Nozomi (Torrance, CA)

Nozomi
1757 W Carson St, Torrance, CA 90501
310.320.5511
www.sushinozomi.com
Tue 12/29/2009, 05:30p-08:20p




In a strip mall in the heart of Torrance's Japanese community (and just a stone's throw away from Torihei), you'll find a restaurant that was, in its previous life, known as Kazan. Back in its day, Kazan was a solid, though somewhat unremarkable eatery, and thus, in July 2007, it was sold and rechristened Nozomi. Nozomi has, for the most part, stayed fairly low-key, remaining a locals-only type of joint, garnering its share of mixed reviews in the process. In fact, I wouldn't even have known about the place had it not been for one of my dining companions, who'd eaten here previously. The restaurant generally receives shipments of fish from the Tsukiji and Fukuoka fish markets on Tuesday and Friday, so we decided to visit on a Tuesday, figuring that we could grab the full attention of the kitchen on a typically "slow" night.



Inside, it's about what you'd expect, with seating for about 40 people in a main dining area as well as two private rooms. We, of course, sat at the bar, front and center before the more senior sushi chef, Yasu-san (the other, off to the side, was Taka-san).

Nozomi offers a fairly extensive menu of dishes, both cooked and raw, including such insipid items as California Rolls (see the complete menu on the official web site here), but the best way to dine at Nozomi is to toss the carte aside, and simply let the chef do his thing. During our meal, Yasu-san even mentioned that he was having fun, as he normally doesn't get to show off the extent of his abilities.


Above, we see Nozomi's drink menu; click for larger versions. The restaurant offers a sundry selection of beer, wine, sake, and shochu, all at reasonable costs. Recently, I chided Torihei for their ridiculous sake prices. Fortunately, things are much more down to earth here; the high-end Kubota Manju that sold for $240 at Torihei is an affordable $100 at Nozomi. Interestingly, the premium sake list (the two photos on the right) was only brought out later, after the staff deemed us "worthy."


Though we would indulge in sake later on, we started simply, with frosty mugs of Kirin Ichiban on draught [$4].


1: Edamame
Once we sat down, bowls of edamame were immediately brought before us. The soybeans were as they should be.


2: Sashimi
Following was a sextet of sashimi. Counter-clockwise from bottom-right, we have:

• Aji - Great use of scallion and ginger to counter the strength of the mackerel at first, with the aji's characteristic flavor coming through at the end.
• Itoyoridai - From Kyushu came this type of seabream (Nemipterus virgatus), which I'd never had before. Also known as golden threadfin bream or hung sam in Chinese, it was soft, creamy almost, with a delectably mild flavor.
• Maguro - Two slabs of textbook tuna: clean, lean, with a lustrous cardinal-hued sheen.
• Kanpachi - Amberjack, delicately flavored with a lovely texture that seemed to transform from firm to creamy.
• Madai - Red seabream snapper from Kyushu. Softly supple and subtly saporous, this went beautifully with the zesty sprouts.
• Aoyagi - Also known as orange clam, hen clam, and round clam, the aoyagi had a snappy, yet somewhat squishy consistency, with a marked brininess typical for the clam.

As mentioned before, we were deemed worthy of the premium sake list, and the most premium (and most expensive) of the bunch was Takagi Shuzo's Juyondai Junmai Ginjo [$220], from Yamagata. Its name means "14th generation," a nod to the current company chief, the 14th successive owner of the brewery. Although the kura dates all the way back to 1681, Juyondai's popularity has increased dramatically only recently, over the past decade. Despite this, Takagi Shuzo hasn't significantly increased prices or production, making bottles of Juyondai rather difficult to find. In fact, the only other place I've seen it is Urasawa. Tasting the sake though, I must say that its reputation is well-deserved. I noted an intense, heady bouquet bursting with green apple and tinged with a hint of floral character. The palate similarly exploded with apple essence, along with notes of melon and rice, with just a touch of heat on the finish. The sake possessed incredible finesse and complexity for "just" a junmai ginjo--one of my dining companions even likened it to a Bourgogne Blanc.


