Tsujita LA - Interrupt

Date of Dining: 3/31/2012
Price: $10-15 per bowl of ramen
Location: 2057 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025
website

The Quick Bit:

+ 60 hour tonkotsu broth for the ramen base
+ best ramen I've had outside of Japan
+ strong flavored tsukemen
Δ food could have been less salty


During my trip to Los Angeles, I resolved to dine that the finest ramen establishment the city had to offer. At first, I thought the destination would be somewhere in Little Tokyo like Daikokuya. However, a quick search resulted in Little Osaka being the new destination of choice. While 2008 may have been the food truck boom in LA, 2011 was the year ramen took off.

A relative newcomer, Tsujita only started serving ramen around October 2011, and then only for lunch. Tsujita is the child of Chef Takehiro Tsujita, who set about creating the perfect bowl of ramen ten years ago. After developing his recipe and opening his first ramen-ya, Tsujita now owns 7 restaurants globally (4 in Tokyo, 1 in Beijing, 1 in Bangkok, and 1 in Los Angeles). His ramen is styled as tonkotsu gyokai, or a mixture of both pork and fish broth. 

sauces at Tsujita

Tonkotsu Ramen:

char-siu tonkotsu ramen

The ramen came steaming hot with a generous amount of wood ear mushrooms, bamboo, negi, and pork. The first thing I noticed about this bowl was the color and texture of the broth. The broth was so rich that the consistency seemed thicker than water. The soup was amazingly flavorful; each spoonful of ramen broth was akin to drinking some sort of savory pork consume that embodied the essence of pork flavor. While the toppings were appreciated, they were really there more to provide some textural contrast as the star of the dish was easily the broth.

If I had a small complaint, it was that the noodles were thinner than I am used to. I'm probably cultured to having the wrong type of thick ramen alkaline noodles, but the noodles that accompanied this bowl were so thing that they reminded me of somen. While the noodles themselves were quite good, it was just a bit of a shock to me.

Tsukemen:

char-siu tsukemen

While the regular ramen at Tsujita is good, it is the tsukemen that makes the restaurant special. While I'm not sure that the ramen was styled as tonkotsu gyokai, the tsukemen was definitely styled that way. Tsukemen is ramen that is dipped into the broth, which is extra thick and extra reduced. After consuming the dipping noodles, one can ask for hot water to be added to the broth, so it is enjoyed as a soup.
With my first taste of the ramen with the tsukemen broth, my mouth experienced an explosion of flavor. Not only did I get all the pork flavor, but I got an underlying seafood complexity that was the fish broth flavor. The combination of these flavors was so good that it almost induced me to cry with happiness. I have to agree with Jonathan Gold that the experience was life-changing. I also agree that the dish is centered entirely around the broth and that the noodles are simply there for textural contrast while the pork ensures that you stay full after consuming the meal.

Conclusion:

I set out to find the best ramen in Southern California, and I dare to say that I did find it. Not only was Tsujita the best ramen I've had outside of Japan, it beats many of the places I visited in Japan as well.
For having such good ramen, Tsujita is awarded the megabit award (the first recipient too)!

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Wich Addiction - Grand Opening

Date of Dining: 4/12/2012 
Price: $3-4 sides, $8-11 entrees
Location: 6625 Flanders, San Diego, CA 92126
website


The Quick Bit:
+ Great technical cooking temperatures
+ Diverse menu of sandwiches and salads
+ Braised short rib flavors
Δ Seating can be difficult during rush hours

I previously covered the Wich Addiction soft opening, so it was only natural that I made my way back for the grand opening. When I first started covering food trucks, I mentioned that many of the early food truck pioneers entered the business because they wished to own their own restaurant, but otherwise did not have the money to do so. Those owners either made the food truck into their version of a mobile restaurant, or used it as the seed to eventually establish their own storefront.

