Shrimp By You

This restaurant has been in this little corner of a strip mall for some time now. When Sandi and I first went a couple of years ago, we ordered shrimp, but they were served with their shells on. Neither of us is a fan of peeling shrimp; it takes away from our eating pleasure. So, we asked if they would peel them for us, and they did. Some people think that is all part of the fun; to each his own!

We started going back for their Happy Hour Taco Tuesdays. Tacos are $2.00 each, and a glass of red wine is $5.00. What's not to like? We have tried some of the tacos; by far, the best are the Shrimp and Fish. We also like their French Fries, which go well with the tacos. 

When we first started going, we would only order two tacos, but later, Zohreh and I decided that four was the magic number. It's the perfect place to go after an early movie. We met the owner, Juan Gonzalez, who is hands-on and ensures everything is well done. Our favorite server and always cheerful, Carina, is part of our gang. We admire her beautiful, long nails, and she swears they never get in the way.

Shrimp By You is located at 2755 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Suite A in Torrance, California.

Crème de la Crêpe

This year, for Zohreh's birthday, her husband Mike invited Sugar and me to join their family in celebrating his wife's birthday.

We enjoyed Truffle Fries, Filet MignonTartare, and Tuna Tartare for appetizers. The French bread with butter was, as always, outstanding. I neglected to take photos of the fries and the tuna from my excitement when the truffle fries arrived.

We were a party of ten. Mike ordered the Beef Filet Mignon with peppercorn sauce, served with their delicious potato gratin. The birthday girl had the Sole with slivered almonds, etc., served with risotto over arugula. I had the beef bourguignon in red wine and wonderful mashed potatoes and so did Amir.

Sugar had her favorite Vegetable Quiche with salad on the side. Leyla ordered the St. Pierre Crêpe with crab meat, shrimp, tomato, bell pepper, and jack cheese. Jaime had the Hamburger with fries, and Nika had the Chicken Burger with bacon. Ayana had the Pesto Fettuccini with shrimp, and Philip had a Burger.

Joelle brought Zohreh a special dessert with fireworks! Numerous desserts were ordered, including a Coffee Lover's dessert with espresso, coffee ice cream, and coffee macaron. Sandi's worst nightmare). Someone ordered a Raspberry sorbet, vanilla ice cream, and their famous Chocolate Cake, which was divine! 

I had the best dessert, the Crêpe Suzette, which I truly enjoyed. 

The evening was outstanding, with superior service. Joelle and Mateo made sure of it!

Crème de la Crêpe is located at 550 Deep Valley Dr., Suite 145, in Rolling Hills Estates, California.

Marugame Udon Japanese Noodles & Tempura

I finally got to try the food at Marugame Udon. My friend Carrie asked me if I wanted to accompany her to the nearest location, which is in Torrance. I immediately said: YES!

It was exciting to see that this location was close by. When we arrived, it was past lunchtime and too early for dinner, so it was empty. We studied the menu on the board, though we had already decided to get their specialty, Nikutama Udon, served with sweet beef, scallions, egg, and tempura flakes! It was nice to see the Udon being cooked fresh. 

After we ordered the Udon of our choice, we could choose several items to accompany our udon bowl. They had shrimp, squid, chicken tempura, and chicken katsu. In addition to these, they also offer some rice bowls.

Carrie and I really enjoyed our Nikutama Udon. Next time, I would like to try the curry nikutama and perhaps a few more shrimp tempuras, which are light and delicious.

Marugame Udon is at the restaurant row on the corner of Torrance Blvd. and Hawthorne in Torrance, California. They have numerous locations in California, Hawaii, Texas and Washington.