3: Sawara Teriyaki
Here was sawara, or mackerel, grilled in a sweetish soy- and mirin-based sauce, garnished with daikon oroshi and yamagobo. I really enjoyed how the tare sauce was presented here, adding just the right amount of sweetness to the dish, all while preserving the natural fishy savor of the mackerel. Meanwhile, the yamagobo, a type of pickled burdock, mixed things up with its delightful crunch and tangy smack.


4: Sashimi
And now, our second set of sashimi. Clockwise from left, we have:

• Houbou - A new one for me, this was red gurnard (Chelidonichthys spinosus), also known as the blue fin sea robin. I loved its delightfully snappy texture and mild flavor, which went beautifully with the included ponzu dip.
• Masaba - Masaba, also known as hirasaba, merely refers to a specific type of mackerel: the chub or Pacific mackerel. The fish had a fantastic, firm, "meaty" body as well as a satisfying, "tangy" fishiness.
• Sawara - Compared to the aforementioned masaba, this mackerel had a much softer consistency as well as a surprisingly delicate flavor. It was superb with the grated ginger.
• Tako - Gorgeously soft, yet springy texture on the octopus, backed by a slightly sweet sapor with a hint of brine.
• Mirugai - Although it's usually quite crunchy in consistency, the geoduck here had a surprisingly soft bite, with just enough of that characteristic ocean-y brine on the close.

5: Arakabu
Now began our gauntlet of sushi. First up: from Kyushu comes this arakabu, which I've also seen called kasago or mebaru in Japanese, and scorpion fish or rock fish in English. No matter the name, it was new to me. Served here with Himalayan salt and yuzu, it had a markedly firm texture, with a subtle flavor that was beautifully accented by the citrus.


6: Mejina
Yet another unprecedented fish for me was the mejina (or kuro or gure), a.k.a. black fish or nibbler in English. It came here topped with grated kyuri and myoga. I loved how the cucumber added an overarching coolness to the nigiri, while the myoga contributed a distinct zestiness. Very good.


7: Iwashi
Iwashi, or sardine, is a fish that you don't see all that often offered as sushi. As you might expect, it demonstrated a rather pronounced fishiness, but its savor was beautifully balanced by the application of ginger and scallion (as you might find with aji).


8: Kohada
As we can see here, due to its silvery, shiny, scintillating, spotted skin, gizzard shad is usually one of the most visually striking fishes to been seen as a sushi topping. Its flavor was quite striking as well, with a pronounced brininess backed by a firm, dense, yet very pleasing texture. After eating the nigirizushi, I remarked to one of my dining companions how this was easily superior to the kohada I'd had recently at the new Bar Masa in Vegas. In fact, it was one of the strongest versions I'd had ever.


9: Hirame Konbujime
Konbujime is a technique that's virtually unseen here in the States; in fact, I've only experienced it once previously, at Natori in Tokyo. It's a type of treatment in which fish (sole, in this case) is placed inside wet kombu in order to become infused with the kelp's flavor. In the process, moisture from the fish is also transferred to the kelp, resulting in a more concentrated taste, enhanced with a tinge of kelp. Such was the case here. However, Yasu-san went a step further, adding a slice of hirame roe on top of the fish. This lent a palpable weight to the sushi, making the hirame so much more complex, and so much more enjoyable.


By this point, we'd run dry of the Juyondai, so we ordered up a bottle of our old trusty standby, the Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo [$70] from Niigata.


10: Aoyagi Himo / Uni
Here was an interesting combination, a duet of aoyagi himo and uni. The himo refers to the fringe of the orange clam, the flaps of flesh around the main muscle. It had all the flavor of the clam, but in a somewhat suppler body. I loved the interplay between the creaminess of the urchin and the great briny crunch of the aoyagi, all moderated by the vegetal tang of the accompanying greens.


