Yes. Eat some of the chawanmushi. Then break up chawanmushi. And then dip your udon into it. It eats like a bowl of pho. Except instead of rice noodles you have cold udon and instead of pho broth you have chawanmushi (texturally reminisciant of soon tofu) and excess amounts of dashi or whatever it is they top the chawanmushi with
great pics
Hi @Ns1,
Nice report! Thanks. 
I haven’t tried the Chawanmushi with Udon before but it sounds delicious.
What’s the Scallop looking dish sitting on top of… Polenta?
And that first beer you show looks special! Ginga Kogen? Was it a new menu addition?
It’s probably sitting in a pool of its own cooking liquid/dashi/whatever magic they’re doing, presented in its own shell.
The beer was there the last time I was there. At $8 it’s only $1-$2 above Mitsuwa price.
Hi @Ns1,
Scallop - Thanks. That’s what I get for looking at your great pics on my phone (instead of a real monitor LOL).
How was the Ginga Kogen Beer? Recommended?
I first had it @Nakazawa in NYC and thought it was the second coming of Christ. Then I had the snow weizen and completely forgot about the Ginga Kogen.
Yes
Anyone have leads on this tasty beverage at any of the local markets?
Yakiniku Yazawa has it
Tokyo Central
Marukai
Mitsuwa
Nijiya
I’m not sure if BevMo has this specific brand but surprisingly they have a very good selection of beers from Japan.
I have seen it at BevMo, and all the Japanese markets.
Update 4:
A few more friends visiting, we ended up going 2 times recently. 
I love their private patio section. It was pleasant and relaxing.
Most of the dishes ordered were already covered in my first post - they were as fantastic as always! I’ll just comment on ones that really stood out for one reason or another (or were new).
Popeye Salad (Spinach Salad with Sauteed Mushrooms, Bacon, Cashew Nuts):
Sashimi Sampler (Salmon, Kanpachi (Amberjack), Shima Aji (Striped Jack), Maguro (Bluefin Tuna)):
Thanks to @djquinnc for the tip, instead of deciding on 1 type of Sashimi, we asked for a “sampler” and the chefs were happy to oblige and provide a sampling of multiple fresh fish of the day. They were all pristine, bright, perfect cuts!
Okra:
Enoki Mushroom with Bacon:
Asajime Chicken Breast Wrapped with Chicken Skin:
Asajime Chicken Thigh Skewer:
Pig Ears:
Tsukune Grilled Ground Asajime Chicken (w/ Poached Egg):
I forgot that they offer their delicious Tsukune Ground Chicken Skewers with the option of their “Onsen Tamago” (Poached Egg)! We made sure to order it this time, and while their Chicken “Meatball” was tender and juicy (again), breaking up the Poached Egg (marinated in a lightly sweet Shoyu / Dashi blend), and dipping the Ground Chicken skewer into the Egg Yolk was… luxurious and so good! 
Iberico Pork Skewer:
Pork Intestine Skewer:
Foie Gras Egg Custard:
Kobe Beef Tendon Skewer:
Apple Marinated Colorado Lamb Chop:
7th(?) visit:
And we returned again a few days ago with other friends visiting.
Asahi Draft Beer (Imported from Japan):
Poached Egg with Sea Urchin and Salmon Roe:
SO GOOD!
Ken2 Salad (Arugula Salad with Organic Chicken Breast, Pine Nuts, Grilled Corn, Sun Dried Tomato, Organic Chicken Skin and Wakame Seaweed):
Eggplant Skewer:
Repeat Skewers from our 6th visit:
Eringi Mushroom:
These were meaty, lightly smoky, and really satisfying.
Uragasumi Junmai Sake (Miyagi, Japan):
Very fragrant and aromatic, but unfortunately with a long, light alcohol burn finish. Glad to have tried it.
Kurodai - Black Sea Bream - Kyushu, Japan:
We opted to try their fresh fish of the day 2 ways: Grilled and Fried.
Grilled Black Sea Bream portion came out first:
WOW! Crisped outer skin, moist, flaky, tender Kurodai was amazing! The Black Sea Bream had a buttery quality (even though there’s no butter used). Fantastic grilling skills!
Fried Black Sea Bream:
This was quite tasty in a different way, with the outer sections lightly dredged before frying. It was rather light-tasting, and still delicious, but we preferred Grilled.
Live Uni Udon:
It’s back! Live Uni Udon, made with Live Uni and then their perfectly al dente Udon Noodles! While Live Uni can be hit or miss, I think the kitchen makes sure it’s of good quality before serving. It was sweet, bright, briny (in a good way), and mixed with the Udon Noodles it made for a repeat of one of the Best Bites we’ve had in 2016! SO GOOD! 
Aburiya Raku
521 N. La Cienega Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90048
Tel: (213) 308-9393
Gah! I keep missing this, every time i go they don’t have it.
They ran out of all uni last night.
Hi @PorkyBelly, @Ns1,
Darn. Yah on our 6th visit, they sold out for the night just when we got there and wanted to order it. 
LOL. Glad to have finally gotten it again on our last visit.
I hope you get to try it out next time.
Was Aburiya Raku really out of live uni, or were the uni actually hiding out of fear for you, Urchin-Slayer?
😨😨😨
I guess i’ll have to go in disguise next time and find out.
Ruthless…
#PorkyBellysmellsunifear
The five-word sequence I fear the most.