What makes Japanese food in LA special?

I’ve only had shabu shabu at our home here and at relatives’ homes in Japan. My experience is as yours r.e. liquid in shabu shabu and in Chinese hot pot.

Shabu shabu in Japan (with relatives) is kind of a big deal. Ingredients are superb, preparation nd presentation is visually pleasing, and food-wise, simplicity to appreciate the individual ingredients.

I got a similar sense with hot pot in Malaysia and Singapore (really popular there - F-in’ hot/humid as shit - why so dang popular?!?) but like 95% of the food and dress there, much more casual, and the indredients are far more varied. Lots of fish balls of all sorts, snails, some offal; and broth was mostly chicken broth (Knorr).

The introduction of alternative broths (I’m assuming) is like everything else in Japan food-wise. Some how or another it gets introduced multiple times independently, and before you know it, it becomes more accepted as (at least as) an alternative (think cheese). The Japanese palate (in general) used to be very timid to spicy heat. But over the past couple decades, that’s changed. Still timid by the standards of the rest of Asia, but far more daring than before.

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I can’t speak for Los Angeles/Southern California, though in Northern California the shabu shabu restaurants more or less do the same things. Water + konbu as an available base broth, and then a few other heavier flavored options, e.g. spicy miso is ridiculously popular.

For one thing most customers I’ve observed when at shabu shabu restaurants aren’t as crazy about water + konbu, as the broth ends up being bland to them even after cooking all the ingredients. Though one can easily taste the quality (or less thereof) of the ingredients from the beef or other protein to the vegetables with a water + konbu broth. Spicy miso solves this problem on both ends where customers enjoy the experience more, and the restaurants can get by with not needing to serve better quality cuts. Though there are exceptions where some places would let you for a price, upgrade your plate of protein. Then there are those customers that throw in everything to cook and once, without even skimming off the stuff that floats on top when you are cooking slices of meat…

Water + konbu is actually a very stripped down lazy/easy shortcut way vs the proper shabu shabu dashi. For reference, in looking at an older writeup of Kagaya (LA), the broth others describe as a chicken stock base with katsuobushi, and konbu added in. Though I’m sure the price is much higher than some people can appreciate. The idea is that you have a strong yet simple, elegant base that is further enhanced with the right balance of ingredients, and then finish it all off with adding rice (to make zosui) or udon at the end to a completely flavorful broth from everything (some places and customers might prefer adding ramen at the end , e.g. in the case of Hokkaido style ishikari nabe).

On a similar note, there’s something comforting about finishing off with carbs for a nice comforting Japanese meal that is inherent in the dining culture at informal restaurants (e.g. ramen, yaki onigiri, udon, soba, kamameshi) is referred to as “shime”, and also serves the purpose of filling the remainder stomach quota, rather than filling it early (or to help balance out the amount of alcohol taken in during the meal, especially at izakaya). This is also why in a proper kaiseki restaurant, gohanmono (the rice course) is served at the end (then followed by soup and dessert).

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thank you! i always thought that the broth was supposed to be minimal since you also have sauces like the ponzu and the goma for your meats and vegetables.

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Just for the record, I’m Jewish, and while I will refrain from analyzing the ongoing conversation in terms of content, I will say that I saw the sarcasm in linus’s use of ‘rabbi’, but saw absolutely no sign of bigotry or antisemitism.

I see it as more or less equivalent to “Oh, excuse me, your highness…” One would not presume the speaker of such a phrase to be a staunch anti-monarchist.

I guess what I’m saying is, you boys enjoy your discussion, but let’s not go shouting ‘racist’ everywhere, hm? We have enough ACTUAL shouting racists, and people shouting about ACTUAL racism to fill that particular void in the world.

No reason to prove Godwin’s law at every available opportunity.

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This is partially why I enjoy living in Torrance :slight_smile: Most food writers live on the Eastside so that’s why Silver Lake/Highland Park get so much attention these days.

