Mid-Week InstaNom: Tsukemen at Tsujita Annex

Here’s your mid-week InstaNom to help get you over the hump:

“Let’s go get beef sukiyaki at Tsujita,” said no one ever. Of course, I’m kidding, but it’s not Tsujita’s dinner menu that draws the crowds; it’s their signature tsukemen and ramen served only at lunch. Thankfully, at the spot’s sister location across the street, noodles are served all day. At Tsujita Annex’s counter, tsukemen arrives in a duo of bowls– one with a combination of flat and curly chewy noodles and the other filled with silky, fatty pork broth, bean sprouts, chili sauce, tender char siu and a soft boiled egg. Bring your chopsticks to your lips, and I dip, you dip, we dip!

Tsujita Annex

www.tsujita-la.com/annex

2050 Sawtelle Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90025

(310) 231-0222

Paiche

This Friday marks the opening of Paiche, the newest restaurant from Chef Ricardo Zarate (Mo-Chica, Picca) and business partner Stephane Bombet. The Marina del Rey restaurant, named for an Amazonian river fish, is described as a “Peruvian izakaya,” a fusion which pays homage to Zarate’s Peruvian roots as well as his training as a sushi chef.

On Wednesday, Chef Richie and Stephane opened the kitchen for a Friends and Family night to preview Paiche’s offerings.

Mixologist Deysi Alvarez shakes up a cocktail.

 

Paiche bar manager Deysi Alvarez has crafted a cocktail menu with classics such as a Pisco Sour and Margarita as well as drinks of her own invention, covering the flavor spectrum from smoky to sweet. Not a single one of the drinks disappointed, but our table’s personal favorites are below. 

The Last Ice Age: Pisco portion, Hakushu Whiskey (12 years), organic egg white, lime juice, lemon juice, evaporated simple syrup, Fernet Branca liqueur drops ($13.00)

Maracuya Capirinha: Lemon cachaca, fresh passion fruit, muddled limes, pure cane syrup ($15.00)

Mojito de Martinique: Neisson Eleve Sous rhum agricole, pinch of fresh mint, muddled mint, martinique cane syrup, seltzer water ($14.00)



Pink Panther: Platino Atlantico rum, muddled mint, fresh strawberry juice, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, orgeat syrup, topped with Cava ($12.00)

 

 

Like at Zarate’s other resturants, the menu is broken down into categories– here: Abrebocas y Ensaladas; Ceviches (Sashimi Styles); Tiraditos; Frituras; Anticucho Grill; and Cocina Caliente.

 

 

Abrebocas y Ensaladas:

Tuna Tartare with caviar, soy ceviche dressing and wonton chips ($16.00)

Shrimp Dumplings with soy lime dressing and spicy rocoto-infused oil ($9.00)

Tamalitos Verdes: Northern Peruvian tamales, shimenji mushrooms and seco sauce ($14.00)

 

 

Ceviches- Sashimi Style:

(L to R): Crab ($8.00), Albacore ($10.00), Kampachi ($12.00)

Tiraditos:

Wagyu Beef: Seared wagyu, parmesan sauce, aji amarillo vinaigrette and black truffle ($12.00)

 

 

Frituras:

Yuquitas: Stuffed yuca beignets, manchego cheese, grated parmesan ($8.00)

 

 

Cocina Caliente:

 

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with burnt butter, huacatay, grated parmesan ($12.00)

Saltado de Camarones: Sauteed shrimp, tomato onion stew and homemade pasta ($14.00)

Chaufa de Langosta: Lobster, mixed seafood, fried rice ($12.00)

 



Normally, this is where I’d list highlights of the meal, but every single item was so impressive that I can’t. Hectic preview night or not, the food that came out of Paiche’s kitchen was incredibly solid and rivaled many restaurants on their best night. I will note, however, that, despite being a “Peruvian izakaya,” Paiche makes a helluva pasta dish; that pillowy sweet potato gnocchi was better than most versions at Italian restaurants. Congrats to Chef Richie and Stephane and the whole Paiche crew.

