root, nori and whatever else you put into your sushi masterpiece and get to work, because you've ... More >>

Happy Hour: Sushi & Kushi Imai

Jidori chicken skewers​ The Place: Sushi & Kushi Imai, 8300 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills; (323) 655-2253 The Hours: daily 5:30-7:30 The Deals: $1.00 house wines, house sake, and Sapporo draft; $4 Sapporo pitchers; reduced prices for premium sake, sushi, and appetizers Turn the page to see ... More >>

Sushi Lunch Fight: Truck Vs. Japanese Market

Really good sushi is expensive. And while we'd all love to eat at Urasawa during our lunch break, it's not exactly feasible (and not just because it costs a few hundred dollars -- they're also closed for lunch). So people can't always consume the freshest kohada flown in from Japan, but they do keep ... More >>

Happy Hour: Kabuki Japanese Restaurant in Westchester

Celia SoudryFirecracker at Kabuki​ The Place: Kabuki Japanese Restaurant (inside Howard Hughes Center): 6081 Center Dr., Los Angeles; (310) 641-5524. The Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9 p.m.-close; Sunday, 8 p.m.-close. The Deals: $2.95-$5.95 appetizers and sushi rolls; $1.95-$9.50 beer, wine an ... More >>

That's Why I Keep in Such Good Shape

To Grandmother's Tempura House We Go

Mihoko and Nobuo Anzai, owners of Tempura House​ When a kid comes into Tempura House, a tiny home-style Japanese joint on Sawtelle, an enormous smile takes over owner Nobuo Anzai's face, as he pulls out a lollipop or cookie for the young guest. While more mature diners don't receive a goodie ... More >>

Ramen Yamadaya Opens In Torrance

N. GalutenYamadaya's tonkotsu ramen​ Do we need more good ramen shops in Los Angeles? Always. Thanks to another opening tip from the appropriately named Rameniac, we learned of Yamadaya, which began service in Torrance at the end of July. Yamadaya is not a trendy noodle vendor with a sleek in ... More >>

All in the Family

Izakaya's Korean Brethren

Best Gyoza: Daikokuya

A. Scattergoodgyoza at Daikokuya​ I know many purists who will not order gyoza, serene in the conviction that any restaurant dumpling can not compare to those they make (or their mothers make) in their own kitchens. But it would be a shame to forgo the gyoza at Daikokuya, that insanely popular ... More >>

August Pop-Up Brings Handmade Soba to Breadbar

Marissa RothKari-kari Shrimp Soba​ Soba often gets second class treatment in the United States: ramen comes first, then udon, then soba. But from August 23rd to the 28th, cookbook author Sonoko Sakai, and Tsukiji Soba Academy founder Akila Inouye will be popping up at Breadbar on West 3rd, to ... More >>

Japan's iPhone Food Cases: Your Phone as Bento Box

Strapya WorldBento iPhone, anyone?​ From celebrity chef apps to video cooking tutorials to mapping the whereabouts of L.A. food trucks, it's no secret that the iPhone pretty much doubles as a mobile kitchen. But now, thanks to Japanese cell phone accessory-maker Strapya, your iPhone can take ... More >>

Jinya: Ramen Freaks and Noodle Geeks

Getting schooled in the finer points of broth

Izakaya Fu-ga: the Accidental Bar

A discovery in Little Tokyo

A Recipe From the Chef: Hideo Yamashiro's Curry-Infused Shrimp Tempura

Orris chef-owner Hideo Yamashiro likes to call the small plates of food that are his favorite way to eat "little munchies." This recipe, for curry-infused shrimp tempura, is a popular item on the short but carefully selected menu. Yamashiro came up with this dish during his travels in his native Jap ... More >>

Best Okonomiyaki: Alcohol, Ridiculous Food, and Dangerously Hot Surfaces

N. GalutenA piece of okonomiyaki at Gaja Moc in Lomita​ Okonomiyaki, a popular and widely varied dish in Japan, is often described as a savory pancake. But that can be a little confusing and, perhaps, misleading. Picture a thick, hearty batter made from yam, cabbage, water and flower. Then ad ... More >>

BreadBar's Yatai Ramen Series: Japanese Street Food Brought to West Third Street

Ironnori Concepts​ BreadBar is at it yet again. First came the café's recurring guest chef Hatchi series. Then it introduced its guest bartender Hatchi Mix series. Now, BreadBar is bringing us the Yatai Ramen series, focusing entirely on the eponymous Japanese soup. For its first installation ... More >>

The Next Wave of Fast Food: The Sushi Popper?