11: Sawara
Here was mackerel, lightly seared, and topped with kombu and shio (salt). The searing seemed to bring out the oiliness of the sawara, but at the same time, it tempered its fishy sapor, resulting in a mildly flavored, but unctuous experience, finished with the briny touch of seaweed. Niiice.


12: Tokobushi
Tokobushi refers to a particular type of awabi: the round abalone, a tiny member of the family that usually grows to lengths of under three inches. It had a fantastic texture that was simultaneously crunchy, yet yielding, as well as a lovely, briny sapor that went superbly with the wasabi. The best part of this, though, was the sliver of liver up top, which added a wondrous weight and astringency to the sushi.


13: Magurozuke
This wasn't your typical tuna, but rather, maguro that had been marinated in a soy-based sauce. The process added a noticeable depth of flavor to the otherwise mild fish, while the avocado served as a marked creamy, fatty complement.


14: Surume Ika
Surume ika refers to a specific type of squid, the Japanese common squid, or short-finned squid. Immensely chewy, creamy, and mouth-coating, the squid was subtly sweet in sapor, tinged by a light brine. The key here, though, was the squid's "hat," basically a gelatinous disk composed of the ika's innards. It added a profound gravity to the sushi that really took it to the next level for me.


15: Uni
Nozomi is particularly proud of its uni, which is harvested off the Santa Barbara coast, home to some of the finest sea urchin in the world. Unlike much of the other uni out there, it's preserved not by the addition of chemicals, but rather by submersion in a saltwater solution. The resultant uni was characteristically creamy, but with a noticeably brinier flavor compared to most. Very nice.


16: Otoro No Tataki
Here was toro, seared "like a steak" according to Yasu-san, meaning that is was cooked with garlic as well as salt and pepper. The tuna, thus, was undeniably unctuous in body, with a heavy, heady, unconscionably rich savor deftly accented by a touch of bitter char. And the garlic chip? Fantastic.


17: Kohada No Hone Senbei
These were the bones of the aforesaid kohada, deep fried into crispy, salty, delectable "crackers." I'll take a whole bag please!


18: Sake
Salmon, capped with yuzu zest, battera kombu (pickled seaweed), and goma (sesame seeds). The various accoutrements added a much-needed complexity to the fish, imbuing the salmon with a nice tartness from the seaweed, along with a wonderful, overarching, earthy nuttiness courtesy of the sesame.


19: Ikura
Upon mastication, these tiny, tawny-tinted globules of salmon roe burst forcefully, with a mouth-coating, briny quintessence of the sea, subsequently tempered by the relative austerity of the nori seaweed wrapper.


20: Yaki Ebi
Shrimp harvested from the Red Sea, grilled by blowtorch, garnished with masago. When Yasu-san was cooking the ebi, I breathed in the heady aromas emitted, and could hardly wait to try the shrimp. And indeed, the yaki ebi was delicious, sweet at first, but tinged with a touch of char. Yet, the crustacean's intrinsic brininess was preserved, making itself known on the close.


21: Mentai Yamaimo Maki
The advent of the hosomaki signaled the end of the meal. The first was a roll comprised of red pepper-infused cod roe from Kyushu, yamaimo (mountain yam), and shiso. The roe, expectedly, was a commixture of spicy and salty flavors. It would've been overwhelming on its own, but was nicely tempered here by the juicy crispness of the yam, as well as the minty tang from the shiso.


22: Kanpyou Maki
Next was the kanpyo roll, made from dried shavings of the calabash gourd. Think tart and crunchy, with a bit of heat from the wasabi.


23: Tamago
And finally, we closed with the tamago--delightfully fluffy and airy in body, with a subtle sweet "egginess."


24: Suika
Dessert consisted of succulent, sugary watermelon. Watermelon season's long over, so I wonder where this came from...