 

*Food and drink were hosted.

 



Paiche

www.paichela.com

www.twitter.com/paichela

13488 Maxella Avenue

Marina del Rey, CA 90292

(310) 893-6100
 



Wako Donkasu

For this Hawai’i transplant, few dishes are as comforting as crispy katsu– bite-sized pieces of breaded, deep-fried chicken or pork. The Japanese dish reminds me of days spent on the beach with sand between my toes and the weight of a hefty styrofoam plate lunch container of katsu and white rice on my lap. As such, the rave reviews of Koreatown’s Wako Donkasu from friends and fellow bloggers thrilled me. With my love Christine of folie a choisauce as my lunch date, I recently visited Wako Donkasu to see how their katsu stacks up to my favorites from home.

Although many restaurants in Koreatown opt for spartan decor, Wako Donkasu’s design is relaxing, featuring natural materials and hanging paper lanterns. Once inside, I quickly forgot that the restaurant was located on a busy intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and felt zen and ready to eat.

Christine ordered the chicken katsu lunch combination ($7.95), which came with a salad, pickled vegetables and udon. Although the outer layer was perfectly crispy, the chicken itself remained delightfully moist and decidedly un-greasy (a peril of katsu-eating).

I ordered the tonkatsu (pork katsu) lunch combination ($8.95), served with rice and miso soup. The tonkatsu, like the chicken katsu, was both crispy and light but was also chewier and presented a more satisfying bite. Almost as important as the katsu itself is the katsu sauce, and Wako’s is outstanding. The maroon-colored sauce was fluffy and sweet rather than tangy and watery as with chain restaurants and was enhanced by fresh-ground sesame seeds. As I ate, I found myself hard-pressed to remember eating a better katsu and have settled on the fact that this is, indeed, the best in both this state and the 808.

Although I ate at Wako Donkasu almost a month ago, the meal was so deliciously memorable that it feels as though it was only yesterday…and now I drool a little bit every time I drive past it.

Wako Donkasu

3377 Wilshire Blvd., Ste. 112

Los Angeles, CA 90010

(213) 381-9256

Sushi Gen

Hailing from Hawai’i, I know and like (ok, love) good Japanese food. And I’m not talking about overpriced Japanese food from restaurants with TMZ permanently camped outside. I’m talking about solid places that remind me of home, and Sushi Gen is one of those places. After a long day at work, I needed a little dose of home.

Sushi Gen, located in the Honda Plaza in Little Tokyo, has a bad rap for having somewhat pricey dinners, but this fails to take into account the A) how fresh their seafood is and B) the sheer amount of food they give you if you order a dinner combination. If you visit Sushi Gen be forewarned that there will be a little bit of a wait, but take this as a good sign.

J ordered the Sushi Deluxe Combination, which came with a salmon skin salad, mazurka (a combination of sweet potato and seaweed) and a pretty big sampling of sushi.

I didn’t give this a try, but it looked good enough for someone at the next table to ask what it was!

The mazurka. I had never tried this before, and it was an interesting combination of textures and sweet and salty flavors.

For those of you who know me, I clearly ate none of this, but it looked beautiful–particularly the orange of the eggs.

I ordered the chicken teriyaki dinner combination, which includes miso soup, sunomono, pickled vegetables and tempura.

At a lesser restaurant, these dishes can be throwaways, but, here, they’re truly part of the meal. The miso’s flavor was almost perfect, and the rice noodles were a nice addition to the seaweed and the crunchy cucumber.

And then there’s tempura. Shrimp, zucchini, pumpkin and potato. There are few things sadder than soggy tempura, and this was satisfyingly crunchy.

And, finally, the chicken teriyaki. Their teri sauce isn’t heavy like other restaurants. Instead, it’s light and sweet. Delicious!

Happy Friday!

Sushi Gen

http://losangeles.menupages.com/restaurants/sushi-gen/

422 E. 2nd Street

Los Angeles, CA 90012

213-617-0552