Mitsuwa - Japanese Gourmet Fair
Headed over to the Mitsuwa Market flagship and remembered they had their recurring Gourmet Fair.
In recent years, the offerings have gotten more sparse and a bit disappointing… long gone are the days when they would invite various outstanding specialists from Japan (like their early Ramen fairs). But we held out hope there’d be some worthwhile booths to visit.
Yamacho - Hokkaido Seafood
The Yamacho booth featured fresh seafood from Hokkaido. There were prepared foods such as Salted Squid Guts, Hokkaido Herring with Field Mustard, Tsubu Clams with Wasabi, etc.):
They also offered a variety of Fish from Hokkaido for you to take home and cook up:
I really wanted to buy the Gindara Saikyo Miso (Black Cod Marinated in Saikyo Miso), but we had plans for the next few days, and I wasn’t sure how long to cook it for.
Hokkaido Scallops with Wasabi:
We settled on some of their Hokkaido Scallops seasoned with Wasabi. These were plump, bright, tender Hokkaido Scallops, with just enough Wasabi-based Marinade to give it some nice sinus-clearing properties. 
And they were delicious! 
I also really liked their Tako Wasabi (Octopus with Wasabi). They had samples of all of their prepared Seafood offerings.
Amo Chinmi - Hiroshima Fried Fish Cakes
This booth originated from Hiroshima, Japan, and were offering 7 varieties of Fish Cake on a Stick. 
Garlic & Shrimp Fish Cake:
They use Tara (Cod) ground up and mixed with other ingredients. For this one, they grind up Shrimp, Garlic and Tara and then deep fry it.
It was sadly, very chewy and you could barely taste the Shrimp in it. 
However, all of the Fish Cake Sticks were around ~$2.50 - $2.70 so it wasn’t that big of a deal.
Octopus & Ginger Fish Cake:
This was much better, with noticeable chunks of Octopus and a strong Ginger taste to make it stand out from the Tara base. It was still a bit chewy, but more tender than the Shrimp & Garlic.
Koshiyama Kanseido - Ishikawa Japanese Sweets
Koshiyama Kanseido’s booth featured Jonamagashi from Ishikawa, Japan, what they described as “a traditional Japanese sweet eaten with green tea at tea ceremonies. It expresses scenery or season with various colors and shapes. It requires artistry and technical skills, as all pieces are made by hand.”
These were adorable!
We had to buy a few to try.
If you like Anko (Red Bean) fillings, then these sweets are for you. They were soft, pliable, tender, and weren’t overly sweet.
From: June 8 - June 12, 2017
Mitsuwa - Japanese Gourmet Fair
(At Mitsuwa Market)
21515 S. Western Ave.
Torrance, CA 90501
Tel: (310) 782-0335
Oumi Sasaya
Since we were in Torrance already, we decided to try @CiaoBob’s recommended Udon specialist.
Complimentary Chilled Tofu:
This tasted pretty fresh, slightly silken, and was a nice way to start lunch.
Chicken Udon with Green Onion:
A light, delicate Broth, not heavily salted (which is a good thing), with a nice amount of Green Onions to perk things up. The Handmade Udon Noodles had a little bit of chew, but were a bit soft (due to the Broth). Overall, a nice Hot Udon Soup if you were in the mood.
Shrimp & Mochi Tempura with Udon Cold:
But it’s their Chilled Handmade Udon Noodles that shine: Not only is it pretty to look at, but the “al dente” quality of the Noodles remain intact in this cooled dish. There’s a real nice mouthfeel and chew, and the Dashi-based Sauce provided to pour over was just the right amount of salinity.
And the inclusion of Ground Daikon and Ume Plum makes it really refreshing when mixed together!
The Shrimp and Mochi Tempura were nicely fried (not too oily), and had a slight crunchy exterior. Definitely some of the best Handmade Udon we’ve had locally. Thanks @CiaoBob!
Oumi Sasaya
2383 Lomita Blvd., Unit 101
Lomita, CA 90717
Tel: (310) 530-4661