Eat Drink Style Izakaya Bincho, Redondo Beach Pier - Agedashi Tofu & the Japanese Fried Food Diet

Jeni and I have been eating more in the South Bay area since we started taking some classes over at Otis. She enrolled in a aluminum-foil-based class, Fashion with Foil, and I finally realized my dream in basketweaving, under water. All the blood, sweat, and tears from these extracurricular activities, as usual, leads to a loud, bellowing stomach that can only be shut up by savory food. So on this night, we found ourselves heading to the Redondo Beach pier to eat. Most people come here to taste the abundant offerings at places like Quality Seafood, an L-shaped market that is the modern age smorgasbord for Gods of the sea. You've got steamed dungeness crab, large conchs, about 36 types of oysters (30 which I've eaten in one sitting), shrimp, lobster, etc. While expensive, there's enough to leave any epicurean hot & bothered. And there's the highly-mentioned, Korean-owned Pacific Fish Center & Restaurant, with their admired crab soup. I've yet to try that. Thoughts on the soup?

When Jeni told me that we'd be eating at an izakaya at the Redondo Beach Pier, it took me a few seconds to register that – for it seemed a little non sequitur. Like finding a coupon for Osteria Mozza in the Penny Saver. Eating foie gras from a little ice cream store. And your first time seeing a Vietnamese pho restaurant in the middle of Koreatown. None of these make any sense.

For those too lazy to type up izakaya in wikipedia, I'll save you the trouble. Basically, it's a Japanese pub with all the shenanigans of drinking included. A place where sarariman, or in real English, "salary man" go to discuss charts and graphs over ice cold draft beer and savory skewered-meat and various small plates. Tough life! I remembered my trip to Osaka a few years back. We walked into a shopping center and found at least 3-4 izakayas that were packed to the brim. Almost all of the male clientele were still in their business suits chatting away. Keep in mind, that this was around 11:30 pm. These guys either got off just now or have been there since happy hour started.

But it's important to remember that the concept of an izakaya, with its mostly-male clientele and delicious food, really wouldn't exist if these had not been invented. Beer... and sake...

... two things that seem to be the common denominator for much of Japanese dining. I couldn't imagine eating sushi, yakitori and shabu shabu sans beer and sake. It's like driving a car with no wheels – you're ready for the ride, but you're not going anywhere.

We walked into the tiny izakaya with no more than a 24 person capacity, and we were greeted by a smiley young chef that seemed to be the only employee in the restaurant. He walked out from the kitchen and quickly switched to server mode, passing out menus. He then walked back to the kitchen and proceeded to cook. I love double-duty people at restaurants – so hard-working. My friends and I once frequented this dive bar that deserved a shittier title than, dive bar. The old, cigarette-wielding woman in the bar was not only making drinks and serving them. She was also the server and the chef. She probably had to clean up and close down the place too. Poor lady.

Izakaya Bincho is owned by Tomo Ueno from Tokyo. It used to be called Yakitori Bincho until the Health Taliban slapped Ueno's wrists for lack of ventilation. What a pity. Seems like one of the better places to get yakitori in LA is at Shin Sen Gumi. But not without walking away with bleeding ears. If you search for Yakitori Bincho on Yelp, you'll see that it is closed – so the review is completely useless because there is no more yakitori being offered. We were bummed to see on the menu, that there was really nothing skewered over hot charcoal. Oh, the pain...

But there was something else here in store for us that Jeni and the Serial Ramen Killer had mentioned: the agedashi tofu, a dish that consists of fried potato starch-battered tofu cubes wading in a pool of soy sauce/mirin/dashi broth, topped with green onions and grated daikon.

Amuse Bouche from Tomo

Tomo started us out with a small Sanrio gift from the sea. A little package that included sliced octopus, pickles and seaweed.

Because there was an absence of yakitori, which is usually a major part of the izakaya experience, it seems Chef Tomo filled in the voids with quite a bit of fried appetizers. Usually I can only eat 2 types of fried dishes, as it gets too greasy, but I don't think we had much of an option besides ordering soups. So here begins the Japanese Fried Food Diet.

