Totoraku
10610 Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Yelp
I previously blogged about
Totoraku, or what I referred to as the "secret beef restaurant." Well if you look on Yelp, Totoraku isn't much of a secret to the 209 Yelpers who posted the mostly 5 star reviews. But the policy still remains. You cannot eat here unless you are one of Oyama-san's "regular customers." I've been here now 4 times, so I think that qualifies me as "regular" enough. Honestly, each time hasn't always been worth the $$$$. Smooth Obturator, who was my original "in" to Totoraku, says Oyama-san just "phones it in" sometimes. So I was pleased to bring Fishing Zebra Man here, and have one of my best experiences. I must say that this time was just as good as the first time, if not better.
While every meal at Totoraku is reliably unchanging, the same cannot be said for the appetizers which have been different every time. They are usually stunning on a presentation level, but can be a little lackluster or weird compared with the main course of meat upon meat. This time, however, I was delighted by the presentation of little bites.
Shrimp with Caviar - simple with a zing of ocean salinity from the caviar
Black Sesame Tofu - smooth and nutty
Japanese Sea Bass - really clean and fresh
Okra squid, flying fish eggs - slimy okra paired with the firm texture of squid
Candy Stripped Fig prosciutto di parma, goat cheese - This was probably my favorite bite of the lot. The sweet figs, the salty prosciutto, and the bit of stinky goat cheese made for a sophisticated and standout bite.
Egg mashed yams, crispy anchovy - I definitely liked the crispy fishy dried anchovy, which was a nice contrast to the soft sweet mashed yams.
Read more »
