tengu

i was really glad when mel mentioned that she hadn’t been to tengu yet, b/c it’s one of my absolute *favorite* places in the neighborhood. and i absolutely *love* taking people there. if it weren’t as pricey as it was, i’d totally consider eating there ALL the time. but alas, one can only do so much on a poor grad student budget. (IIPE)

seeing as how mel had *just* finished her dissertation, i thought she deserved to treat herself to a nice fancy meal. and seeing as how i could get 1000 points on open table (!!), we made an early dinner reservation for a weeknight. i must admit to enjoying early dinners, especially since there are fewer customers making me feel claustrophobic. and with fewer customers to wait on, the staff gives you much more attention, and the kitchen gives your food much more attention. plus, i’m a firm believer in giving you and your food as much time as possible to digest before bed. i mean, who hasn’t passed out on a full stomach and felt totally gross the next day? (if you say yes, you’re lying. otherwise, you’re really young and/or have total self-control, neither of which makes me want to converse with you any further.)

as the hostess escorted us in, she shouted out something in japanese, and all the chefs at the sushi bar shouted something back in unison. i must admit to having *no* idea what they said, but it was totally cool. i’ve heard it before at musha down in santa monica, and i believe eri said it was some sort of greeting, but even *she* couldn’t really make it out. i guess i’ll just have to ask next time. *sigh* at any rate, they did the greeting every time a new party entered the room and it made the whole experience *very* authentic (whatever the heck that means these days).

even though i was stuffed from lunch at the faculty center (!!), i wanted to make sure mel had the full tengu experience. so we ordered a whole bunch of different dishes to try. (i know, i’m such a martyr.) we ordered the kurama yama (since i don’t like rice), the avocado and grapefruit salad (citrus sounded nice), and the filet-wrapped asparagus (b/c mel found that super appealing online). we also decided to keep one of the menus in case we weren’t full from our three dishes (which is always a good idea when you’re eating tapas-style).

as the dishes rolled onto the table, i couldn’t help partaking, even though i was seriously uber full. the kurama yama was delicious. (btw, even though i love the soy paper, i always find it a little bizarre. i mean, how did anyone think to come up with that? a serious culinary innovation, i tell you.) i love any sort of contrast b/w temperatures and textures and flavors. so i loved the contrast b/w the slightly warm and crispy shrimp tempura and the slightly chilly and mushy spicy tuna. and the soy paper just kept it all together.

the avocado and grapefruit salad was a bit acidic for me, but definitely helpful after a bite of filet-wrapped asparagus. while it was yummy, i gave mel free reign to enjoy the bulk of the beef, especially since i’ve been eating less and less red meat over the last few years. i suppose being vegetarian for a month shifted me even further away from my prior bovine tendencies. but it’s not that i don’t enjoy the beef, it’s just that it weighs down a bit more in my tummy. so i only have it a little at a time – and rarely at that. needless to say, mel was a bit shocked, though that simply meant more beef for her.

seeing that she was still hungry, we decided to order the coconut shrimp as well. which was definitely the best decision, since that was the best dish of the night (from my perspective at least). after finding the shrimp tempura in the kurama yama quite delish, we decided to get another shrimp dish. even though (and maybe because) coconut shrimp is so typical, we decided to test it out here. and i was happily surprised b/c this was one of the most well-done coconut shrimp dishes i’ve ever had. granted, i’m pretty much comparing it to my most recent panda express coconut shrimp experience, but still! the shrimp was jumbo-sized and nicely butterflied (do we not love how that rhymes?). they were perfectly covered in just enough coconut. and they were perfectly fried to a lovely crispiness. totally and completely satisfying. mmm....

we were about to attempt dessert when i realized that it was 10 min before VC! total bummer. but alas, work is work. even with the meal cut short though, the food was yummilicious. and having been several times before, i’d recommend this place to anyone who wants to splurge. for everyone else, the happy hour at the bar is GREAT (janet, make sure to comment!) AND i just noticed the lunch specials online.

last but not least, i’ve totally eaten here alone and it was AMAZING. i asked for a corner booth (so i could talk on my phone and not be rude) and i treated myself to a full meal of appetizer, entree, and dessert. it was fabulously self-indulgent and the service was AMAZING. i’d seriously recommend it to anyone who needs a luxurious *me* day.

tengu
10853 lindbrook dr
los angeles, ca 90024
310.209.0071

http://www.tengu.com/