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Thanks for the report @Chowseeker1999, I was tempted to try this place but keep getting lured back to inaba when I’m in the area and wasn’t sure it was worth the drive when raku is so much closer. I’ll have to give it a try one day. Do they offer more than one type of sashimi?
How does their battera compare with inaba’s?
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Oh man, another secret joint of mine… outed!
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Hi @PorkyBelly,
Thanks. 
Yah, overall Raku is more enjoyable, but there are things at Hachi that make it standout in its own way.
Yes, they offered 5 types on our visit. We would’ve tried other ones, but being our first time, we wanted to make sure it was safe. 
They had:
- Madai (Red Snapper) from Kumamoto, Japan.
- Bachi Maguro (Big Eye Tuna) from Hawaii, USA.
- Nama Tako (Octopus) from Hokkaido, Japan.
- Kanpachi (Amberjack) from Kagoshima, Japan.
- Salmon from Norway.
For Battera, I think we tried the Battera at Inaba once a long time ago (when we first heard about it on our old board). But I forgot to order it the last time we went, so it’s been too long. 
But thanks for the reminder! I “guess” I’ll just have to go back to Inaba and try the Battera to compare (along with the Tempura menu).
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Hi @J_L,
! You need to share the love on your secret places! 
Do they still have the pork broth shabu shabu?
Hi @BlurA14,
Yes. They still have the 2 Shabu Shabu choices (Beef Offal or various Pork cuts), but it was 90+ degrees that day, and even inside, the A/C wasn’t very strong (it was warm), so we’ll wait until it cools down before we try the Shabu Shabu. 
They are both very good. The Shizuku Shibori is also very enjoyable and I think you will like it as much if not a bit more
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Thanks @beefnoguy.
Interestingly, the Shizuku is 200% of the price of the Kansansui, but I’ll definitely keep it in mind for next visit. Thanks.
Thanks for your report!!
I was so excited to try their signature tongue when I went to Manpuku in West LA but they didn’t have it at lunch.
Food was good but not worth returning for their very limited lunch menu. Think we had their kobe preset menu.
Thanks @Xochitl.
I haven’t been to Manpuku in years, so I don’t quite remember my last visit, but thanks for your report.
If you’re down in the South Bay and feel like an Izakaya, maybe give Hachi a try and let us know how it went. The Beef Tongue was definitely a standout.
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Looks like a new Manpuku is opening close to the Beverly Center on 3rd St.
I hope it’s more like Hachi than the Sawtelle Manpuku, not that I necessarily mind the latter.
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Agree – Manpuku Sawtelle is pretty good, but lacks some of the more refined/specialized dishes at Hatchi Torrance.
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The salmon battera was really good. The rice is slightly warm and they sear the salmon for a slight smoked dimension. The heat of the warm rice from underneath and dear on the top gives the salmon a very nice melts texture. The wasabi relish? that comes on the side really gave this dish another great flavor. Best dish I had at Hachi.
Salmon battera 
(also pictured grilled pork cheek) - pork cheek was too salty
Octopus salad - really nice start
Japanese red snapper - really good, lovely shoyu, wish they served fresh wasabi
Mackerel battera - decent, too sweet for my tastes and a strong vinegar taste, texture was fantastic though
Salmon onigiri and spicy cod roe onigiri - rice was perfect, the spicy cod roe was really good and the quality and cook of the rice really makes the dish
Beef tongue​:heart_eyes: - tender, beefy and cooked perfectly, just look at that beef tongue
Dashimaki tamago - tasty but a tad too sweet
Chicken meatball and some other one - excellent grind on the meatball and quality chicken
Crispy shrimp
Beef intestine - too sweet, too salty andnot much intestine flavor
Overall, I would come back. Raku is still first choice but Hachi is a nice alternative. Apologies for the sideways pictures.
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Hi @A5KOBE,
Thanks for the report. Yah I agree with you about Raku over Hachi, but that’s awesome that they had Salmon Battera(!) on your visit, and that it was even better than their usual Mackerel Battera. I’ll be keeping an eye out for that next time.
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I went to the Costa Mesa location, so maybe they have different menus? I didn’t see any kamameshi on the menu at Costa Mesa so…perhaps the salmon battera is exclusive to Costa Mesa? I have no idea.
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we had a very good dinner at the costa mesa location of izakaya hachi in december. some service issues but the food was all very tasty, some it excellent (the whole squid, the chicken thigh, the duck breast, the shrimp tempura udon). we’ll be back on future trips–though maybe we’ll give the torrance location a look next time (they are more or less equidistant from us in seal beach)
a full report with pictures went up on the blog today for those who care to look.
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