As the bubble of food truck popularity begins to burst, the long term viability of food trucks will ultimately lie in the abilities of their owners to convert to brick and mortar locations. While a few more successful trucks may continue to always operate, the more secure path to a future lies in the establishment of a successful restaurant. 

Dyann and Mark Manning, owners of the Devilicious Food Truck, are the first in San Diego to make the jump from food truck to brick and mortar restaurant. In a little more than 15 months of operation, the Mannings have been able to use the seed money from the food truck to fund their own restaurant.While the restaurant isn't a huge Cohn monster in terms of space, it is the next step in a potentially larger future.

For those that don't remember Dyann Manning (or those who remember her as Dyann Huffman), she went to the CIA and honed her skills with Tom Colicchio at Grammercy Tavern. When I spoke with her, she stated that once the business gets going, she plans to hold some special events at the new restaurant where she may show off more of her fine dining skills. Stay tuned for some of these future updates. In the meantime, she is constantly adjusting the menu at Wich Addiction and gearing it up for both delivery and catering services to the surrounding Sorrento Valley area.

The concept of Wich Addiction is a casual American eatery; it will offer both sandwiches and salads and primarily focus on lunch and early dinner. All the meats for the sandwiches are roasted on site and everything is made fresh, including the chips that accompany each sandwich order. In addition to the salads and sandwiches, there are some "other" entrees including a poutine (which speaks to Dyann's Canadian roots) and a grilled penne.

Salads:

fennel salad with crispy pork belly

The fennel salad had a nice flavor as it integrated the flavor of fennel with the manchego. The cherry tomatoes brought some sweetness and acidity that brightened up the dish. My only complaint with the dish was that the crispy pork belly didn't seem to integrate well with the other elements of the salad. 

panzanella salad with seared scallops

To this day, the panzanella salad I ordered from Devilicious was one of three best things Dyann has ever served me. It is with great pleasure that I can report the panzanella salad is back and to stay at Wich Addiction. In fact, this version of the panzanella salad is superior to the previous because it is made more freshly. However, the mix of the balsamic with the cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers and arugula is still a winning combination that carries the core flavors that I previously experienced at an even more elevated level. 

beet and citrus salad with seared sea scallops

Perhaps the biggest surprise to me came with how much I enjoyed the beet and citrus salad. The sweetness of the beets is really emphasized against the sweet acidity of the oranges in this dish, and I was really pleasantly surprised with the intensity of flavor. This is definitely a salad for beet lovers. I would never want to pick between this salad and the panzanella salad as they are both really good. However, if you are in the mood for scallops, I would advise more towards the panzanella as the sweetness of the scallops is lost a bit when held against the beets.

Sides:

I previously covered the friend yummies that also fall into this category, so that really only leaves the deviled eggs.

deviled eggs

Note: I ordered the deviled eggs while they were fried, but I believe they have now been changed to not include the parmesan panko crust

The deviled eggs were very well done. This was the classic deviled egg with the twist of the small crunch when biting into the egg white. I really felt that the frying worked in heightening the flavors of the deviled egg, but it does seem labor intensive to make them.

Non-Wich Entrees:

I already covered the poutine previously (which is utterly amazing), and the only other item I've tasted is the penne:

short rib penne - grilled asparagus, cherry tomatoes, spinach, parmesan 

The penne uses the same brasied short rib as the poutine, but perhaps with less of the gravy. The savory braised sauce of the short rib really carries through,  but the stars of this dish was the perfectly grilled asparagus. The asparagus gave a textural contrast while also being cut in roughly the same sized chunks as the pasta, and really carried the dish to success. 