Potato Croquette (Korokke)

I like it when the sauce is nice and tangy. This was fried beautifully, but not really an appetizer I'm into. It reminds me of crabcakes – which I am quite sick of from my catering days.

Fried Chicken Meatballs (Tsukune)

This is a popular yakitori dish – ground chicken mixed with soy sauce, mirin, ginger and green onions. Because Tomo is banned from grilling, he simply dunked these into the Fry-o-lator. And this is what emerges. Very good.

Fried Chicken Wings

This was one of two highly recommended dishes by the chef. These were fried beautifully and glazed with the perfect amount of sauce. Nice job! Reminds of tasty Korean fried chicken.

Deep Fried Chicken Thigh

Hey, that rhymes. +10 points. This was the other dish Chef Tomo highly recommended. As you can see, it is fried beautifully and served upon a 'salad', which makes it look less unhealthy. I really enjoyed the flavoring and tenderness of this but I wish it wasn't fried as long. Good nonetheless.

Fried Sea Spiders (Soft-Shell Crab)

What's not to like about Soft-Shell crabs, the ocean's most sensitive/tender/wimpy insects. If they stopped writing sappy poems, laid off the RomComs and Cheesy & Sleazy compilations, they'd increase their testosterone levels. These weren't bad.

Fried Tofu Cubes in Dashi Broth (Agedashi Tofu)

I have to admit that when I saw Chef Tomo take out the same brand of tofu I buy at the market, I didn't think it would taste too good. For some reason, I always think great chefs out there make their own haha. But when Chef Tomo served us the tofu, I knew I was wrong. The cubes were fried beautifully. It had a crisp texture, yet it was plump and bouncey once I pressed it with my chopsticks. The glistening broth had a delicate aroma of grated daikon and dashi. I watched Tomo, just before serving, boil the broth in a small pot – bringing it to a rigorous boil. I can't tell you how many times I've eaten 'flat' dashi at room temperature. It's terrible. This wasn't.

We halved the tofu cubes with our chopsticks and watched as the starchy batter slowly ripped apart – in my opinion, a sign of nicely textured stuff. And man, this was so good. Every bite, piping hot with gooey, toothsome flavor. Outside of Japan, this is my favorite agedashi tofu.

Next time you're at the Redondo Beach pier and DON'T feel like dropping $40 for a dungeness crab served merely with butter and lemon, say hi to this kind gentleman. I give him respect for continuing to offer tasty izakaya dishes even when the yakitori menu was stripped from him. Along with Asa Ramen and Ramen California, Yakitori Bincho is a nice addition to a South Bay Japanese-food crawl. Thanks to Tomo for facking derishus agedashi tofu and to you for reading.

Izakaya Bincho
112 N. International Boardwalk
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 376-3887

Eat Drink Style Mariscos Chente, Los Angeles - A Shrimp Morgue in Mar Vista

It was a Saturday afternoon and I sat patiently hunched forward with hands crossed on a table with a lazy susan. Jeni was by my side and so was Eddie, Rickmond and Javier. Eddie, also known as the ultimate predator and every animal's/insect's worst nightmare had invited us to a day of adventurous eating. Just before, we had stomached a Filipino duck egg in its nascency – eyes sheathed with very thin veiny skin, claws just firm enough to give you a nice prick in the throat and enough feathers to remind you that you were in fact, consuming a dormant mammal. We had also just finished live spot prawns that jumped out of the pot brought out by the server. About 10 minutes before, they had added a Chinese rice wine and covered the shrimp with a lid, intoxicating them to a lethal state. We picked up the shrimp with our hands the second we their antennaes became limp. We took off their heads, exposing their brain and pulled off its shell. The shrimp was so sweet and fresh, and a few times, I thought I felt the pulse of the once alive shrimp on my tongue. It was exciting and unexpecting.

