Torihei
Average user Rating: 88
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89
2/26/2010
IT’S ALL IN THE MARINADE — is the mantra you should adopt when eating yakitori in Japan. Since I don’t speak/read/gesture/or sign anything in Japanese, during my last stint in Japan, I downed whatever I happened to order. In some cases, the meat tasted like chicken, and in others, well…not so much. I was lucky to even successfully order chicken! But you know as well as I that it’s usually considered the safest yakitori skewer, and more often than not, it’s the most boring.
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Recommended Dishes
Chicken tail yakitori, Egg with salmon roe
80
A winter treat . . .
1/27/2010
Came here with Torihei-veteran burumun as well as Chef Ludovic Lefebvre and his wife Krissy (who, along with me, are virgins to this much-lauded restaurant.)
We let burumun take the lead in ordering the dishes, which was a pretty typical izakaya menu with assorted grilled, seared and deep-fried dishes -- with the one particular addition of small-plates oden, an interesting twist for a fare usually served in larger portions as a multi-ingredient, one-dish meal.
And for me, the oden was definitely the highlight of the meal, which included a stewed whole tomato juxtaposed against a fatty, cheese broth; the soft-boiled egg topped with salmon roe; and a wonderfully stewed daikon that fooled me for winter melon.
As for the other more usual izakaya fare (assorted meats grilled and fried) they were competent but not particularly outstanding. One to definitely avoid is a fried chicken dish topped with potato salad, the contrast of hot to cold is just gnarly, and of course it was only a matter of minutes before the wet, mayo-y salad sogged up the once-crispy batter of the chicken.
Despite a little hit-or-miss, I think Torihei is a fine place to go for their more creative oden dishes on a chillier night. But for the other izakaya fare, I wouldn't consider this a destination restaurant.
Recommended Dishes
small plate Oden
89
Torihei (Torrance, CA)
12/27/2009
The South Bay has firmly established itself as a bastion for Japanese cuisine in Southern California, and over the past year, perhaps no other eatery in the area has garnered as much fame and acclaim as Torihei. The tale of Torihei begins with chef/owner Masataka Hirai, who previously ran his family's yakitori joint, also called Torihei, in Yokohama, Japan. In the spring of 2009, Hirai and his partner, oden master Masakazu Sasaki, opened Torihei in the heart of Torrance, a stone's throw away from old standby Musha. The restaurant quickly gained in popularity for the quality of its food, as well as for its unique dual-faceted yakitori-cum-oden focus. Though Torihei began with only grilled items and oden, it has since expanded the menu to include sashimi selections and some izakaya-type fare.
Fried "Jidori" Chicken [$6.95]
We began, simply, with karaage, deep-fried soy-marinated chicken, served with mayonnaise and lemon. Made from "jidori" (free range) chicken, the karaage was profoundly flavorful, imbued with the inherent savor of chicken, but with darker and sweeter flavors thrown in as well. I'd wager that this would compare favorably to just about any other fried chicken out there.
Liver [$1.80]
Our first yakitori item of the night was liver, or reba, which I'm generally not a huge fan of. As expected, it was somewhat dry, gritty, with a chalky texture and a very pure, "livery," slightly metallic sapor.
Home-Made Chicken Liver Putty [$4.95]
Though I wasn't enthralled with the liver above, I absolutely adored this version, basically a chicken liver pate, served with honey and toast. The liver here was so much more delicate, refined, with an almost foie gras-esque luxuriousness. I was afraid that the honey would render the reba overly sweet, but instead, it was a perfect complement, highlighting the liver's essence with its sugariness.
Chicken Thigh [$1.80]
Perhaps the "safest" skewer of the night, here was thigh, or momo. Tender, tasty, and succulent, it was something that everyone could appreciate, and something that I could munch on all day!
Limited Special Heart [$2.30]
As was the case with Kokekokko, Torihei also offers up its "special" preparation of chicken heart, or hatsu. Normally, I believe that the heart here is grilled simply with salt (shio). This version, however, uses a special marinade and augments the skewer with garlic, adding layers of complexity to the dish while preserving the heart's delightfully chewy texture. I would've liked to have had the "regular" heart for comparison, though.
Gizzard [$1.80]
Next up was gizzard, or sunagimo, a special muscular "stomach" in the chicken that's used for grinding up food. As suspected, the sunagimo possessed a subtle sapor but a gritty, crunchy consistency. A bit of lemon was used to drawn out the gizzard's flavor, but this one's more for the texture than the taste.
Seasoned Omelet with Grounded Chicken [$5.95]
What we have here is akin to a tamagoyaki, or Japanese omelette. The chicken contributed a weight and depth to the otherwise mild, tender egg, while the grated daikon added a pleasing vegetal contrast.
Half Raw Egg with Salmon Roe [$1.95]
Here was our first oden item of the night: hemispheres of runny egg, filled with ikura and topped with scallion, all in a seaweed-dashi broth. This is Danny's favorite dish, and I can certainly see why. The interplay between the silky, creamy egg and the briny roe was fantastic, while the tinge of seaweed in the broth took things to an even higher level.
"Torihei" Meat Ball [$1.80]
Another highlight for me was Torihei's version of the venerable chicken meatball, or tsukune. Juicy and succulent, they were immensely flavorful, full of chicken sapor yet accented by the tang of shiso leaf. I believe there was some mushroom in there as well, which gave the tsukune a delightful crunchiness.
