Lee L.
Yelp
When you make a spur-of-the-moment trip to LA and have unplanned visit with old friends, of course you're going to want to enjoy a good meal together. Our friends suggested Taisho, and we're never going to turn down izakaya, although there is often quite a bit of variability in menu options and quality. But Taisho did not disappoint.
Normally I delve into the food first and comment on the dining experience later, but I'll mix things up a little here. The service during our visit was outstanding and certainly made for a exceptionally pleasant meal. A special shout-out goes to our server, Sarah P, who guided us through the menu, made helpful suggestions with regard to dishes and quantity, and checked in with us frequently throughout the meal. Another person, whom I presume to be the owner, also stopped by our table to make sure that we were happy. Our food came out at a relaxed pace, and we didn't feel rushed even though the restaurant was very busy by the time we finished.
Anyway, back to the regular programming. We had an early reservation (5:30) on a Saturday afternoon because we had to make our way to our hotel before going to a play later in the evening (which was the original reason for our sudden flight down from San Francisco). It hadn't gotten busy yet, but within half an hour every table was filled. We were given plenty of time to consider the multitude of choices, and with Sarah's assistance we settled on a selection of dishes and drinks.
Brussels sprouts chips - unlike other Brussels sprouts dishes, these weren't whole sprouts. Rather, they peeled off the leaves and fried them in a truffle oil. Every leaf was crisp and perfect. It was a great start to the dinner.
Cucumber Sunomono - the menu describes this a cucumber kimchee and so I was expecting a little more heat, but it was actually relatively mild. It seemed to be more of a pickle, but was still very much enjoyed.
Yellowtail serrano sashimi - thin slices of hamachi in a yuzu sauce topped with serrano peppers. A lovely combination of sweet and heat.
Avocado crispy rice - cubes of deep fried rice topped with avocado. This was just a bit of a miss for me, as the rice wasn't as crunchy as I would have expected and the avocado resembled a guacamole, which felt a little out of place here. But I will say that the avocado was very delicious.
Ribeye wrapped asparagus - the asparagus spears were still crisp, not overcooked, and the ribeye was tender and easy to bite through. It's made in a soy and mirin sauce, which was a pleasant balance of salty and sweet.
Miso eggplant - okay, I am not an eggplant eater. I don't like the texture. But I did try several pieces, and actually liked it, which is saying a lot for me.
Tempura cauliflower - bite-sized pieces of cauliflower in a slightly spicy miso sauce. One of my favorite dishes of the meal.
Kurobuta pork belly fried rice - Another meal highlight. This was a surprisingly generous dish for an izakaya restaurant. The pork belly was incredible, but you have to appreciate (and be willing to eat) a pretty fatty meat. The pork flavor was intense and the fat melted like butter in your mouth. Normally it comes with a runny egg topping, but because of some food preferences at our table it was made with scrambled eggs, so there was an additional textural element that was lost. Nevertheless, it was an excellent dish.
Salmon truffle roll - a spicy tuna roll topped with salmon and truffle ponzu glaze. Personally, I would have preferred a tuna roll with intact pieces of tuna; the spicy tuna filling was chopped into pieces as is typically done. Having said that, it was still very tasty even though I would have appreciated a different texture.
Various robatayaki - for lack of a better analogy, this is like Japanese shish-kebab. We tried four of their offerings. The seabass was very good with a clean flavor but was maybe left on the grill a bit too long. The Wagyu short ribs were excellent - rich in flavor and perfect in texture (which is what I'd expect for $55). The pork belly was good, but in comparison to the Kurobuta pork belly it was almost a bit of a letdown. The chicken meatball was also very good.
Butter cake with ice cream and strawberries - I have to ask: does anyone actually eat this all by themselves? Not because it's large, but because it is so incredibly buttery and dense (in a good way). Seriously, I think there was a whole stick of butter in that one piece that we shared among the four of us. Normally I'm happy to eat the last bites, but I had to push this away.
Whew. That was a good meal, and was exactly the right amount of food (thanks again, Sarah). If there was one criticism, it would be that they could dial back the salt just a bit in all their dishes.
With a few drinks, tax, and tip, the total cost came to just over $100 per person, which was less than I had expected for a meal of this quality. A wonderful experience; I'm looking forward to our next visit.