And now, we were up for the final dish, live lobster... sashimi. All of us looked at each other with confusion and excitement. Eddie saw the server coming through the double doors with a large platter, rubbing his hands together in sheer joy. When the server laid down the platter, we saw not one, but two lobsters. They faced each other on a bed of ice, with antennaes in full motion and making contact with each other. In between the two lobsters, was a small pile of light gray flesh resembling that of red snapper sushi. But then, there was something that caught out attention. The lobsters were moving, but it was only their head that remained. The thorax, abdomen and tail were nowhere to be seen. For a moment, there was an eerie silence. The server even looked at us to get our reaction, almost asking us through ESP, "are you really sure you want this?" We hesitated for a few seconds, and one after the other, we straightened our chopsticks and grabbed a piece of the flesh. I saw the lobster staring at me as I reached my chopsticks into the flesh pile in front of them, even brushing their antennaes. I dipped the lobster sashimi in the provided soy sauce and wasabi, which is not a typical condiment in a Chinese restaurant. I then put the piece of lobster in my mouth and looked at the lobster still alive and kicking. For a second I felt it was a bit wrong, but that quickly changed once my palate approved of the sashimi. My god, it was delicious. Sweet, beautiful texture and reminiscent of sweet shrimp (ama ebi). Once we had finished the sashimi, we cleaned out the heads of the lobsters and by this point, they had fortunately died. I wondered if they could see me eat them alive and I certainly hope they didn't. I felt as though I had walked away with murder and I'll never forget this delightful meal. Note: the lobster is very well dead upon being cut up and Eddie quotes that the remaining nerve or muscle reflexes will still be in effect for a little while.

Almost a year later, I was reminded of that occasion with the live lobsters the second I walked into Mariscos Chente in Mar Vista with my coworkers. With its white walls, green tables, blue-tiled floor, stainless steel metal and open dining area, I was mildly reminded of a morgue – a shrimp morgue to be exact. But I knew this place, much like any other humble Latino-run restaurant, was not about decor or adornments. They had something very delicious in store for us.

Mariscos Chente is run by Sergio Eduardo Penuelas and his wife, Maria. ("Chente" is short for Vicente (Vincent) in Spanish, which is Maria's fathers name – the original chef of MC's dishes.) They come from the Western Mexican states of Sinaloa, and Nayarit respectively – both of which offer an extensive list of seafood dishes. According to Street Gourmet LA's great discussion and review on Mariscos Chente, "it's Nayarit cuisine with a Sinaloan chef." I had eaten ceviche a dozen times, but had never tried Nayarit or Sinaloan-style food. Let's go.

Cubeta de Cerveza (Bucket of Beer)
Eating a Mexican seafood meal without some sort of alcoholic drink is simply immoral. Even more immoral than eating the flesh of a live lobster. The food gods will make sure you spend more time in the purgatory rather than ascending to heaven. Chef Sergio knows that, and that's why he endows you with your very own cubeta de cerveza... 6 beers for $15. Salud!

Grilled Marlin Tacos
I watch a lot of Discovery Channel and National Geographic, especially the ocean related stuff. If there's one fish I do want to catch and cook up before I die, it's a marlin. Pretty easy stuff considering it'll only take 4 hours and rip off all the skin from your palms. This is one TOUGH fish and tough fish means tough meat. Right? Wrong. Leave it to Chef Sergio to give you some of the tastiest, smokiest marlin tacos you'll ever have. The meat has a consistency of pork and its super moist. A simple dip into the hot, cucumber-infused green hot sauce and you can relax knowing that Chef Sergio just saved you 4 punishing hours of skin-tearing pain on your palms. Guys will be grateful.

Ceviche de Camaron
Your standard dish at any Mexican mariscos restaurant. But you'll notice a large portion of cucumbers are mixed in – that's because Nayarit and Sinaloa use it heavily in their cuisine. This ceviche was done very well. Just the right amount of lime and not too sour. The shrimp was well balanced with the cold tomato and cucumber cubes – altogether it was very refreshing. I would get this again and maybe even request an octopus (pulpo) version.

Coctel de Camaron y Pulpo (Shrimp & Octopus Cocktail)
Another standard dish that comes in a glass, rather than a plate. It's almost the same as ceviche only there is ketchup added. In addition to the freshness of the shrimp, octopus and vegetables, there was a nice smokiness in the juice and I can't quite figure out its origin. FYI, this is also the Mexican version of the "hair of the dog" and I believed it as we passed this along to everyone at the table. You will be completely sober after eating/drinking this. I have to say, I am now a huge fan of lime juice that is mixed with seafood, ketchup and veggies. Mmm, Sea Juice anyone?