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Those are the things people eat every day in japan, (at least what I liked to eat when I was there).

hey garret

in case you haven’t written your article yet, what make’s LA so great with japanese food is the way angelenos have
embraced it. LA has different pockets of where japanese were allowed to live; sawtelle, monkery park, gardena,little
tokyo and crenshaw. there are still many older restaurants that cater to a mostly japanese clientele. there are the hole in the walls in bowling alleys, small noodle places and sushi bars where i am usually the only non japanese.

most non japanese neighborhoods in LA had at least one small japanese place that catered to whites in the 60’s &70’s.
it was never as popular as chinese food. there was mostly teriyaki. then the sushi era exploded, and california style
sushi happened. i don’t know if he started it but nobu matsuhia had a lot to do with it. he opened in BH, and was
serving sushi that was influenced by what he learned in peru and alaska as well as japan. we went from california rolls and spicy tuna to some crazy type rolls. sushi places started opening all over california, many places run by chinese.

another major factor was transportation. LA sushi restaurants started importing sushi from japan where the best
fish in the world ends up. but let’s also give credit to nozawa and sasbune for having humble omakase places.
omakase and fine sushi also became very popular. i have been to q sushi and urasawa on several occasions and
have never seen a japanese customer. i’ve also been to onedora sushi on la cienega twice and everyone else but
my party was speaking japanese.

then came ramen and to a lesser degree rice bowls and we made them califorian. we have lobster ramen and
vegan ramen made by a chef what i believe is a jewish and scottish background. so we made it our own. but we
also have many purist traditional ramen places where experts here debate. and we also have the longstanding
humble ramen place in gardena still frequented by mostly locals.

but the japanese have done what LA has done. japanese curry from japan is not like any type of curry from india
or pakistan. try curry house or coco ichibanya. or spoon house or akane chaya in gardena. and what about
all those crazy kit kat flavors they make in japan. they took our candy bar and made it theirs.

LA has had the good fortune of having a large japanese community for many years. this gave us our foundation of
great simple japanese food intended for japanese clientele. lets not forget the large korean population and all of their sushi and chicken and bbq spots. i believe korean style bbq (yakiniku) originated in japan. angelenos have also been fortunate because we have so many fine japanese restaurants with access to great fish.

this is what makes LA such a great city to eat in. if you love japanese food try to take the time and make the effort
go search out all the great stuff there is to eat. and if you need a change every once in a while if you need a change
of pace try some of the mexican sushi places. they don’t have great fish but they make some of the largest
original rolls i’ve seen. and they are tasty. welcome to LA: sushinloa in lynwood
sushilitos south gate
el sushi loco downey
xevicez sushi bar sylmar

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Sushi had been gaining in popularity among non-Japanese diners for a long time before Nobu Matsuhia moved to Los Angeles.

OK. Moms is 90+ years old and she loves Japanese-American food circa 1970. She lives on the westside and since Palms Fried Shrimp is looong gone, is there any place that when I come up from SD, I can take her out to lunch. Any old school places left on Sawtelle? Yeah I get that it is not authentic, but that is not what she wants, and I am getting a little bored with Casablanca in Venice and California Wok on Wilshire.

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Suehiro Cafe in Little Tokyo might fit the bill. Too bad Tokyo 7-7 in Culver city isn’t around that would have been perfect

Curry House perhaps?

Aki is a great bet.

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What is 70s-era Japanese food?

Your basic teriyaki and tempura lunch combos.

Lordy, is Aki still around? I’m pretty positive it’s the same Aki that, prior to the mid-70s, was located in Sun Valley. My family used to go there (the old location) a lot; us kids would go visit the cook in the kitchen, and he was always delighted to see us little white kids. The combo dinners all came with a small piece of tuna sashimi, which my parents wouldn’t touch but us kids would fight over. Also a piece of cooked carrot topped with a dollop of mayonnaise, odd but an indelible taste memory. My baby brother learned to use chopsticks there, before he could even properly handle a fork. Great memories. Definitely old school.

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Yep. The next generation has taken over from their parents.

Don’t know how many times/years I have driven past them and I have never been in there. This looks like the exact thing mom would want. And an added plus, her MD is just down the street. Thanks.

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Kaido? Sushi King? Have not been to Sakura, but I’m under the impression that it might satisfy a similar urge.

My dad is the same age as your mom. He and his fellow club members have been going to Aki since the 70s(?).

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and here it is at lamag.com, with a link to @thechez5’s instagram.

http://www.lamag.com/mag-features/best-japanese-food/

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