Sushi PopperSushi on a Stick!​ Here's a pop quiz: Name a few items, food or otherwise, that are sold in a tube. Toothpaste? Check. Push Pops? Double check. Yoplait Go-gurt? Yuck (but a check nonetheless). Soon we can add sushi to that list as culinary entrepreneurs Lucas Furst and Evan Kaye a ... More >>

Mitsuwa Torrance Umaimono Food Fair

Flickr user cgfanQueuing for takoyaki at last year's Umaimono​ Every spring, the mythical Hakata Ippudo noodle emerges from its pot in Northern Kyushu, Japan and migrates west, to the great delight of Stateside ramen devotees who don't happen to live in New York City, Ippudo's sole U.S. kitche ... More >>

Whale Sushi At Santa Monica Restaurant Came From Japan Scientific Hunt

​Whale sushi purchased at a Santa Monica restaurant in September came from an endangered sei whale hunted in Japan under the guise of scientific purposes, a scientific paper published in the journal Biology Letters concludes. Scientists say genetic testing prove that that sashimi served at Th ... More >>

Got Mochi: Little Tokyo's Mikawaya Celebrates 100th Anniversary

A. ScattergoodMochi at Mikawaya​ Finish off a plate of hamachi sashimi or negitoro-maki at any sushi bar and you'll most likely have the option to bite into the colorful, chilled dessert that has come to be known as Mochi Ice Cream. With flavors ranging from Green Tea, Strawberry to Mango - t ... More >>

A Tiger That's Stylish and Japanese

Barbara HansenTiger's dining room and sushi bar ​From conveyor belt sushi to duck confit with kabocha ravioli is a big step. And that is what has happened at 340 N. Canon Drive in Beverly Hills, where Tiger, a contemporary Japanese restaurant, has replaced Luckyfish. The clean, woodsy, almo ... More >>

Kiyokawa: So Sorry, So Good

Satoshi Kiyokawa may be the best unknown sushi chef in L.A.

Japanese Food Festival: Mochi Pounding, Shrine Bouncing

Last weekend's Japanese Food Festival at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center served up more than just food, though there was plenty of that too. Among the festivities: awaodori and yosakoi dance performances, samurai sword dramatics, a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, and a raucous shrine parade. E ... More >>

FRIENDS, RAMEN, YAKITORI

How to Fry Right: Tonkatsu, Picking the Right Pig for the Job

Plus, notes on panko breadcrumbs and shaking your cutlet

Cockroach Sushi For Your Delectation

Chrissy Prusha makes cockroach sushi out of felt. She is 28 years old, lives in Hollywood, and goes by the name "Felted Chicken." Ordinarily, Prusha is a scenic sculptor who sculpts styrofoam into props, movie sets, and theme park rides. Work has been slow lately, however, which gives her time to co ... More >>

Best Ramen: Daikokuya

Best Autocratic Sushi: Hiko Sushi

Kamiyama: The Way California Rolls

Waterpillars, Krunch rolls and Philly Slurs — South Bay sushi mecca has it all

Katsu Sushi: Your Moment of Zen

The art of simple sushi

Sushi Czar Kazunori Nozawa's Sugarfish: Built for Speed

In and out in 20 minutes or less. A hidden kitchen hides the sushi master

Fry Daddy: Well-Oiled at the Thousand Cranes Tempura Bar

First Cut: Big Fish Compete at SushiMasters

Nightlife Nobu

Matsuhisa dresses up at home

Where to Eat Now: New to the List

Kumo: On a Roll

Breaking the Ma Maison curse

Where To Eat Now

Flying High at Takami

Pop art sushi

Raw Sensuality

Sushi – naughty but nice and cheap

Omakase Warrior

A soft touch beyond the hard rules of Hiko Sushi

Where To Eat Now

Noodles With Attitude

Ramen as high art at Santouka

Ask Mr. Gold: Takoyaki

Groovy Noodles

Ebisu

Bar Wares

Yatai Asian Tapas Bar

Where To Eat Now