Camarones Aguachiles
And here is the reason why I deem Mariscos Chente as a shrimp morgue and why I am reminded of the "Day of the Living Lobsters". The server brought this out to us and we were immediately attracted to the dish. The shrimps were all facing outwards, staring at each one of us. Their bodies had been butterflied beautifully, and the flesh resembled a cape behind their heads. And they weren't flying anywhere else but into our stomachs. The plating of the butterflied-Shrimp with heads still attached and the combination of gray, green and purple colors immediately hit our brain as true food porn. It was naked. It was sexy. And it was true Mexican seafood. Aguachiles refers to the stellar sauce that Chef Sergio makes – a little lime, chiles and cucumbers are blended together in this harmonious sauce that accents the sweetness of the shrimp. Not quite as sweet as Spot Prawns but still delicious. I love the texture of raw shrimp.

Camarones a La Diabla
The server set this down and immediately reminded of a massacre. The shrimp, some beheaded, lay on the plate amongst fallen comrades in their own blood pool. It was beautiful. Considered to be the spiciest of Chef Sergio's dishes, this is simply fantastic. Chef Sergio serves up the perfectly sautéed shrimp in a sauce made of two types of chili (Nuevo Mexico and Chili de Arbol), cooked onions and butter. I think I tasted a hint of beer but that could be from my cubeta de cerveza. I have never found a Mexican seafood sauce as spicy, buttery and smoky as this and we made sure to lick that plate clean. We added the rest of the sauce into the shrimp cocktail and jokingly told Sergio to check out our invention: Ceviche a la Diabla. He laughed and then walked away muttering... "pinche chino." Just kidding.

Another Gratuitous View of Camarones a La Diabla
If Chef Sergio bottled this sauce up, he would make a fortune and shrimp would hate him forever.

Camarones a La Pimienta
I think these are in my top 3 of Sergio's shrimp dishes. I am a black pepper freak.

Camarones Checo
All you're going to taste in this is garlic, tons of spice and butter. You will love.

Camarones Borachos
These shrimp are deep-fried, and then sautéed with Worcestershire sauce (Salsa de Ingleterra) and tequila. Wasn't my favorite because the shrimp was way overcooked. It was nothing like Japanese deep fried shrimpheads.

Pescado Zarandeado
And this is probably Sergio's most proud dish – the pescado zarandeado. The verb zarandear means to shake or stir, but it has nothing to do with this dish that requires grilling with a special robato tool. He uses a fish called Snook and after filleting it in half butterfly style, he adds a sauce made of soy sauce, limes and mayonnaise. The fish is then folded back into its original form and sent to grill hell. And this beauty is served upon a turquoise tray – I love it.

Chef Sergio Eduardo Penuelas
Here is the shrimp mortician himself. Everyday, he probably sacrifices over 3,000 shrimp. He is the nicest guy and I have to say, probably the best Mexican seafood chef I had ever met. My biggest problem with ceviche in general has been the overuse of lime more as a way to mask older seafood, rather than 'cook' the seafood. But Chef Sergio has helped me realize my love for Mexican seafood once again. His sensibility of adding just the right amount of everything is exhibited in every dish we tried.

Compared to your "standard" Mexican restaurant, there is a lot to be learned about Nayarit and Sinaloan cuisine as there are huge differences. We didn't get to try the Nayarit specialty, pescado zarandeado, which is a whole-grilled Snook fish marinated in soy sauce, lime, chipotle and mayo. It's supposed to be the most popular, if not best dish at Mariscos Chente. Nor did we get to try the many variations of sautéed shrimp in various sauces such as pepper and oil, butter, garlic and tequila. The good thing about Mariscos Chente is that the menu is small enough for you to complete in about 4-5 visits and it's comforting knowing that anything you do try will be made by a very talented, warm chef that will have you coming back more than once. Thanks for reading.

