Little Tokyo
If you want
to get a small taste of Japan, Little Tokyo or Torrance is the place to be. I
have never been to Torrance except to pass through to get from point A to B. But
one of these days, I would like to check it out. For now, Little Tokyo will
have to do. It is an area in downtown Los Angeles with everything
Japanese—hotels, apartment buildings, Japanese garden, knickknack shops,
interesting stores, cafes, bakeries, a few small grocery stores and plenty of
restaurants.I have been here many times, including during Covid, when this
once lively place was dead. Many owners had closed shop, waiting for life to
get back to normal. Where there was once a wishing tree, there was just a plain
sad looking one, and retailers looked unhappy.Nowadays, things are back to
normal, and the Tokyo Village is again crowded and lively on weekends. If you
don’t like crowds, come during the week or in the evening. I don’t enjoy places
that are too crowded, but I was so happy to see this area full of life and
hustle and bustle, just the way it used to be. The photos you will see in this
blog are from various occasions that I’ve been here. One of my favorite place
at the Tokyo village is Café Dulce. This is the place where Tessa, the protagonist in The American Outsider, orders her salad. Come early or you will see people lining up
outside.From Sandwiches to Salads to sweets and drinks, nothing will
disappoint because the quality of the food is great. I usually get a Caprese
sandwich which comes with a salad. Sometimes I have a green tea custard doughnut
with a latte or a blueberry matcha drink. It’s best to eat your food here,
because the sandwich can get soggy by the time you take it home, the doughnut will
no longer be fresh out of the oven, and the latte is much better when you drink
it out of their ceramic cup. At the time I took the above picture, they were
still in covid mode, and used paper plates and cups. They will still try
to do it this way, so make sure that you ask them to use real plates and
cups. Also, take your friends with you, and share a bunch of stuff, since it’s
not everyday that you will come here.So, here is the wishing tree that I talk about
in my book. Tessa made a wish and tied it to this Tree,
and Toshiro came here later and read her wish, not realizing that she was the one
who had written it. Do go ahead and write your wish on a strip of paper, and
tie it to the tree. Who knows? It may just come true…There is a small grocery
store, Nijiya Market, that sells Japanese products. One time I bought a bag full of
Japanese curly cucumbers here and ate the entire thing in one sitting. It was
so good, but I haven’t been able to find ones like it since. When I was a
kid in Tehran, my mom would buy them at the market. They are delicious, but not
so easy to find.Anyway, I ended up buying a few things here—cucumber and
matcha cookies which were meh, but the chips and the mushrooms were yum.The wholefoods near me used to carry these mushrooms, but I can't find them there anymore. So, I usually end up getting them at an Asian supermarket.
I ended up making a quick vegan Miso mushroom soup, the "Persian" way, because I added tumeric. Iranians eat everything with tumeric. I
added onion, garlic, tumeric, ginger, Miso, Chinese noodles (I really
like the brand you see in the photo, and I get it at wholefoods. It makes
the soup tastes just like a ramen soup), organic tofu, sesame seed oil, and water. Bring the water to a boil, and lower to a simmer for five minutes, add the noodles, wait a few minutes, stir to break the noodles apart and it's ready to eat. They came out pretty good.
This gentleman's name is Arthur Nakane, and he has been singing at the Tokyo Village for many
years. He is kind and sweet. You can google his name and learn more about him.
One time I put some money in his basket, and he wanted to have a full-on
conversation with me on his microphone, announce my name, tell everyone where I
was from, and sing a song for me. I was not comfortable doing that, and so I
just nodded at him, shook my head no, and walked away.Long ago, I was at this
Revolving Sushi place with my nieces. The food is just okay. If you have never
been to one, it’s worth a try at least once, because it’s a different
experience. People line up outside, and sometimes the wait can be more than 30
minutes.The above places are two different restaurants in one space—Chinchikurin, and Takoyaki Tanota. I don’t eat Takoyaki because I like octopuses, and
they’re quite intelligent. But a lot of people sit behind a bar here, and eat
them. I once asked them if they make a vegan or a vegetarian one, they said no.
However, I have ordered vegetarian okonomiyaki from Chinchikurin in the past. But again, it is best if you eat it
there. They can either make it and serve it to you at one of the tables inside,
or you can sit behind the kitchen bar and watch the chef make it for you.
Another option is to sit outside, and they give you the ingredients, and you
can make it on the grill yourself.Once you walk away from the Tokyo village,
there are other things you could do. There is a hidden pretty garden, the James Irvine Japanese garden at the Japanese American Cultural and community center
which is a nice getaway from the crowds. If they’re having a private event, you
may only be allowed to see it from the outside. You may want to call them
before you go.I like museums because it is a reminder to me that history repeats itself, even when governments around the world claim that they are "progressive." The essence of politicians do not change as they make poor decisions, bringing harm to civilians. Here is the Japanese American National Museum in the area, highly recommended. It's truly
informative about World War II and the placement of the Japanese population in
the concentration camps. There is an area where you can get a glimpse of the
conditions under which they lived.I was here twice. The first time I visited
the permanent collection which I really enjoyed. It felt so real that I was
able to feel their pain and hardship.The second time, there was an exhibit
showcasing the work of Miné Okubo, an amazing writer and artist. In 1984, She
wrote a book, Citizen 13660, about her experiences, and living under
appalling living conditions during World War II.Weller Court is another area
in Little Tokyo where a variety of eateries, and the Marukai market is
located. It’s quieter than Tokyo Village, feels more relaxed, and has shady
areas to stretch your legs.I wanted to check out the Marukai market to see if
I can find Inari sushi. This is one of my favorite Japanese foods. A lot of
people have no idea what this is. Inari is Tofu skin with a slightly sweet
taste wrapped around sushi rice. Not many places sell it. I used to get it at
one of the restaurants I frequented in Little Tokyo, but they no longer make
it. I was surprised to find it here. They were tasty, but not as good as the
ones I used to buy at the restaurant. Nevertheless, the store employee who
helped me find it, told me that these sell out fast. Another item I was looking
for were the frozen wafers which I had tried once long ago. They are hard to
find, and I haven’t seen them anywhere else. The Strawberry one comes with a
layer of white chocolate. But if you’re like me, you will absolutely love the
chocolate one with a dark chocolate layer. So, there you have it. My tour of
Little Tokyo. Maybe at another point in time, I will cover the Torrance
Japanese areas.
