Every time I went to Izaka-ya by Katsu-ya it was always the same thing...a bottle of Kikusui, Miso Soup, Edamame, Popcorn Shrimp Appetizer, Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna and a Baked Crab Handroll. Never even looked at the menu.
Don’t get me wrong, sushi is a personal experience and to each his own. I mean some people still won’t have anything but a California Roll. Side note: Don’t be one of those people.
It was like clockwork and it was delicious but it is nothing compared to the experience we have at Izaka-ya now.
I work less than a mile from Izaka-ya on 3rd Street but for me, nothing tops Izaka-ya Manhattan Beach and my girl and boss lady Miki San is well worth the trip. There is just something about the way she particularly makes the sushi. Just tastes better.
So again we find ourselves ordering without a menu but this time and every time we go we’re in sushi heaven.
First things first, a bottle of chilled Kikusui. That has remained consistent and will most likely never change. If you are still drinking hot sake, you are doing it all wrong. Alllll wrong. Ki-Ku-Sue-Ee. Practice it. Order it. You will love it.
And now the fun part. Nigiri Sushi. We always ask what fish they recommend for the night in case they have anything special like Ono, which they literally only offer a week a year, but for the most part we know what we love and can’t get enough.
The picture features some of my favorites but I’ve listed a few others as well in case you are feeling adventurous:
Sweet Shrimp (back row) - Not gonna lie, we really order the Sweet Shrimp for the crispy shrimp head that comes after the rest of the sushi. Drizzle it with a little lemon and you can pop the entire thing in your mouth, eyes and all. it’s like a little Sweet Shrimp dessert.
Spanish Mackerel (far right) - We usually order about 4-5 different types of sushi and let Miki San pick another 1 or 2 that she thinks we would love and the Spanish Mackerel is the perfect fish to have as your middle course. It's lemony, zesty and very clean. Tees us up perfectly for the fatty fish.
Toro (far left) - The word Toro itself means “to melt” and that is exactly what it does. We used to always and I mean always end our Nigiri portion of the meal with Toro because you literally would chew one to two times and it’s dissolved. It’s since been overthrown by my all-time favorite but it is still a close second.
Albacore Belly (middle) - Ohhhh Albacore Belly...I can eat you all day every day. It is pure heaven. Simple, clean and...sigh...pretty much butter in the form of fish. You are perfection.
Not pictured:
Golden Eye Snapper (Kinme) - Smoky flavor on the front. Sweet on the back.
Black Sea Bream (Kurodai) - Great palette cleanser. Sea salt on top.
Salmon Belly - Like Salmon but better.
If you have any other sushi that you love share it with me. Always looking to try new things.
Another shout out to Miki San, the sushi queen and our girl Christiana. You guys are the best!