Mariscos Chente
4532 S. Centinela Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90066
(310) 390-9241

Mariscos Chente reviews on Los Angeles Times, Street Gourmet LA and Exile Kiss.

Eat Drink Style Wurstkuche, Los Angeles - A Sausage Grill

One of my must-do things up in San Francisco involves two neighboring businesses right on Haight Street in the Lower Haight area. It's an area lined with vintage shops, specialty stores bars and tatted up denizens – quite similar to Melrose Avenue. There's Rosamunde Sausage Grill and Toronado. One obviously deals out sausages, and the other is a wonderful watering hole. The owners know each other and have a symbiotic relationship. You order one of the lovely sausages offered by Rosamunde and have to wait at least 10-15 minutes. How do you kill time? Go get a beer. You order one too many beers at Toronado, your stomach tells you it needs a sponge to sop up all that delicious beer. What do you do before you throw up? Go get a sausage. This sort of transaction happens all day long... drunk people and hungry people walking back and forth. For a while I was like, "Why don't we ever have both in one building down here in Los Angeles???"

That's when Joseph Pitruzzelli of San Francisco stepped in and blessed us with Wurstküche, which is German for "sausage kitchen". A 27-year old designer and entrepreneur who enjoys beer and sausages at the same time and read LA's mind. Located in Downtown Los Angeles's arts district, just east of Little Tokyo, you won't miss this joint with its yellow and red, striped door and sign written in tasteful typography. Did I mention to you that he's a designer?

Upon walking in, you immediately see the sausage display case and taps bolted into the wall. The room ends in a sharp corner with counter tops and a few tables and chairs. Walking down the hallway, you'll end up in a larger dining area, where you could also order beer from. The place has a modern design and really gets you out of the Red Lion Tavern (another German bar with sausages) setting, which sometimes can feel a little depressing and low-energy if you're not in the happiest of moods. Warning: here's a shocking example of what kind of sausages Red Lion Tavern does offer. I do not dare click on my own link.

The True Edible Adult Candy Store

Pitruzzelli offers over 21 types of sausages that he's acquired from purveyors all over the U.S. All the sausages are neatly stacked on top of each other, a few them with signage. Just ask the person what they have to offer. Here's what's listed on the menu:

Bratwurst - fine cuts of pork with coriander & nutmeg
Bockwurst - veal & pork with spices
Hot Italian -fine cuts of pork with spices
Vegetarian Italian - soy based, traditional flavor
Vegetarian Beer Bratwurst - soy based, traditional flavor
Vegetarian Kielbasa- soy based, traditional flavor
Mango Jalapeño - chicken & turkey
Jack Cheese & Jalapeño Peppers - smoked turkey
Chicken Apple & Spices
Austin Blues - hardwood smoked pork, hot and spicy, tri-pepper
Sun Dried Tomato & Mozzarella - smoked chicken & turkey
Green Chillies & Cilantro - chicken & turkey
Filipino Marharlika - sweet pork with natural seasonings
Kielbasa - polish style, pork & beef wtih onions and spices
Louisiana Hot Link - beef & pork with onions and hot spices
Roasted Red Pepper & Corn - chicken & turkey
Buffalo, Beef & Pork with Chipotle Peppers - smoky chipotle flavor
Duck & Bacon with Jalapeño Peppers - juicy and packed with flavor
Rabbit, Veal & Pork Seasoned with White Wine - light and delicate
Alligator & Pork, Smoked Andouille Sausage - hickory smoked, thick casing
Rattlesnake & Rabbit with Jalapeño Peppers - buttery but mildly spicy

I've tried the duck & bacon, rabbit & veal, rattlesnake, chicken & apple and sun-dried tomato/mozzarella chicken sausages. And I am always stuck on what to get every time I'm here, as I have not eaten anything disappointing.

The Sausage Beach

It takes about 10 minutes to get your sausage. Make sure you choose from the 35+ types of beer offered at Wurstküche – Belgian, German and American. As well as an assortment of specialty sodas.

Sauce City

For those that enjoy mustard to go on top of their sauteed onions, sauerkraut or sweet peppers.

