Tsujita La Artisan Noodle Los Angeles

Side Facade of Restaurant

To be honest, I'm trepidatious about eating at Japanese restaurants nowadays; I get disappointed easily when it comes to Japanese cuisine-probably because we've eaten so much in Japan and especially Fukuoka, where my family is from.  Rick will attest to this; he's never seen so much food in his life! (and has never eaten so much in such a short time).

Therefore we had yet to venture out into the Japanese restaurant scene in LA.  Well, I did my research and checked this place out: Tsujita LA Artisan Noodles, where for lunch they're known to have handmade ramen noodles that are out of this world.  This is the US branch of their Tokyo noodle house and it is supposedly a life changer.

Corner/Front Entrance of Restaurant

We decided to go there for dinner, reason being the Omakase course dinner and various entree items looked appetizing enough for me to experiment.     

Dining Room

First a little about Sawtelle Blvd; it is a madhouse!  Parallel to the 405,  it can be a congested disaster during the early evening rush hour, especially with the clusterfrack of diners trying to park near several Japanese restaurants. A smaller version of Little Tokyo with supermarkets, restaurants and cafes, it's a great area to go if you're on that side of town!

Located on the street corner, the beautiful glass facade shows the cool interior of restaurant.  The small dining room seats only about 30 people, so it can be crowded very quickly.  By sheer luck we came at the right time so getting seated wasn't a problem.

The restaurant interior is elegant with a touch of Japanese Minimalism, it is unexpectedly romantic with its warm lighting and wood feature; namely the ceiling.  Mimicking chopsticks, the ceiling is adorned with long wood poles in various lengths to create a 3D Japanesque pattern.

Wood Ceiling is amazing

                                                                               

The Food: Seven Course, "Omakase" Menu

So I was intrigued by the Omakase menu online, especially since the last course was a Tai Chazuke (Red Snapper Sashimi with Tea Rice).  But looking the menu while at the table, the Omakase course changed it's last dish to a Thin Noodle with Various Mushrooms......drama.....I don't like changes at all...I promptly asked our waitress if we could have the Tai Chazuke instead, and with a brief huddle with the chef, all was right back on track!  Phew!

First Course (From left to right):  Ikura with Daikon Oroshi, Crabmeat with Miso, Burdock with Potato, Tuna Tartar

First Course: 4 Kinds of Appetizers

As is traditional Kaiseki, (set course) the first course is mostly cold small seafood and vegetable dishes.

Starting with the lightest, we had the Ikura, (Salmon Roe) with Daikon Oroshi, (grated Radish) which was salty and textural, not too much going for it...

Moving on, the Crabmeat with Miso was slightly heavier with the creamy Miso and it fared a little better than the previous app.

The third appetizer: Burdock and Potato stewed in a light Soy, with Shishito Peppers.  The burdock was cooked very well and it felt like a home cooked dish.  The potato was also flavorful, if not more American.

The last dish was a Spicy Tuna Tartar, definitely the heaviest of all the cold appetizers.  It was not your usual Spicy Tuna, this had a hint of Sesame and Shiso Leaf (Japanese Sarsaparilla) which created a sophisticated flavor profile.

Second Course:  Sashimi Course

Sashimi Course:  Tuna, Yellowtail and Salmon with a Sesame Soy Dipping Sauce

The Sashimi Course: Tuna, Salmon and Yellowtail.  Sashimi has to incredibly fresh for me, this was only okay.

What was different was instead of a Soy Sauce, it was served with a House made combination Sesame and Soy Sauce-which gave the Sashimi a different flavor and textural twist.  Since Sesame is one of my favorite condiments, I had no problem dunking my fish in it,  (sounds sacrilegious to sashimi purists).

Third Course:  Fried Braised Pork

Fried Braised Pork with Stewed Daikon 

After the Cold Appetizers were behind us, we continued with the meat course: Fried Braised Pork.  It was a delicious piece of pork, fried to perfection before braised in a soy stock and topped with scallions.  Accompanied with a Daikon half stewed in a heavier soy stock; it was rich and melted perfectly with the glossy, texture.  We enjoyed this dish thoroughly, the best dish in the Omakase sets so far!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Fourth Course: Mille Feuille Tonkastu

Mille Feuille Tonkastu

In Omakase Menu you have two choices for the main course:  The Mille Feuille Tonkastu- Shiso leaf and cheese sandwiched in a breaded pork cutlet or The Lobster Dynamite- a Lobster half in a white cream sauce with vegetables.  We ordered the Tonkastu....of course!

The Tonkastu arrived and we were anticipating a wonderful dish: it arrived with a Daikon Tonkastu dipping sauce and shredded cabbage with its own dressing.





But to be totally honest, it was disappointing.  I liked the theory of the Mille Feuille Tonkastu, but in execution, the thinly sliced pork was over fried, thus creating an overwhelmingly crunchy exterior and overcooked pork that the Shiso leaf / cheese could not compensate.

It was an incredible shame, for we were hoping for a great Tonkastu dish, but in its quest to be more innovative, Tsujita LA misses the mark here.  Not to be traditionalist, but sometimes it's better to stick to the original, than to poorly execute a departure to a popular dish.

Fifth Course: Palate Cleanser

Palate Cleanser:  Tomato, Onion, Parsley and Daikon

The Palate Cleanser was an unusual addition to the Kaseki tradition, but refreshing and welcome after the Tonakstu.  With Yellow and Red Tomatoes, Onion Bruneois, Parsely, Shredded Daikon with Oil and Vinegar, it was more like a tiny salad.

The last two courses fell short of the Japanese Kaiseki tradistion; they felt more Western, a hybrid that commonly occurs in Japan.   I was expecting more traditional Japanese and so it was an unexpected departure- I was beginning to regret our Japanese adventure.....

Sixth Course: Tai Chazuke (Red Snapper in Tea Rice)

Tai (Red Snapper) Chazuke (Green Tea Rice) with Sesame Dipping Sauce

But with the Rice course, Tsujita LA was able to redeem itself.  The Tai Chazuke was the final savory dish, and I'm glad that we requested this substitute.  It may sound a little odd, but the Red Snapper dipped in a Sesame sauce combined with Green Tea and Rice is absolutely delicious!!!

The nutty sesame works well with the raw protein and the slight bitterness of  Green Tea has a complex flavor profile; mix in a little Nori and Wasabi and you have an explosion of flavor!  Midway through, pour some sesame sauce on the Rice and mix it all together-it is amazing!

Seventh Course: Chocolate Cake with Strawberry Mochi and Fresh Strawberries

By the time dessert rolled around, we were stuffed, and so when a large slice of cake same to our table, we both looked at each other, where's the Japanese portions??  The chocolate cake was a mousse, which was heavier and more Jello-Pudding-like.  It came with the standard Strawberry Mochi Ice Cream.

Service was very excellent; the staff was attentive and extra polite; they explained each dish to us and even escorted us on our way out.


We are certain to come back for Lunch to try their artisan noodles, and we may come back for dinner to order from the a la carte menu.  It was worth the try and now that we know the area a little better, we'll be venturing out on Sawtelle Blvd!



Rating (Out of Five Stars)

Food           3
Ambience   4
Service       4