The tab came out to only $89.50 per person sans alcohol, which is a fantastic value. More importantly though, the food itself was shockingly good. I can't fault the quality of the raw ingredients, but what really sets the meal apart is the creativity and technique at play here. There was just so much going on that I'd never seen before, and which I absolutely enjoyed. This is a place that can cater to the California Roll crowd (the WASP-y couple behind us was keen on ordering Crunchy Rolls), but when you let the kitchen do what it's best at, I reckon that Nozomi can take on pretty much anything that the Westside can dish.

LudoBites at Royal/T (Culver City, CA) [3]

LudoBites and Royal/T Get In Bed Together
8910 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
310.559.6300
www.ludobites.com
Tue 12/22/2009, 09:00p-12:40a



December 22 marked the end of the third iteration of Chef Ludovic Lefebvre's "guerilla style pop-up restaurant" concept LudoBites. This latest series debuted on December 2, and over the past month, despite some drama in the kitchen, has proven to be another smashing success, further entrenching Ludo in the hearts and minds of LA's culinary cognoscenti. It was almost a foregone conclusion that I'd be attending LudoBites' final night--the only question would be: with whom? It turns out that the Two Hungry Pandas, Wesley and Evelina, had secured a reservation early on, so I ended up joining their party of eight, which also included Danny of Kung Food Panda, Holly of The Michelin Project, Twitterer extraordinaire Remil, Ryan of Epicuryan (formerly Only Eat What Feeds Your Soul), and Will of FoodDigger.

But since this was LudoBites after all, a restaurant that, according to Mr. Gold, sometimes seems as if it is run for the sole benefit of food bloggers, we were hardly alone. Here's the roster of attendance: Arnold of Inuyaki (who came all the way from NorCal), Caroline of Caroline on Crack, Esther of e*star LA, Fiona of Gourmet Pigs, Jo of My Last Bite, Lindsay and Sam from LAist, Noelle of Drink 'n' Dive, Patricia of Life With a Whisk, and Twitterer Tin. Also present were Jill Donenfeld, founder of private cheffing company The Dish's Dish; Rachael Narins of private supper club Chicks with Knives; and Brian, Pleasure Palate Assistant Organizer and aspiring underground dinner impresario.


Above, we see the final night's menu; click for a larger version. Note that only one item--the tourte--remained completely unchanged from the opening carte. We ended up ordering multiples of every item, save for the cod (which the kitchen had run out of).


Though this incarnation of LudoBites did offer a very reasonable wine list, we ended up supplying our own tipple (we were not charged corkage). Specifically, FoodDigger's Will did most of the heavy lifting, graciously providing four bottles, including this vintage 1975 Château Montrose, a dry, austere, slightly herbal, currant-tinged Bordeaux with a hint of funk on the finish. Surprisingly, it actually went quite well with the lighter dishes that we had to start.


To kick off the dinner, a round of the Montrose to all. Cheers!


Tuna, Sushi Rice Ice Cream, Soy Sauce Gelee, Smoked Ginger Oil [$16.00]
We began with one of Ludo's most "classic" creations, dating back to his tumultuous tenure at Bastide. It's a dish that I'd had on my very first, and my most recent, LudoBites visit. The one tonight, fortunately, was arguably the most successful version. The dish starts with four generous slabs of cardinal-tinted maguro. Taken alone, the tuna was tasty enough, but really, it functioned as a base on which the other ingredients could really sing. As before, the "rice cream" was absolutely key, integrating the other factors at play--I especially appreciated the use of crispy onion and sprouts this time around--while conveying the essence of sushi rice. Eating everything together, you get a interesting sensation of seemingly disparate textures, tastes, and temperatures, all different, yet somehow working together in one unified whole.


Here we see Ludo doing what he does best, besides cook: laying on the charm to the ladies (note the use of jazz hands)!


Caramelized Endive, Orange, Grapefruit, Gingerbread Croutons [$10.00]
Next up were some caramelized endives, showing plenty of their characteristic bitterness. The citrus provided some countervailing sweetness and acidity, resulting in a sort of bittersweet character, but I would've liked more from the accoutrements in balancing out the endive.


