Musha Santa Monica - We loved it!

[CarlieInLA]

Went to Musha's for the first time this Saturday for my husband's birthday and I have to say we were very impressed. We arrived at 8:30 and ordered sake & beer. The waitresses were very helpful and nice. There were so many things on the menu that we wanted to try that we ended up staying for 2 hours and eating a ton, here's what we had:

Pumpkin Croquettes: Outstanding - so crispy on the outside but the insides were moist and soft. They were served piping hot which we loved

Scallop Dumplings: Good - the "skin" of the dumpling was very fluffy, almost like an egg, I have never tried a dumpling like this before, it was tasty.

Kukuni - Braised pork: amazing - very tender and juicy and the flavor of the sauce was not overpowering, it tasted like home cooking

Green bean Salad: Very crunchy greenbeans and the dressing was just right.

Lobster roll: this is a sushi roll of sorts but with no rice, asparagus, lobster & cucumber wrapped with tofu paper and a sauce. It was very good, you could really taste the lobster and all the flavors melded together perfectly.

MFC - Musha Fried Chicken: This was tasty and crispy but not a highlight.

Takane Rice - Rice served with stirfried shiso & mitsuba leaves,pickles & shredded seaweed. They bring this to the table in a hot stone pot and mix it so the rice gets crispy. Outstanding, very subtle flavors.

and last but definately not least:

Aburisaba: Vinager marinated mackeral that they sear at your table with a blow torch. WOW. We were pretty full at this point and almost didn't get it but it was the highlight of the night. The fish was cold, salty & sour but almost melted in my mouth. And the searing of the skin gave a smoky flavor that I haven't had before. It was really an amazing dish.

We had a wonderful time. With 3 beers, a soju cocktail and bottle of sake the meal came out to $90. This is a great place with amazing food that I would highly reccommend to anyone.

[Dommy]

So glad you enjoyed it! I can't wait to go back myself... perhaps this weekend!! :)

--Dommy!

[liu]

Yes, the mackerel is SO good! It is really special!

I ditto the other comments about "some dishes that I don't remember seeing before" at this Musha. We have been lots of times...I will have to really study the menu next time!

To the OP: note that there is another Musha in Torrance -- since you liked this one so much. The other one is quite different from the SM location...different vibe and some different menu items as well.

[iLoveFood]

I love Musha but I actually prefer the Torrance location a lot more. As mentioned above different vibe and I think a much better selection. Try it and you'll see the difference.

[liu]

Torrance is more funky and vibrant while Santa Monica Musha is calmer and a little more grown up -- yet still very warm, friendly and even a little cozy.

Torrance has a large, center community table that adds to their energy; one night when we were there, everyone was talking about their food and even sharing. It was very lively and chatty. I feel calmer and more mellow at the Santa Monica place.

Both are "perfect" for different moods...they're different flavors!

[CarlieInLA]

Thanks for the advice on the Torrance location. We will definately have to try it. I would agree that the vibe was a bit mellow but we liked that. But we love a lively place too! Can't wait to go back. :-)

[mollyomormon]

Thanks for the great review. You listed dishes that I haven't tried yet at Musha (that mackerel dish sounds ridiculously good) and now I'm dying to go back!

[Pei]

Thanks for reporting back, and for recommending some dishes I don't remember seeing before!