Zoku

Ante and Edna were in our area and wanted an early dinner somewhere good. I gave it some thought, and Zoku popped into my mind in a matter of seconds!

Ante asked for suggestions, which I gladly gave. He ended up ordering them and then some. We started with Ebi: Giant Shrimp with butter shoyu, followed by the Wagyu Beef with apple steak sauce. I have had both previously, and they were just as delicious as I remembered. 

We all loved the Giant Ebi Mayo, Rock Shrimp Tempura with sweet mayo. Teba, chicken wings, were tasty, but too much work for me, and did not have much meat. Since Edna does not care for spicy food, her husband Ante thoughtfully ordered the non-spicy Zoku Karaage, Japanese fried chicken with "Chick-fil-A" mayo.

Ante wanted to try their A5 Wagyu, so we ordered that to compare to the regular, and it did not disappoint. There were other chicken skewers on the menu, so we tried several of them, including the Chicken Meatball, which was not a ball but on a stick.

The Zoku Salad was terrific. It's a Japanese-style Caesar with chicken breast and a miso dressing. We saved the best for last, in my opinion. Their signature dish is the Spicy Karaage: Japanese fried chicken in bamboo charcoal sauce with red arako and cilantro. It is quite spicy, so beer or sake is best to tone down the spiciness.

Though we were all full, we had to try Yui's desserts. The Macha Brûlée and Strawberry Cheesecake. Both were very good. 

We thank Ante and Edna for the gracious invitation and wonderful company. 

Zoku is at 261 Avenida del Norte in Redondo Beach, California.