Beef Tongue [$2.30]
Moving away from chicken, we have here grilled beef tongue, or gyu tan, paired with dollops of wasabi. Nicely fatty, with a distinct "beefy" savor and a firm, but supple consistency, the gyu tan was absolutely lovely, and even more so when paired with the wasabi, which functioned to cut the richness of the tongue.
Fatty Pork [$2.30]
Our second kushiyaki selection was the fatty pork. Though it didn't possess the sheer decadence of pork belly, the cheek was still considerably unctuous and oily, bursting with porcine sapor. And because it was leaner than belly, it had a distinctly firm, satisfying texture that I appreciated.
Chicken Tail [$2.30]
And now, my favorite skewer of the night: chicken tail, or bonjiri, the bits of meat around the chicken's tail bone. We're talking a lipsmackingly delectable flavor, fatty but not overwhelmingly so, paired with a tender, succulent consistency, perked up by a great char component. We should've ordered more of this!
Whole Tomato [$2.80]
Our second oden item, and our last savory, was the whole tomato, stewed in dashi broth, enveloped in a commixture of potato and soy milk. The sauce really reminded me of mozzarella cheese, and combined with the sweetness of the tomato, the amalgam was slightly reminiscent of pizza topping!
Blanc Manger aux Amandes "Annin-Tofu" [$4.50]
Torihei offers up a quartet of desserts, so naturally, we had to get one of each. First up was this blancmange, a type of pudding that really was like an almond-flavored jelly. Mildly sweet on its own, it was nicely tarted up by the saccharine bits of fruit.
Baked Cheese Cake with Blueberry Sauce [$4.50]
The cheesecake was actually quite austere, and a bit dry, on its own. Thus, its accompaniments were absolutely key: the whipped cream added a palpable weightiness, while the blueberry sauce contributed a much-needed sweetness.
Green Tea Mousse [$4.50]
The mousse really did possess an intense, in-your-face matcha flavor--it was a bit much for me. However, the green tea was tempered somewhat by the sweet earthiness of the red (azuki) bean and mild mochi globules.
Pudding Alamode [$7.95]
Finally, this was basically a block of flan, done à la mode, or topped with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. It was about what you'd expect: a sweet custard, with the fruit adding a nice touch of tart sweetness.
Torihei's eminence seems to be well-deserved. Though I felt that the yakitori at Kokekokko was a bit stronger in general, Torihei is much more approachable, a place where you don't have to be a VIP to get the goods. And let's not forget the great selection of oden here, which further sets Torihei apart. I'd love to come back and give the menu a more thorough work out.
Full review with photos: http://www.kevineats.com/20 09/12/torihei-torrance-ca.htm
Recommended Dishes
Fried "Jidori" Chicken, Home-Made Chicken Liver Putty, Half Raw Egg with Salmon Roe, "Torihei" Meat Ball, Chicken Tail
80
I don't think it is as good as everyone else seems to think
10/3/2009
I find the sauces slightly sweeter than other izakayas, especially for the oden and the other simmered dishes. I think izakaya binchu, Otafuku, and even Shin Sen Gumi have better flavor and texture all in all. If you like Musha you will like this place. I am not a fan of Musha either.
93
7/15/2009
One of the things I miss the most about living in the South Bay besides the weather is Japanese food, more specifically, yakitori. I remembered the monthly trips to Shin Sen Gumi for my beer and grilled meat intake galore, fun times with friends are things I'll remember for life. However, like all good things in life, it appears AFTER you leave, as in the case here with Torihei.
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93
finally! an oden joint!
4/8/2009
There are many yakitori joints in the greater LA area, but not many specialize in oden, let alone Kyoto-style oden. (Oden is a classic Japanese winter dish and street food, and you can choose anything from fish cakes to seaweed to daikon chunks that have been simmered in fish-broth for a long time.)
Torihei's excels in this oden dish. The broth itself is phenomenal.
The Yakitori is good. We especially loved the Beef Tongue and Pork Belly.
Dessert: ausome. Everything is homemade.
Beer: 10 dollar pitchers. That is all that I have to say.
However, service is slooooooooow. Order second orders accordingly.
Recommended Dishes
Daikon Oden, Mochi Kinchaku, Konnyaku, Beef Tongue, Pork Belly
93
Fantastic Yakitori
3/23/2009
Torihei is located within the same plaza as and directly across from the well known izakaya Musha. I went on a Wednesday night a week after they first opened and they were packed with a small wait. Word must be getting out fast about this place and I was optimistic and excited.
Torihei did not disappoint. Definitely the best yakitori I've had in some time. At least ever since, Yakitori Bincho ceased to offer yakitori. The menu is very focused with a one page yakitori menu and a one page oden menu. My favorites were the simple grilled chicken skewers marinated only with salt. They were so delicious, tender, and moist that it makes you question why you would need any other seasoning when salt alone can be so satisfying. Although it seems that the meatballs are their speciality, I personally did not enjoy the cartilage that they include as a little surprise in them. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with Torihei. It fills a big void that was left when Yakitori Bincho left the scene and does a great job filling those shoes.
Recommended Dishes
chicken thighs, chicken wings, rice ball, chicken with plum sauce, daikon oden
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