Sandwiches:

house roasted beef - lettuce, tomato, onion, sharp cheddar, bloody mary aioli

The bloody mary aioli really made this dish work - it helped the beef retain moistness and provided a seasoned contrast to the flavor of the beef. The beef was well roasted and tender. Perhaps the most important part was that the roast beef didn't contain any of the connective tissue bits that get stuck in between your teeth.

stuffed burger - angus patty stuffed with gouda, lettuce, tomato, onion, dill pickle aioli

This is Dyann's take on the jucy lucy. As usual, the patty was cooked to a perfect medium rare and the flavor was definitely in the patty despite it not being grass-fed beef. I was a little worried at first at the size of the bun, but the added thickness of the double-patty held up to the thicker bun (and the thicker bun looks way better for presentation).

house roasted turkey - provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapeno aioli

This was easily the best sandwich dish I enjoyed. The jalapeno aioli was the star of this dish - it made my mouth sing and complemented the roast turkey perfectly. The aioli was the perfect blend of flavor and spice, and really enhanced the flavor of the roasted turkey.

Conclusion:

Dyann is off to a great start with Wich Addiction, and I can't wait to see how the menu evolves over the next few months. The quality of the sandwiches is really high as all the meats are freshly roasted on premises, and there is the added extra flair of a professionally trained chef cooking in the kitchen. As with any new restaurant, there are still some kinks to work out so don't expect a michelin starred experience if you go. However, I believe the Mannings have adapted their winning food truck formula into a winning restaurant formula. I also look forward to the special events that Dyann may have in her mind.

For the great food with excellent technical precision, Wich Addiction is awarded the kilobit award. 

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Totoraku (aka The Pico Teriyaki House) - Interrupt

Date of Dining: 3/31/2012
Price: $150 per person
Location: Shhhh! It's a secret!


The Quick Bit:
+ The best place to enjoy the best flavors of beef in all of its forms
+ Momotaro tomatoes
+ Amazing amuse platter
+ Great friendly service
Δ Gaining admission can be challenging

Recently, I found that I had the opportunity to select one sub-$200 restaurant to enjoy for a trip to Los Angeles. While I did consider some other trendier options, the difficulty of getting reservations steered me towards Totoraku. Having now enjoyed Totoraku, I believe I made the correct restaurant selection.

For those unfamiliar with Totoraku, it is not your fault. You see, Totoraku is supposed to be a "secret" restaurant - to gain admission, one must be invited or know a regular who have "invitation privileges." To obtain invitation privileges, one must become friends with Chef/Owner Kaz Oyama and receive a business card from him. Once the card is obtained, reservations are made through calling Chef Kaz directly on his cell phone (not by leaving a message on the publicly listed answering service). 

The reason for the secrecy is not that the restaurant is violating any laws, it is simply that Chef Kaz is aware that not everyone will be receptive of his cuisine. He simply wants assurance that his cuisine will be enjoyed and appreciated by all the enter the doors. What is so special about the cuisine? One may be told that Totoraku is a glorified yakiniku place, but in addition to yakiniku, Totoraku specializes in serving raw beef. 

Another aspect of Totoraku is that Chef Kaz is a connoisseur of fine wine - there is no faster way to being granted invitation privileges than bringing some nice wines and sharing with the entire staff. While I normally don't talk too much about wine, I feel obligated to share our table's wine list.

2007 Domaine des Croix 1er Cru

2005 Kosta Browne  Koplen Vineyard Pinot Noir

2004 Chateau Pontet-Canet Grand Cru

2001 Sanford La Rinconada Vineyard Pinot Noir

2001 Luis Canas Amaren Reserva

Amuse Platter:

Once we were seated an amuse platter was brought out for our enjoyment. Clockwise from top left:

• ankimo - monkfish liver
• homemade tofu
• kohlrabi, bacon, hollandaise
• momotaro tomatoes with mozzarella
• mango, white truffle, proscuitto
• abalone, lima beans
• lobster, raddichio, caviar
• crab deviled eggs
• (center) sockeye salmon with avocado

The amuse platter is always an interesting part of the Totoraku experience as it changes with each experience. Yet, every person that has talked about the amuse platter has been extremely impressed with the flavors, plating, and range of dishes. Each item is impeccably prepared and definitely works as an amuse for the rest of the meal.

