Ikko Restaurant in Torrance, CA
Posted in Ikko Restaurant-Torrance on April 15th, 2008 by BB – Be the first to commentAside from the small cramped quarters inside this dark secluded restaurant, it’s hard to believe it’s located in an unglamourous strip mall adjacent to the bustling traffic of Hawthorne Blvd.
I was introduced to Ikko by some Japanese friends from the area who were taking an equally calculated risk eating here for the first time. Reservations are not required, but they’re certainly helpful as the staff can combine tables for larger groups.
Perhaps Ikko can best be described as a modern izakaya and sushi bar. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it fusion as plenty of menu items don’t typically appeal to the western palate such as marinated octopus suckers or dried salted fish bone appetizers. This is made even more evident by the high prevalence of Japanese clientele.
The regular menu is supplemented by a daily specials attachment, sometimes as thick as 3 or 4 additional pages. While the static menu items are excellent, the truly intriguing dishes are found on the simple printed addition. At the same time, some of these are unfortunately sold out even early in the evening.
Each menu item is presented as a dainty work of art making up a comestible masterpiece.
