Amy ScattergoodCelebrating this year's Best of L.A. issue — now out in print and online — we're counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes.
18: Matsuhisa's Yellowtail Scallion Donburi.
You may be able to eat chef Nobu Matsuhisa's stunning Peruvian-influenced Japanese cuisine at one of his many restaurants around the world, the Nobus in Aspen or the Bahamas or London or Milan or Greece or Tokyo. (One could go on.) Or at one of the two Nobus in Los Angeles, either the palace on La Cienega in what was once L'Orangerie, or the newly opened beachside fish museum in Malibu, which Matsuhisa had built right on the Pacific. One might consider it the anti-Gladstones.
But if you want to experience the chef's food in a somewhat more comforting environment, you might stroll in off the street some lunchtime — no reservations, no valet needed — and sit down at the sushi bar at Matsuhisa. Matsuhisa is the chef's original restaurant, which he opened in 1987 and almost closed in 2006 when he and business partner Robert de Niro opened the Nobu just up the street. They didn't close it, for which both its regulars and the rest of the city should be profoundly grateful.
Here you can see evidence of Nobu before he became, well, Nobu. The place is simple and unpretentious, with lots of pale wood and colorful drawings of fish on the walls and friendly servers who are more than happy to let you sit at the bar and eat donburi. Because while you can order the famous Nobu dishes here too — the black cod with miso, the tiradito, the bento box warm chocolate soufflé cake — you can also order a simple rice bowl and a cup of tea, in much the same way that you can, after all the flash and fanfare of Tokyo's famous Tsukiji fish market, stop for donburi at one of the little stalls that surround the furious action of the fishmongers.
Donburi, which is both the name of the bowl itself and the rice bowl dish, at Matsuhisa come in many forms: You can get tekka or toro donburi, bowls with sea urchin or unagi, with halibut cheeks or tempura or beef katsu, even squid pasta or mussels in spicy garlic sauce. But my favorite is the donburi with a fine dice of raw yellowtail and thinly sliced scallions, atop rice so perfectly cooked it's reason alone to order the dish. Very faintly warm, the grains fit together like some lovely jigsaw under the utterly fresh fish — a chiffonade of nori, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, a tangle of daikon, a shiso leaf and a thin wedge of lemon the only other accompaniments. Add some soy sauce if you like, or ask for a bit of fresh wasabi.
Maybe later you can dress up and go eat fluke sashimi on the beach, but it's nice to know that you can eat Nobu's beautiful food this way. A bowl of rice. A cup of tea.
100: Lukshon's Dan Dan Noodles
99: Cemita de Milanesa at Cemitas Poblanos Elviritas #1
98: Chichen Itza's Cochinita Pibil
96: La Cevicheria's Bloody Clam Ceviche
94: Peruvian Chicken at Pollo a la Brasa
93: Squash Blossom Quesadilla at Antojitos Carmen
92: Thai Boat Noodles at Pa-Ord
90: Furikake Kettle Corn at A-Frame
89: Live Santa Barbara Spot Prawns at Providence
88: Fried Pig Tails at Night + Market
87: Egg Salad Sandwich at Euro Pane
85: Truffle Honey-Laced Fried Chicken at Manhattan Beach Post
84: Mool Naeng Myun at Yu Chic Naeng Myun
83: Chicken Vampiro at Mexicali Taco & Co
81: White Anchovy, Tomato and Fresno Chile Pizza at Pizzeria Mozza
80: Shu Mai at Elite Restaurant
79: Tandoori Chicken at Al-Watan
78: Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding at The Hungry Cat
77: Agedashi Tofu at Izakaya Bincho
74: The Sea Urchin Tostada at La Guerrerense
73: Wood-Roasted English Peas at Tar & Roses
72: Persian Mulberries at Weiser Family Farms
71: Hunan-Style Preserved Pork with Tofu at Hunan Chilli King
70: Brisket Banh Mi at Gjelina Take Away
69: Yukhwe Bibimbap at Oo-Kook Korean BBQ
68: Lamb Pie at Beijing Pie House
67: Son of a Gun's Uni and Burrata
66: Pastrami Reuben at Art's Delicatessen
65: Beef Koobideh at Kabab Mahaleh
64: The Whipper Burger at Hawkins House of Burgers
63: Slippery Shrimp at Yang Chow
62: Whole Channel Island Red Sea Urchin at Water Grill
61: Going Dutch Panini at Bread Lounge
60: Huckleberry's Green Eggs & Ham
59: Pickled Watermelon Salad at L&E Oyster Bar
58: Spaghettini with Abalone, Pickled Cod Roe and Truffles at n/naka
57: Brown Brown Bread Ice Cream at Scoops Westside
56: Smothered Chicken at R and R Soul Food
53: The Sycamore Kitchen's Double BLT-A Sandwich
52: House Wonton Soup at China Cafe
51: Almond Croissant at Proof Bakery
50: The Southern Fry at Plan Check Kitchen + Bar
49: The Dodger Dog at Dodger Stadium
47: Lucky Baldwins' Traditional Full English Breakfast
46: Edomae Tendon Bowl at Hannosuke
45: The Pescado Zarandeado at Coni'Seafood
43: Raw Kale Salad at Elf Cafe
42: Steak Tartare Tacos at MessHall
40: Sicilian Slice at Pizzanista
39: Grilled Baby Goat T-bone at Mozza's Scuola di Pizza Salumi Bar
37: The Island Combo at TiGeorges' Chicken
36: Tacos Al Pastor at Tacos Leo
35: “Sandwich” at Roma Italian Deli
33: Cauliflower T-Bone at Superba Snack Bar
32: Pupusa Revuelta at Atlacatl
31: Bonjiri Yakitori at Kokekokko
30: Crispy Pork with Morning Glory at Crispy Pork Gang & Grill
29: Sashimi Special at Sushi Gen
28: Tamal de Mole Negro at Guelaguetza
27: The Hickoryburger at Apple Pan
26: Lobster Thermidor at Musso & Frank's
25: Poached Pear Coupe at Tavern
24: Coconut Bavarois at Red Medicine
23: The Tasting Kitchen's Pork Rillettes
21: Anson Mills Grits & Eggs at Milo & Olive
20: Lamb Dip at Philippe the Original
19: Salsa de Chorizo Con Cesina at Gish Bac
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