Krissy Lefebvre, seen here directing service in the dining room.


Celery Root Soup, Black Truffle, Parmesan [$15.00]
Here was a hearty celeriac soup, with Parmesan cheese and black truffle. The base of this dish was strictly celery root, but the interplay between the rich Parmesan and earthy truffle clearly took center stage here, instantly grabbing my attention. The notes of celery flavor from the soup acted as a lightening element, becoming strongly apparent only on the finish.


While we were photographing the soup, a lady in red walked in and got in on some of the soft box action. As we can see in the second photo, she was positively astonished when she found out that we were all bloggers, and that we were all Asian.


Slowly Sauteed Monterey Wild Squid, Chorizo Oil, Kimchi Puree, Black Olive [$14.00]
One of the constants on the LudoBites 3.0 menu has been this beautifully-cooked squid, delightfully chewy and teeming with the unbridled briny quintessence of the cephalopod. Though tasty by itself, the squid was made even better by the spicy chorizo and the piquant purée of kimchi in particular. I loved the light, bright, acidic flavors here--clearly one of the highlights of the meal.


Jo of My Last Bite is, of course, one of Ludo's most ardent supporters. I wonder what she's showing the Chef here...


Will's next wine for us was the 2006 Nicolas Joly Savennières Les Clos Sacrés, from France's Loire Valley. Made from Chenin Blanc, it was a lovely wine, showing loads of sugary stone fruit and honey on the palate, with just enough spice and acid to make it interesting.


Egg "Meurette," Red Cabbage, Lardo Toast [$14.00]
A table favorite, this was Ludo's version of the classic French country dish Oeufs en Meurette, or eggs in red wine. Naturally, the key here was the wonderfully poached egg. Still runny, it added a great creaminess that deftly complemented the acidic tang of the red cabbage. The toast, meanwhile, adding a palpable weight to the dish. Very good, and even better than last time's.


"Uncle Ludo Wants You"


Foie Gras Beignet, Saffron-Dried Apricots [$17.00]
Ahh yes, Ludo's infamous foie gras beignets. As before, the beignets themselves were the pinnacle of luxuriousness, sweet at first, but imbued with the decadence of a full two ounces of fatty liver. However, instead of the céleri rémoulade he used before, this time Ludo paired the foie with an amalgam of apricot and saffron. This, I felt, resulted in a dish that was overly sweet for me; I think that it would've been more effective had the astringency of saffron been more pronounced.


For our third wine, Will chose the 2006 Domaine Serene Pinot Noir Yamhill Cuvée, which comes to us from Oregon's Willamette Valley. Rife with dark berry and a bit of licorice, the wine also had a great minerality; tannins, meanwhile, were very soft.


Here, Krissy enjoys some of the pinot with us. Cheers!


Shrimp, Udon, Kombu-Ginger Dashi, Baby Carrots, Vadouvan Butter [$16.00]
On my first visit, the veal and udon dish was one of the standouts. Unfortunately, the version tonight wasn't quite as successful, as I felt that the broth was overly saccharine, resulting in a sort of monotonous sweetness that hid the individual characteristics of each ingredient. I think that the dish would've been more balanced had the vadouvan been more apparent.


The puma photographer.


Fried Chicken, Cantal Polenta, Baby Corn, Mole [$19.00]
And now, we come to the most widely-anticipated item of the night: the LFC, Ludo's Fried Chicken. As I've stated before, this is definitely some of the best fried chicken I've ever had--with tender, juicy flesh, imbued with a profound depth of flavor, all encased in a delightfully crispy, savory skin. The chicken stood on its own, but surprisingly, the application of the polenta took the bird to an even higher level with its subtle, tempering cheesiness. I also loved the baby corn, still in husk, while the mole provided a lingering sugariness to the whole dish. Superb.


Will liked the chicken so much that Krissy brought out an extra plate for him (which he subsequently shared)--just look at that mischievous grin!


