Kagura Torrance

"Many know tonkatsu, or Japanese fried pork cutlet, from its stint accompanying curry or served at those broadly Asian restaurants whose names often sound like they were ripped from a generator. But at Kagura, tonkatsu isn’t just some dish on the menu—it’s the dish on the menu. The chill Torrance izakaya specializes in it, from premium filets to leaner loin cuts smothered in cheese, and serves them alongside an elegant tray of rice, miso soup, and salad. The star of the show here is their signature millefeuille. Made in the style of the French pastry, fatty slices of pork are folded and layered on top of one another, then deep-fried, resulting in a dish that’s juicy inside and fantastically crispy outside." - brant cox, nikko duren, kat hong, garrett snyder, sylvio martins

"You’ll find a decent plate of tonkatsu on the menu at a bunch of Japanese spots in Torrance, but those fried pork cutlets are the focus at Kagura. This laidback izakaya specializes in everything from premium filets to leaner loin cuts smothered in cheese (all of which pair very well with beer), and serves it alongside an elegant tray of rice, miso soup, and salad. But the star of the show here is their signature millefeuille katsu, made with fatty slices of black pork folded and layered on top of one another. The color reminds us of what we imagine the contents of Meryl Streep’s trophy case look like: brilliantly golden. " - nikko duren, garrett snyder

"This quiet, almost zen-like izakaya in Torrance specializes in tonkatsu. Specifically, the millefeuille—the name is taken from the French pastry, and is similarly prepared, with thick, fatty slices of pork being folded and layered on top of each other again and again like the mattresses in The Princess And The Pea. What results is a deep-fried behemoth, a dish that’s soft and juicy on the inside, and fantastically crispy on the out, paired with an elegant tray of rice, miso soup, and salad." - sylvio martins, brant cox, kat hong, nikko duren

"This upscale Japanese restaurant is perfect for a date or an important meeting in the South Bay; the service and ambiance are definitely nicer than other strip mall spots. The star of the menu is the donkatsu, a deep-fried pork chop sliced and served with vegetables, rice, and a savory sweet sesame sauce. Kagura has a second location in El Segundo and a more casual takeout-only outlet at the Tokyo Central Market in Gardena." - Matthew Kang

"Many know tonkatsu, or Japanese fried pork cutlet, from its stint accompanying curry or served at those broadly Asian restaurants whose names often sound like they were ripped from a generator. But at Kagura, tonkatsu isn’t just some dish on the menu - it’s the dish on the menu. The chill, quiet Torrance izakaya specializes in the deep-fried pork cutlet, from premium filets to leaner loin cuts smothered in cheese (all of which pair very well with beer), and serve them alongside an elegant tray of rice, miso soup, and salad. But the star of the show here is their signature millefeuille. Made in the style of the French pastry, fatty slices of black pork are folded and layered on top of one another, then battered and deep-fried, resulting in a dish that’s soft and juicy on the inside, and fantastically crispy on the outside. The color reminds us of what we imagine the contents of Meryl Streep’s trophy case to look like - brilliantly golden." - kat hong