Last month, D and I headed out to Torrance for USA Bridge's Annual Natsu Matsuri (Summer Festival). We were tipped by our Ramen-maniac friend RW (a chowhounder who knows the ins & outs to honto (real) Japanese cuisine) that Bridge USA's festival was the place to go for some good Japanese grub.While walking through the Torrance Cultural Arts Center parking lot, we noticed a red van with the words "Shin Sen Gumi" written on it. "NO WAY, the Shin Sen Gumi guys are not only here, but they travel and fight crime A-Team style. That's so bada$$!"
After paying $6 each for admission, D and I pushed and shoved our way through the kiddy game section sniffing our way to the food. Once we saw smoke rising from the south corner, we knew we found our yakitori A-Team. Like stalking paparazzi, we hung around the Shin Sen Gumi booth for a good 10 minutes as we took pictures of the yakitori, the cooks and their binchotan (Japanese charcoal).
The only yakitori the Shin Sen Gumi gangsters were grilling at the Matsuri were Tare negi's -- chicken thighs with Japanese leeks. Of course we would of loved some hearts and gizzards, but for $8, 5 yakitori sticks certaintly satisfied our bellies.
After Shin Sen Gumi, we rushed over to the Gaja booth for what people are calling , "The best Okonomiyaki outside of Osaka." For years I've refused to try okonomiyaki in Los Angeles knowing that nothing will compare to some of the greatness I've had in Osaka while living there.With much anticipation after hearing great reviews on Gaja's okonomiyaki, I was ready to fight my fears of eating a disappointing okonomiyaki. To my surprise, Gaja's okonomiyaki was close to being on ON POINT. They dressed my okonomiyaki up beautifully but failed to go crazy with the Kewpie Mayonnaise. As much as I don't care for extreme usage of Kewpie Mayonnaise, okonomiyaki is the one exception where I crave TONS of mayo. Regardless of their Kewpie mayo skimpyness, for $5, I was pretty happy. I'll bring my own mayo next year.
Like every festival, we were bound to run into blah food. You know, the food that's not only a waste of space, but just a waste of money. The Hokkaido Lamb bowl was really horrible. Dry and gamey is all I can say. The yakisoba was just ok. I'm just not a yakisoba lover, it's actually my least favorite noodle dish. Bleeeechhh!Gaja Okonomiyaki ($5): B
Hokkaido Lamb ($5): G-
Yakisoba ($5): C-
Bridge USA Natsu Matsuri
venue: Torrance Cultural Arts Center
3330 Civic Center Dr
Torrance, CA 90503
*Bridge USA Natsu Matsuri is usually held on the Saturday after 4th of July.
11 comments:
If it wasn't so hot, I could've stayed here longer and hungout w/ the Shin Sen Gumi gangster cooks. That was some good yakitori. As for the okonomiyaki, it was ok - Osaka was way better. Yes, that lamb deserves a G- grade - it was nastier than a 2 live crew album.
Those are some great pictures! The blur effects...I like!
Wish we had something like this down in Orange County. Anyone know?
whoa, my word verification word is yKEWtr! Even your blog is obsessed with Kewpie mayo!
hey oishii...
No Yoshinoya? how could it be authentic, no comprende...
okonomiyaki.... yum... no tako yaki? wassup?
Before all of the Mayo Haters start posting comments, lemme say "I LOVE KEWPIE!" Ok, out of my system.
Those yakitori look oishii yo. Watashi no onakani hairinasai! (Get into my belly!) Too bad about the yakisoba and lamb- I hate it when bad food wastes space in my tummy!
I adore that first photo - so cute!
Sure, I'll play. Taiwan-jin dakara, boku mo nihongo wo hanashimasu. Demo, jouzu ja nai. (Because I'm Taiwanese, I also speak Japanese. But I'm not very good at it.)
In any case, that looks like it was a really fun event. How did you find out about it?
most people known teriyaki or sushi but not all the kikiki whaat ever u wrote, ok. so next time when u write anything about japanese food, do not think that every body who are reading your web know all of the kikiki....love the pictures but not the kikiki....pzvyruhp
D...FREAK NASTY. No lamb for me.
Thanks Christine. I've been having tons of fun vacationing with Photoshop. :) I don't know of any J-Festivals goin on in OC other than the annual Obon festivals. However, Obon festivals are usually ran by and catered to Japanese-Americans not to recent Japanese immigrants like Bridge USA.
Rick James...I only eat Yoshinoya while I'm in Japan. Yoshinoya in the US will never compare. I'm also not a big fan of takoyaki. They were making takoyaki at the festival, but it looked weak.
TAG...I love your Kewpie impulse. I love Kewpie too. Well, I love the doll. But I do appreciate what Kewpie can do to J-dishes. Just not over a pile of plain cabbage...Jeni doesn't fly with Kewpie cabbage. Yakitori wa sugoi oishiikatta! Yakisoba to ramu wa sugoi boo boo (Jeni's hands making a X)!
Thanks Colleen Cuisine. Doraemon makes everyone happy!
Sugoi Chubbypanda-san! Nihongo gambatte! I need to practice too. I only have a couple of friends who speak fluently and casually...:(. No practice is death to my nihongo. Anyways, our friend told us about Bridge USA. His wife is Japanese and I think they read the Bridge USA magazine.
Hi Mom...thanks for commenting again. I know it's you. Anyways, the stuff we ate were yakitori and okonomiyaki...not KIKIKI. Next time I'll write more description of the food so people like you wont' get mad at me for throwing out japanese words. Next time click on the yellow bold words, they usually have a link that will help you find out more about that item. Ok...so stop yelling at me. I love you.
Not sure if this qualifies, but the Mitsuwa in Costa Mesa has festivals now and again. I tried searching for a schedule of events but couldn't find one. I've been to a few this past year, including a Hawaiian festival as well as a Hokkaido food fair. Seems like they have one of these every month, might want to check out the store and see if they have a schedule of events on hand. Though the available foods never looked quite as good as the aforementioned pictures, those yakitori pics are making me hungry! Oishii fo sho!
Hey Sweetal... Keep me posted or email me if anything good is goin on. I like the J scene out in OC...they definitely cater towards the JJ's (Japanese Japanese). Thanks Sweetal!
hehe would anyone no what the name of the magician was that came to the festival? (the japanese one) thankx~!
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