Wakasanchi
Last week my roommate Tony found on someone's blog a hidden gem of a Japanese restaurant in Los Angeles, so we went to check it out with Richie. The place was called Wakasanchi, or わかさん家, or Waka-san's House. Their menu consisted of one thing... Chef's Special. Before ordering, our waiter made sure with us that we are okay with this style or ordering. If we were picky eaters, we would be out of luck because there are no substitutions. Luckily, none of us are. The waiter told us that the menu changes every day depending on what the chef, Waka-san, decides to prepare that day. The food every day is supposed to be traditional home-style, Japanese cooking. The 13 course meal we had that night included:
The best item was the sashimi. The tuna was so soft it melted in my mouth. The fried fish was my second favorite because it was very flavorful and soft. The plates are small, so don't worry if you think this sounds like too much food. If the meal wasn't $30/each excluding the pitcher of beer we ordered, I would actually be able to go back more than once a year... Don't get me wrong -- with the lobster, crab, and sashimi, I'm sure the $30 is justified.
Word of warning: Several websites incorrectly list the address as 929 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles CA. The REAL address is 1929 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles CA between Olympic and Santa Monica. The owner also does not advertise the place.
I give this place a 4/5.
Update:
I have to re-evaluate my score for Wakasanchi. In the last couple months after I ate there, I've been trying a lot of Japanese restaurants in Los Angeles, and what I found out was most places in the $20-$40 range are actually pretty bad. I feel that Japanese places are way overpriced here and they don't even serve great food. I would drop about $30 at some places and not even be full. I think I can prepare food that tastes better for half the cost. Anyway, the conclusion I came to was that compared to all those other places, Wakasanchi is actually a really great deal. It was all fantastic food and it made me really full. I update their score to 4.5/5.
- Boiled Spinach
- A Jellyfish Salad
- Lobster Salad
- Fried Fish (forgot what kind)
- An egg custard with white fish inside
- Sashimi
- Crab Legs
- Soba
- Niku-jaga or 肉じゃが (Meat and Potatoes in soy sauce and sugar)
- Wonton Soup
- Tempura
- Chawamushi
- Green Tea Ice Cream
The best item was the sashimi. The tuna was so soft it melted in my mouth. The fried fish was my second favorite because it was very flavorful and soft. The plates are small, so don't worry if you think this sounds like too much food. If the meal wasn't $30/each excluding the pitcher of beer we ordered, I would actually be able to go back more than once a year... Don't get me wrong -- with the lobster, crab, and sashimi, I'm sure the $30 is justified.
Word of warning: Several websites incorrectly list the address as 929 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles CA. The REAL address is 1929 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles CA between Olympic and Santa Monica. The owner also does not advertise the place.
I give this place a 4/5.
Update:
I have to re-evaluate my score for Wakasanchi. In the last couple months after I ate there, I've been trying a lot of Japanese restaurants in Los Angeles, and what I found out was most places in the $20-$40 range are actually pretty bad. I feel that Japanese places are way overpriced here and they don't even serve great food. I would drop about $30 at some places and not even be full. I think I can prepare food that tastes better for half the cost. Anyway, the conclusion I came to was that compared to all those other places, Wakasanchi is actually a really great deal. It was all fantastic food and it made me really full. I update their score to 4.5/5.
2 Comments:
I give wakasanchi a 5/5.
an amazing event in america!
what a joy!
I am an american, and I am in a small Japanese
village . . . .
pure beauty.
the special something
i must to attend often
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