Review: The Izaka-ya by Katsu-Ya, Manhattan Beach

    Katsuya's Izakaya in Manhattan Beach opened its doors in 2010 and has been busy ever since! And yet the name of this place has me a bit confused.
   An Izakaya is defined as a bar which serves small dishes. But there are no sake bombs, or loud chugging of beer by drunken business men here. It is usually crowded and sometimes loud, but the high quality food, traditional Japanese decor and friendly staff create a warm, family-friendly atmosphere.

  Katsuya is the name of the founder of a small kingdom of Japanese restaurants. Katsuya's restaurants are known for giving fresh California inspired twists to traditional Japanese dishes. For example, Katsuya's version of yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno, which delivers a spicy overtone to the light and delicate fish. 

The yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno

    So, it's not a bar, in fact the only bar in the place is a sushi bar! And it's named after a creative guy; who has no creativity in naming his restaurants. He has two other restaurants with the same name! This is in no way a reason to avoid what is certainly the best Japanese food I have found west of Gardena. 
    The sushi and sashimi are just the beginning of their creative menu.  For a great introduction to Katsuya's innovative dishes, try their Izaka-ya plate. Here you will see his creative mixture of taste, texture and color. Each of the dishes on this platter packs a real flavor punch and I have found it's a good idea to share the bounty of this plate (i.e. it doesn't make the best lunch choice, rather a great appetizer to share among friends). 

The Izaka-ya plate

  The food is delicious and of the highest quality, but can also be expensive. During a recent visit I noticed that the entire first page of the menu, the 'seasonal specials', had no pricing at all. It made me a little uncomfortable, but didn't stop my husband from ordering some Toro, no matter the price. I prefer to know what I'm getting myself into.  Subtly waving down a server to ask pricing questions would be quite uncomfortable if one were on a date.

   If you are on a budget consider their Saturday and Sunday afternoon Japanese Tapas menu which is available from 3-5pm. Tasty bites range from $2 to $6 with specials on beer and wine as well. 
    As I mentioned, this place is popular and can get quite crowded.  Call ahead and make a reservation or be prepared to wait in the tiny screened off space by the front door, remember, no bar!

These are our favorite dishes at The Izakaya by Katsu-Ya: 

• Salmon Skin Salad
• All of the high quality Sushi and Sashimi
• Crispy rice with spicy tuna
• Yellowtail sashimi with jalapeño 
• Grilled yellowtail collar (rarely seen on menus!)

Uni Sashimi - very generous portion!

Things on my list to try on my next visit:

• Halibut Carpaccio w/Granny Apple
• Seafood Ceviche (Japanese ceviche?)
• Halibut Cheek kara-age (Southern fried fish cheeks?)
• Okinawa Style Spare Rib

Have you eaten at the Izakaya by Katsu-Ya in Manhattan Beach?  
What are your favorite dishes? Really, I want to know! :)

New Japanese in MB

We walked downtown yesterday and had a late lunch at Sashi: Sushi + Sake. This place has been open for a few weeks but this was our first time trying it. Sashi is located in the Metlox Shopping area in downtown Manhattan Beach. On Sunday afternoons there is live music in the patio which contains the outdoor seating areas for Petro's, Shade Hotel, and Le Pain Quotidian. We had a great few of Incendio warming up and then playing their first set.

The boys order the kid's Bento Box and Tempura Udon Bowl. We start with an order of the Jalapeno Yellowtail. Bruce has the Angry Chicken and Sashimi combo and I try their Miso Black Cod and a stir fried beef dish.

The free concert sets a relaxing mood. It's a good thing too as the service keeps us waiting. The Yellowtail comes out in about 10 minutes. One of the kids meals quickly after that. But it's another 15 minutes before the remaining three entrees arrive at our table. In the meantime our waitress, or any waitstaff at all is non existent in the patio area. When she does appear, she drops something off and then runs away.

The food is tasty and well prepared. I find the stir-fried brown rice served on each dish to be a bit off the mark. Next time we'll have to ask about plain steamed white rice. Everyone enjoys their lunch.

We'll have to try again, perhaps when the live music isn't distracting the wait staff???

Hawaiian Handrolls with Ham, not Spam

When my husband is out of town dinner plans become somewhat creative. I strive to find a way to make a single adult dinner with the remnants of plain Jane ingredients I used to make a simple, kid-friendly meal for my boys.

Tonight I was serving ham steak with barbecue sauce, steamed brown rice and cucumber slices. It was well received by the boys, but it certainly wasn't going to suffice for my dinner.

I've been toying with Nori. Nori is the seaweed sheets used for sushi rolls. I'm especially fond of very crispy Nori used for hand rolls. Hand rolls seem to be the easiest way to get the Nori sushi taste with the least amount of fuss or fancy knife work.

So, I slivered some of that cucumber, and then did the same to a scallion and a carrot. I thinly sliced about 4 ounces of the ham steak. I pulled a bottle of Chinese Chicken Salad dressing out of the fridge and pulled the Nori sheets from the pantry.

The true inspiration for the entire hand roll was the Shiso leaf I picked from the garden earlier in the day. So I washed two tender leaves and slivered them, adding them to the pile of vegetables.

I smeared some hot brown rice onto half a sheet of Nori. I dressed the pile of vegetables with a tablespoon or two of the bottled dressing. I placed 1/3 C of the vegetables onto the rice on each Nori sheet. The ham slices were added last. Rolled up into a tight bundle, they made for a fabulously innovative way to use Nori, eat the remnants from the kid's meal and to truly enjoy the pleasure of the Shiso leaf picked from the garden.

The Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand went with it fabulously!