Asakuma Rice...a serendipitous evening

848 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(310)652-7780
Sun-Thur 11:30AM-10PM
Fri-Sat 11:30AM-11PM

Don't you just love when serendipity happens? When I was little I was told a story in second grade about serendipity. A child had lost a toy and went looking all over their home for it. In the process of the search he found much more than he was looking for and though he found the toy in the end, he realized that all the things he found in the process were just as fun if not more fun than his lost toy. I went in search of Vito's Pizza and found Asakuma Rice (their website is down at the moment so here's the menu to help as well) a couple of doors right next door. When I got to the parking lot something inside changed my appetite from pizza to Japanese so it was decided by destiny.

Rice (the chain of Chinese food restaurants) used to be in this exact spot now held by Asakuma Rice. From what I'm aware of, it's associated with Rice, but Rice is Chinese and Asakuma Rice is more of a mix of Japanese and Chinese cuisine. Knowing that I try to stay away from chains, this is an okay exception due to the fact that I think this is the only Asakuma Rice, though it may be associated with Rice. The inside even seems more Japanese than it's Chinese counterpart (though you can't see it, to the right of the picture is also their sushi bar).

Celeste and I popped down and were greeted by one of the happiest, friendliest waiters I've ever had the pleasure of having been waited on. Imagine if the town of Stepford branched out from just wives and started making wait staff as well... that's what you'd get. We started out with their steamed won tons (we ordered for them to be spicy and the sauce they blended was a perfect mixture for us). Great texture and very full flavored won tons. The bed of spinach it rested on was complimetary to each won ton bite and perfect for soaking up the sauce. I'd totally order these again.

Being that this was Asakuma and not just plain Rice, I ordered one of the Asakuma specials. I got the Marinated Black Cod with Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura which came with rice and Sunomono. Let me start with the sunomono which was crisp and extremely fresh tasting. Not too extreme on the vinegar base. I'd also like to add that I never had sunomo with noodles in it. Usually it's just the cucumber mostly. The noodles were a nice touch and quite unexpected. It was a good way to round out such a simple side.

The tempura was great. Just on the edge of doughy but not reaching it. I liked how they gave me plenty of it as well. Some places only give like three or four pieces sometimes, so this too was a pleasant surprise.

And the Black Cod, just a lovely piece of fish. It was so incredibly tender, but not "fall apart" tender. It was firm how a good piece of fish should be. The slightly orange flavored sauce was amazing. Please don't discount it cause I called it orange sauce because it was actually so much more than that. It was just a divine main course crowned by this piece of cod.

Celeste had the Kung Pao Shrimp and chose brown rice to accompany it(which was moist, not dry and in need of sauce). The shrimp were cooked just right, they were firm but tender(there are few things worse than dry, chewy, overcooked shrimp). The vegetables were very good as well, but what made this dish snap were the peanuts. I don't know whether they were or not, but they tasted and looked like those big toasty Virginia Peanuts, and oh the difference it made. Such a simple way of making a traditional dish stand out from the competition!(and we know, cause it's one of her favorites)

We finished off with Mochi, mainly because it was noted on the menu that they get theirs from some special vendor in Hawaii. Now I wouldn't say they were any better or worse than other mochi we've had, but the texture was a bit different, which was a nice change of pace. What made this dessert worth a recommendation though was the fresh fruit and fried wonton strips with caramel sauce. Yum!

Going back to serendipity. I am never all that surprised anymore when I find a place worthy of being written about. In LA you rarely have to go too far to find someplace worth eating at. Sometimes I like to think that Los Angeles Magazine looks at my page when I find that recent issues have places I've recently covered in the last month or two in it and they've labeled them as new listings on their restaurant roster. Makes me feel like I'm helping out in a weird way. If I am "helping out" feel free to give me a mention. I'd love the nod from you guys.

Free Drink Refills: Yes
Entree Price Range:$7 to $12

Kung Pao Bistro

7853 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90046
Sun-Thurs 11AM-10:30PM
Fri-Sat 11AM-11:30PM

I am attacking this little post with great ferocity. Kung Pao Bistro, though a small chain (a third one is supposed to be opening soon) is worth a post for a couple reasons.

1) Obviously the food is worth a mention. It's pretty healthy...meaning healthier then most Asian spots. We started our meal with their spicy wontons that were more like huge dumplings mixed in a spicy chili sauce with spinach...very tasty. We then noticed that we could get half orders of quite a few of their dishes. For you our readers (and for our pockets) we ordered 3 half dishes to get the most of our dining experience. Orange Chicken, Moo Shu vegetable, and Kung Pao Shrimp came out quickly and with a smile. The half sizes were very good size. In fact they were so big that we kept on thinking they didn't hear us when we ordered the half size and brought out the full size by mistake...not so. One thing, if you get the Moo Shu, tell them not to stuff the crepes totally and to leave some on the side...yes there was that much. I would recommend going there and eating family style where you all share, cause the half sizes were plenty. Everything tasted fresh and you felt good afterwards (unlike many Asian meals where you feel like you ate a lot of oil).

2) The price was super cheap when you eat the half orders. Once again I would highly recommend this.

3) Parking is great there due to the fact that it shares the same parking with Whole Foods.

4) This location is great...it's in the middle of a lot of shopping areas (walking Santa Monica boulevard) and is just outside enough that you don't feel cramped in getting to where ever you're trying to get to.

The place is healthy and has a good vibe and when we went we saw a bunch of actors just eating and talking shop and the staff really didn't seem to mind them just kind of camping and taking there time. I may bring a tent next time I want some local Asian food.

Free Drink Refills: Yes
Entree Price Range:half plate average about $6 to $8 while regular plates and specialties $9 to $13