The past, deliciously present
AT stylish Yuzu in Torrance, the spirit of washoku, one of the latest buzz words in culinary circles in Japan, emerges as you sit at the gleaming, lacquered counter watching the action in the open, country-style kitchen.
Washoku is a revival of pure Japanese flavors and traditional cooking methods. (Wa is the calligraphic symbol for things indigenous to the Japanese culture). Although everyday Japanese eating has absorbed global influences and a certain fondness for pizza and fast-food, the retro washoku trend has fostered a new appreciation for artisanal ingredients and the minimalist preparation styles that coax out their best flavors.
Chef Kaz Akutsu’s knife glints as he carves the evening’s omakase (chef’s choice) sashimi from whole, wild-caught fish flown in from Tsukiji’s famous Tokyo fish market. Wisps of smoke hover above a heavy ceramic grill sizzling with such meats as crossbred wild and domestic duck, Kurobuta pork and free-range Jidori chicken. Steam rises from bubbling caldrons holding oden, a rustic, brothy stew served only during cool weather months.
On the counter are cruets of marudaizu, whole bean soy sauce, a condiment of deep, richly layered flavors. Tofu connoisseurs love the creamy, slightly bean-y taste of the nigari (bittern) tofu. It’s made daily for the restaurant by a local artisanal shop.
In contrast to the traditional nature of the food, Yuzu’s contemporary design has a sexy, luxe feel. In addition to the robata bar, where diners keep an eye on the grill action, there’s a small, Euro-style wine and sake bar. Textured plaster walls, simple planked floors and wooden slats used as area dividers subtly make reference to the rustic architecture of ryokan, the country inns gourmands love to patronize for their extraordinary food.
Japanese expats are evidently delighted to find true washoku along with extensive, well-annotated lists of sakes, wines and high-end shochus. Regulars -- staid business types in suits and a lively mixture of well-heeled young professionals -- keep the restaurant crowded.
Getting a seat at peak mealtimes takes advanced planning. Although Yuzu is just six months old and secreted away in the difficult-to-find Plaza del Prado in downtown Torrance, it books up quickly so it’s wise to reserve several days in advance.
With the magic phrase “omakase shimasu,” (“Please bring the chef’s choice”) you’ll be served an exquisite meal of what amounts to bar snacks. Japanese bar snacks, however, can sometimes be substantial. A la carte dishes are also small or meant for sharing among two or three people. If you decide on an omakase, discuss your desired price level and number of courses with your server.
The menu, written in English and Japanese, arranges items by their preparation method. A true washoku meal balances dishes from each group. These would include a raw food or salad-y dish, perhaps thinly cut tuna sashimi, and a grilled food such as the lean lamb served with sea salt and fresh wasabi or the honey-marinated Berkshire pork. To that you’d add a long-simmered dish, maybe the braised, minuscule eggplant garnished with mild shishito peppers, and something fried such as Maui onion rings, plump little ground Kobe beef balls on skewers or tempura-fried sweet potato and pumpkin with curry-flavored salt.
Shabu-shabu-style items include crossbred duck or the daily fish selection with vegetables and a tart-salty ponzu dipping sauce that revs up their flavors.
Duck also garnishes a soba dish. The toothsome noodles come in fresh-frozen from Japan as do the house white soba noodles flecked with bitter-tart yuzu zest. The kitchen cooks these pastas, and all its food and broths, in highly filtered water so their delicate flavors come through perfectly.
Even the pickles are unique here. House marinated and cured in rice bran, they’re much fresher that the salt-drenched, commercially made Japanese pickles.
For something on the hearty side, try the oden. Walk over to the steamy pots at the edge of the kitchen and select ingredients to go into your bowl. Among the choices: cabbage leaves rolled around seasoned minced chicken, fish cakes, vegetables and mochi-stuffed tofu.
Although there’s a good quality, daily nigiri sushi selection, Yuzu has so many more unique things to try. And lunch service is limited: a modest selection from the evening menu, several domburi rice bowls, a daily special and a bento.
Yuzu also offers a few beautifully prepared Cal Asian items, but it generally sticks to finding the perfect traditional Japanese ingredients to be deftly and simply presented.
One evening it was suggested we first try our steamed and grilled eel with just a little sea salt or lemon, before adding the housemade tsuru, a sweet-smoky grilling sauce. The snowy white eel meat, sweet and almost nutty tasting, was blissfully satisfying on its own. Drizzling on a thin veil of sauce created the perfect harmony, like adding cream to coffee. That harmony is the essence of washoku, and Kaz Akutsu clearly understands what it takes to create it.
*
Yuzu
Location: 1231 Cabrillo Ave., No. 101, Plaza del Prado, Torrance; (310) 533-9898
Price: Small plates and a la carte dishes, $4.50 to $16.50
Best dishes: Omakase sashimi, honey-marinated Berkshire pork loin, soba with crossbred duck, grilled lamb, foie gras with sweet miso.
Details: Open daily for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Visa and MasterCard. Lot parking under plaza. Beer, wine, sake, shochu.
