Torrance Yokocho

My brother and friend Milena, aka Ms.Gourmet, alerted me to this recently opened restaurant in Torrance. They wanted me to try it and report back so that the Santa Monica and Glendale friends would eagerly make the trip to Torrance. 

They do not take walk-ins, so I made reservations for Sandi and me after church last Saturday. I was excited, as the inside was quaint and indeed reminded me of the alleyways in Japan, with red lanterns and all, hence the name Yokocho.

We had a nice semi-private booth with curtains. A server came later to inform us that there was no paper menu. There was a screen at the end of the table, and we could place our order there or scan the QR code, which we were not fans of. We decided to scan so we could view the menu on our phones. My phone would not cooperate, so I asked our server to do it for me. He tried several times before it worked, so I didn't feel bad. 

We first had to decide what to drink. I ordered an Asahi beer, and Sandi had the Shikuwasa Citrus Chu-hi, which was very good and refreshing. 

We both wanted to try their Shrimp Tempura. In addition, we ordered the Pork Shu-mai  and Maru Gyoza (homemade dumplings). Sandi wanted French fries, so we ordered them as well. We were curious if that was enough, so we ordered the Harami Steak, as the picture looked good.

The Shrimp Tempura was excellent. It was very light, crisp, and delicious. The Shu-mai was delightful. The Gyoya was the best I've had. Usually, they all taste the same, but this was crispy outside and cooked to perfection. It was not doughy like most gyozas. We were pleasantly surprised with the fries, as they were much better than they looked. 

The Haru Steak came last, and unfortunately, it was disappointing. We did not expect it to be a filet mignon, but we expected it to be reasonably tender and easily chewed. Sandi and I loved the flavor, but I couldn't eat anymore after one bite as it was hard to chew. Mind you, I don't have dentures and still have my set of teeth. It was hard to get a server's attention inside this cozy little cove, so I had to open the curtains and call one of the servers. I explained that we could not eat the steak as it was unchewable. He said he would let the chef know, but nothing happened. Later, someone asked if we wanted to take it home, and I said I already informed a server that we could not eat it. I suggested they have the chef try to see if it was edible to him. The server said she would relay the message to the manager. She later came and asked if we wanted another order. I figured the meat was not tender, so there was no sense in ordering it again. Sandi and I ordered 4 more pieces of the Shrimp Tempura. We were then happy once more. 

I later read reviews online, and read that some thought the steak was "a bit tough"; ours was more than a bit. One item not being good is not enough for us not to return. Their Ramen looked good, so we have to go back and try those, along with other items on the menu.

Torrance Yokocho is located at 2589 Pacific Coast Hwy. in Torrance, California. They are closed on Sundays, open for dinner at 6pm but on weekends, they open at 5pm. They close at midnight!