Ronin Izakaya

First off, I'm super happy people think my pictures qualities have improved to the point of d-slr quality! I'm sure thats an exaggeration but still, I'll take it where I can get it. It's probably multi-factorial. For one thing, I was previously linking picture thru the blogger upload picture function. Somehow the pictures were blurry and small. Anyways, I've directly embedded the photos into the html code. Plus I've learned to take pictures without flash. I never realized how horrible flash changes pictures. So seriously, however the food looks in the picture, for better or worse, that's how I saw the food myself. The downside of sans flash is the pics come out pretty blurry so I've learned to steady my arms as much as possible. Whatever, all very technical and boring but the result is more deliciousness!

Secondly, I'm glad people are reading and commenting but please do leave your name and don't post anonymously so that I can have stimulating culinary conversations with you later if I choose.

Food time!

This restaurant just recently made it to my radar aka bookmark section my yelp. It was lower on my priority list since it seemed on the fancier side, less quantity more quality, which for everyday eats doesn't make the cut. Fortunately Root Canal Man has been here and suggested it for dinner with our new bretheren from the Central Motherland. Ronin Izakaya is like Japanese/Asian Fusion tapas. Tapas can get damn expensive, and surely this place was no exception. I think this first dish was complimentary becuz we didn't order it but it was on the menu for $3. Edamame, sauteed in butter and garlic. I was starving so it was disappeared in a flash. Special but not special at the same time.

This next dish was probably THE BEST dish of the night and I would certainly go back just to eat a few orders of this dish and something else. Ahi Tuna Taco Shimi is some ahi tuna over guacamole on some sorta chip all covered in some sauce. Very vague, but all you need to know is that it was DELICIOUS. For 7 ppl we ordered 2 orders initially and then got a 3rd during round 2.

I have this obsession with agedashi tofu ever since trying it at Kappo Honda and Shin Sen Gumi. At those restaurants, it's not just fried tofu. It sounds gross, but there its fried and crispy yet at the same time gelatinous and chewy batter. I dunno, go there and try me and you'll know what I'm talking about. Anyways, everywhere else I go it's just fried tofu in a pond of saucey stock. This place was no different.


Be it out of habit, tradition, or simple ridiculous obsession/addiction we ordered Fried Calamari for Green Milk Tea Girl. Honestly, it tasted like salt and pepper squid from a Chinese restaurant. Just OK.


In my hunger which I could just barely control, I only rememebered to take a picture this picture after we'd eaten half. It was miso cod with some potatoe puree. It was not good as you can see that it doesn't look good either. That purple stuff was the puree of something, maybe taro. It just had a weird texture and the fish was just like any other miso-ed out fish. Not that special.


Oooooo, this next dish Beef Tataki Salad was definitely my next favorite dish after the taco shimi one. The beef had this smoky charred taste and probably looked slightly overcooked than what we were expecting for anything "tataki" but still tasted great. The salad underneath had this really tastey dressing. I just love Japanese salad dressings. I love to go to the Japanese market and hang out in the salad dressing aisle picking out new dressings to try. Unfortunately, because I do not read Japanese, I pick dressings based on the colors and pictures on the dressing labels. This dish got ordered again for round 2.


If you read this blog you can figure out why we ordered the dumplings. Totally unspecial and I could certainly make better ones.




Trio of sashimi, tuna, yellowtail and I dunno what the 3rd one was. All very delicious and I would order it again.


Clams. They were sitting in some delicious broth served with some crispy baguette chips. I wished to take sips by the spoonful but I didn't have a spoon. Maybe I'd order it again.


Everyone loved the duck dish, but I musta got a bad piece that wasn't that flavorful and all that black stuff underneath is risotto or something.


Dynamite scallops and mochi. Yes. Mochi. I don't think any bites I got had mochi, just scallops and lotsa fattening dynamite junk. It was good for dynamite since I usually don't like anything dynamite.



Lamb chops served with some sweet mint jelly. The lamb chops seemed like they were served not piping hot. We were not impressed.


After all that protein, we had to ordered some starch. It tasted like spaghetti and chunks of pork or sausage type meats. The noodles were flavorful and there was definitely a healthy portion of oil used but I think I'll pass next time.


The obligatory crab cake. It was seriously a crab square, very strange. It was impressively more crab than cake. So props to that I suppose, but maybe for once more cake would be nice.


Shrimp scampi. Yeah for shrimp! But it wasn't that memorable.


Ok, I'm tired and I'm sure you're bored. In short, come here for intimate date or small gathering, don't come starving, and there's parking in the back. Stay tuned for Michael Mina, Las Vegas.