Highlights for this iteration of the plate include the homemade tofu and the mango. The tofu has such a delicate yet rich texture; it was creamy in both mouth feel and consistency, but definitely remained as tofu. The mango was just a good contrast of sweet with cured saltiness while having a touch of truffle to take the flavors to the next level.

Raw Courses:

top sirloin carpaccio - special sea salt, carrot, lettuce

We started the raw beef courses with the top sirloin carpaccio. The carpaccio was a way to showcase the pure flavors of beef without much fat. The slightly sweet vegetables brought out an almost similar sweet quality in the beef. The crunchiness of the carrot also provided a great textural contrast to the chewiness of the beef. Overall, it was a nice way to start out the beef adventure.

smoked ribeye cap - garlic, ginger, spicy sauce

The next raw course was a sliced smoked ribeye cap, which was the favorite raw course of all the ladies at the table. While ribeye is not traditionally considered lean, this was yet another showcase of lean beef protein. The meat was smoked ever so slightly on the edges, which added some complexity to the flavor. The plate was accompanied with garlic, ginger, and hot sauce which we were asked to mix into our own soy sauce plates and dip the meat. The smokiness of the rib eye was really complemented by the flavor of the soy.

beef throat

Along with the smoked rib eye, we were served beef throat. This was my favorite raw course of the evening. In order to produce the amount of throat in the photo, about one and a half cows were slaughtered. To contrast the less fatty flavor of the smoked rib eye, the beef throat is almost purely about the luxurious, buttery, fatty mouth feel of beef. One key component I found with the throat was that the temperature of the beef was important. The throat retained a chewier texture without becoming too chewy if it had been heated too much. 

beef tartare - cucumber, pear, apple, quail egg

tartare after mixing

The final raw course was the beef tartare. This was the culmination of the raw courses as it showcased a fattier mouth feel with the creaminess of the yolk integrated into the entire dish. The pear added a nice element of sweetness to the dish while the tartness of the apple added some acid as well as additional contrasting sweetness. The cucumber rounded out the textures. 

Yakiniku:

After the raw courses, a yakiniku grill was placed in front of the table:

binchotan charcoal

The yakiniku grill we received contained some binchotan charcoal that were already preheated to extremely high temperatures. Please note that I was elected as the table's grill master, so there aren't as many photos as I would have liked.

beef tongue

The beef tongue highlighted both the fattiness of the beef as well as the texture. When cooked medium rare, the tongue exhibited a bit of crunchiness. Additionally, the marbled fat inside the tongue really permeated the flavor of the tongue.

filet mignon - shiitake, shishito, bell pepers, onions

Following the tongue, we received filet mignon along with a large selection of raw vegetables and vegetables for grilling.

momotaro tomatoes

With the filet a vegetables came the bowl of momtaro tomatoes, which was easily the favorite fruit selection of the table. 

The filet mignon was the consensus favorite of the entire table for the yakiniku portion of the meal. The filet was marinated to have a sweet flavor when grilled. Coupled with the tenderness of the filet and the amount of fat marbled in filet and it was an easy choice as the overall favorite.

outside rib eye

The outside rib eye highlighted an even fattier portion of the beef. This was mainly to contrast with the inside rib eye, which was brought out afterwards. Personally, I'm a fan of outside ribeye on the regular steak, so I am also a fan when they are contrasted in the yakiniku preparation as well.

inside rib eye

The inside rib eye had a similar sweet flavor that resembled the filet, but it contained much less fat. It was easily the least fatty cooked portion of the meal. The less fatty portions do a good job of highlighting the pure flavor of the beef without the fat flavor.

short rib - gal bi

Next, we were served some short rib (or gal bi), which was my favorite cooked protein. The short rib had the most fat content and hence the most luxurious mouth feel and fat flavor of beef to it. The meat was cooked to be extremely tender yet retain some chewiness.

