Category: Japanese

  • Chaya Downtown Uki Uki Sundays

    Chaya Downtown Uki Uki Sundays

    In addition to the Wagyu Tasting Menu at all Chaya locations, Chaya Downtown recently started an “Uki Uki Sundays” menu–uki uki meaning to be happy and excited in Japanese. The menu is broken down into three sections, $5 for small plates, $10 for medium-sized items, and $25 for large sharable dishes. I recently got to […]

  • Chaya A-5 Wagyu Tasting Menu

    Chaya A-5 Wagyu Tasting Menu

    Until the end of April, all three Chaya locations (Venice, DTLA, and San Francisco) are having a special A-5 Wagyu Tasting Menu.  The menu differs at each location, so check them out individually.  I was fortunately enough to be invited to try three of the dishes at Chaya Venice last week. The first dish I […]

  • Truffle Gohan Omakase at Shunji Japanese Cuisine

    Truffle Gohan Omakase at Shunji Japanese Cuisine

    My favorite restaurant in Los Angeles, Shunji Japanese Cuisine, is once again ranked in the top ten of LA Times’ restaurant critic Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants list for the third straight year.  It’s been a while since I’ve written up a meal at Shunji, I believe the last one was for our salmon-centric birthday […]

  • Luckyrice Feast Los Angeles 2015

    Luckyrice Feast Los Angeles 2015

    Last Thursday, I attended my first Luckyrice Feast at the Create Nightclub in Hollywood.  This year’s Los Angeles host was Andy Ricker of Pok Pok fame, the non-profit partner was the Center for Asian American Media, and the presenting sponsor was Bombay Sapphire East. Having never been to a Luckyrice event before, I wasn’t sure […]

  • Jinya Ramen Bar (Santa Monica)

    Jinya Ramen Bar (Santa Monica)

    I’ve never been to Ramen Jinya in Studio City, the first U.S. location of Jinya ramen bars that was lauded in 2010 by both Rickmond Wong, the Rameniac, and by Jonathan Gold, then of L.A. Weekly.  I hadn’t gotten to try the short-lived Sawtelle Boulevard outpost, even though it was much closer to me than […]