Belgian, German and American Beers

If Pitruzzelli isn't looking, I may do a taste test of all these beers with my mouth as a serving glass.

Belgian-Style Fries

Wurstküche offers some tasty fries that are prepared the night before and blanched the next morning. Before serving them, they are fried once more to achieve one extra layer of deliciousness. You can order a large cone of fries for $5.50 with your choice of two sauces, and a smaller cone of fries for $3.50 with your choice of one sauce. These are some of my favorite fries in Los Angeles, along with Oinkster, Hungry Cat and Father's Office.

Sundried-Tomato & Mozzarella Chicken Sausage

Good. I don't have anything else to say but that's it's good and juicy. The bread is made in-store and really tastes great together.

Rattlesnake & Rabbit with Jalapeno Peppers

Good good good! I recommend the rattlesnake here as it is not as rich as other places I've had it at, like Hot Doug's in Chicago. But Chicago-style hot dogs are in a league of their own – so good!

I don't have anything else more to say than what Jonathan Gold or other blogs haven't already said. Only that I enjoy everything I've tried here and have been here at least 7-8 times. Based on the 20-25 minute wait for my meal everytime, I think Pitruzzelli and Wurstküche are here to stay in Los Angeles. Good sausages, good beer, good location = good times.

Note: Wurstküche will be at Jonathan Gold's Gold Standard/LA Weekly food extravaganza. Thanks for reading.

Wurstküche
800 E. 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 687-4444
www.wurstkucherestaurant.com

Eat Drink Style Lucky Baldwin's 10th Belgian Beer Festival 2009 - Cheapest Flight to Belgium.

Something happens to the 210 freeway every February-March. Just when you think you're heading to San Fernando or towards Azusa, you may suddenly find yourself in an area completely opposite to the Pasadena area. Greeeeeeen hills, blue skies and a sign that says Brussels. Why? Because you're in Belgium now, home to my hero, Jean Claude Van Damme. Besides the "Muscles from Brussels", double-fried fries and wine-cooked mussels, Belgians make some of the best beers in the world. Not to mention, some of the strongest. Lucky Baldwin's, a British pub in Old Town Pasadena, holds an annual Belgian beer festival. Saving you $1,000 on the flight alone!

From now till Saturday, March 7th, you can try over 50+ juicy Belgian beers. Taster glasses start at $4, full glasses at $7 and LB's also offers a festival glass for $10 – you keep the glass and if you bring it back, all your full glasses will be $6. Thanks for observing the state of the economy and our needs for delicious beer!

Last time I was here, I saw a lot of people taking notes on the Belgian beers they liked on napkins. I did the same and lost it after my 6th beer. I've gone through the trouble to ensure you have a good time here. Trust me, you'll probably be looking for these beers at stores after you've had some. Click on the image to download the PDF.

My beer connoisseur friend, Sloejams, may not have food in his fridge. But he does know beer. Here are some of his recommendations.

Sloejam's Belgian Picks

Leifmans Goudenband, 9% ----- sour

Urthel Hop It, Urthel

St. Bernardus ABT 12, St. Bernardus

Avec les Bon Voeux, 9% Dupont

Affligem Noel, 10% Affligem ----- Christmas (obviously)

Sloejam's Beginner Picks

Popperings Hommelbier, 8% Van Eecke

Mannekin Pis, Lefebvre

Avril Biere de Table, 3.5% Dupont

St. Bernardus Witbier, 5% St. Bernardus

KWAK, 8% Bosteels

ED&BM Picks
Delirium Tremens, 9% Huyghe
McChouffe, 8% D'Achouffe
Piraat, 9% Van Steenberg
St. Bernardus ABT 12, St. Bernardus
St. Feuillien Triple, 8% St. Feuillien

Good thing Sloejams is recommending some beginner picks, because you definitely don't want to start out your day with a 12% beer – especially if you're 100 lbs. and hungry. Won't be pretty. Sorry for the delayed downloading site. No other way to host a PDF. Thanks for reading and drink responsibly – make sure there's food in the stomach!

Lucky Baldwins
17 South Raymond Avenue
Old Towne Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 795-0652