skirt steak

The final cooked course was the skirt steak. I felt this was a contrast to the short rib as it was also a very fatty cut, except where the short rib exhibited fat marbling, the skirt steak exhibits more of a connective tissue fattiness. As a result the skirt steak also had the luxurious fatty mouth feel, but was chewier. 

egg drop soup

The final portion of the meal was an egg drop soup containing beef, beef stock, shiitake mushrooms, wakame, and perhaps other ingredients. The soup was a nice way to close out the meal as it brought a warm liquid feeling to the stomach.

Dessert:

espresso, pistachio, white chocolate ice cream, lychee, blueberry sorbet 

The meal finished with a selection of ice creams and sorbets. My favorites were the lychee and blueberry sorbets. 

Conclusion:

One makes the pilgrimage to Totoraku to pray at the altar to beef and experience all the flavors that beef has to offer. I am extremely privileged to have been able to make the journey and look forward to going back again in the future. Just like any pilgrimage, the adventure of Totoraku is not for the faint of heart - one must realize what they are getting into before making the commitment. However, those that make the journey an accept what it entails seem to all be mesmerized by the experience. 

As Totoraku is perhaps a one of a kind experience outside of Japan, it has great food and great friendly service, I award Totoraku the Terrabyte award. 

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Wich Addiction Preview Soft Opening

Date of Dining: 4/2/2012 

Price: $4-8 per item

Location: 6625 Flanders, Mira Mesa, CA 92129

website

I'm back a little early, but this is just a teaser post. Back when I first covered Devilicious, I mentioned that many food truck owners operate the food truck to try and open their own proper restaurant. I will cover this a little more in the subsequent post, but Devilicious owners Dyann and Mark Manning have converted their food truck dreams into a proper brick and mortar location.

Instead of extending the Devilicious name, they decided to call the new restaurant Wich Addiction and build up a new following. The menu is completely different from the food truck, but features some "retired" favorites from the truck in the restaurant. While the food will remain strongly rooted in comfort food, many of the dishes will be things that cannot otherwise be served in a food truck.

Wich Addiction is set to have its grand opening on April 12, but you can check it out ahead of time during its soft opening. Just be patient as they work out some of the kinks. I will have full coverage of the location for its grand opening. Until then here are some of the highlights.

Wich Addiction First Day Menu

The menu features a range of sandwiches, salads, and "special" appetizers. It is not too much unlike the Devilicious Food Truck Menu in its first incarnation.

The coffee and tea is provided by Cafe Virtuoso, and is created using a reverse osmosis water system to give a pure and clean flavor to all the coffee and tea.

passion fruit iced tea

 I really enjoyed the ice tea and felt that I could taste some of the natural sweetness in the tea despite there not having any sugar added.

chili fried yummies

The arancini-style fried yummies are back! The first flavor of the month is the tried and true chili flavor. These were better than I remembered them as there did not seem to be any over or under-seasoning issues with the yummies. I'm glad they are back and look forward to the mushroom risotto yummies again in the future.

corn beef sandwich - house kraut, swiss, dill pickle aioli

All sandwiches are served with thick-cut house made chips. The corn beef was cooked so well that I felt I didn't need to chew the beef. The seasonings were spot on and the kraut and aioli rounded out the proper flavors. While it may not have been piled high like a Jewish deli, the flavors were really strong and well-rounded.

poutine - red wine braised short rib, new york sharp cheddar, french fries

While this poutine lacked the chese curds, Dyann assured me that this was an otherwise authentic Canadian poutine. I'm not sure what it was but the short ribs were cooked to be perfectly tender and packed full of braising liquid flavor. I liked that the braising vegetables were also included. I felt this was one of the top three dishes that I've ever been served by Dyann, and it shows a lot of promise for what is yet to come.

Wich Addiction is off to a great start and is now open for business. 

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