We'd run out of dry wine at this point, but it turns out that Will just happened to have another bottle of the '75 Montrose in his car, which he generously opened for us--steak and Bordeaux, a classic pairing to be sure.


Marinated Hanger Steak, Eggplant, Goat Cheese, Shallots, Radish [$22.00]
Ludo scored big with his hanger steak the first time around, so I was looking forward to this. Though the steak wasn't overwhelmingly tender, it did have a pleasing, "toothsome" texture and was immensely flavorful, absolutely steeped in "beefy" savor--I could've easily eaten it alone. What really made this special, though, was the use of goat cheese, which added a fantastic, luscious, creamy, moderating flair to the beef that was utterly heavenly.


Peter and Jo, with Esther and Sam.


Yes people, that was none other than Fred Savage in the kitchen! Savage actually had little professional cooking experience prior to LudoBites, and was staging here simply for his love of the art. From what I've heard, he was super eager to learn, willing to do whatever it takes.


Another notable chef in the kitchen was Austin Szu (and here), of Austio's Catering and the blog Living to Eat (also Yelp). A graduate of CSCA's Le Cordon Bleu program, Szu previously held various pastry chef positions at restaurants across the Southland, including the now-shuttered Mirabeau in Dana Point, Zov’s Bistro in Tustin, and Scott’s Seafood in Costa Mesa. Recently, the Chef also staged at such LA mainstays as BLT Steak, Craft, and Grace.


Remil kindly contributed a bottle of Port to go with our desserts. The Smith Woodhouse Porto Lodge Reserve was pleasantly light in body, but still imbued with those signature Port flavors of dark berry, cassis, and plum. Quite nice.


Fourme d' Ambert Tourte, Red Pear, Honey-Balsamic [$12.00]
This is one item that, as far as I know, has always been on the menu here at LudoBites 3.0. And with good reason: the tart did a great job in conveying the cheese's characteristic savoriness, moderated by layers of delectable pastry, while the pear provided a fitting, saccharine counterpoint.


Brian brought a bottle of 23-year old Ron Zacapa rum, which he gleefully shared with everybody. It was certainly one of the best rums I've had, with delicious notes of vanilla and molasses over a smooth, slightly spicy body.


Vanilla Crème Brulee, Rose Ice Cream [$10.00]
This was crème brûlée, but at the same time, so much more. The custard was astoundingly complex, a pastiche of various sweet and sour flavors (someone mentioned that there was even lychee inside) that somehow managed to meld together into a singular, coherent flavor profile. Very good.


Holly gingerly spoons the crème brûlée.


Jalapenos Chocolate Mousse, Green Tea Soy, Extra Virgin Olive Oil [$10.00]
We closed with a seemingly harebrained dessert. Chocolate and jalapeños, with olive oil? Somehow, it manages to work. At first, it tasted like a chocolate mousse, but then the weight of the olive oil made itself known, adding a perceptible gravity to the dessert--interesting. The heat from the peppers continued to build, leaving a linger, piquant sensation in my mouth.


And with that, the food was done. Here, we see Krissy tweeting a sigh of relief.


Jo shows off her favorite page in Ludo's cookbook, Crave: The Feast of the Five Senses.


Veteran LudoBites server Daria looks adorable in her cosplay maid uniform.


Krissy enjoys a much-deserved glass of Cremant de Bourgogne Rosé from her after service meal.


Daria, still cute in street clothes, with Patricia and Tin Tin.


Wes and Will get in on the action.


LudoBites cutting boards are now available. Annoyingly, I forgot to take mine home.


The requisite photos of the dynamic duo.

Once again, we come to the end of another rousing round of LudoBites. The question thus becomes, as always: what's next? Ludo has said that he'd love to bring LudoBites to different locales across the country, or perhaps even across the world. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, but the Chef has stated his intention to "pop-up" again in the first quarter of next year. And yes, finding a permanent home is still the end goal. So with that, I'll see you in 2010!