Any advanced word on menus featuring Matsutake mushrooms?

[ipsedixit]

The Pacific NW season is about to begin (right after Labor Day?), and I'm wondering if there are any restaurants that will be featuring these fungi?

[Dommy]

Torihei has them for grilling!

https://twitter.com/#!/Dommy_in_LA/me...

--Dommy!

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Torihei
1757 W. Carson Street, Torrance, CA 90501

[Porthos]

Looks amazing. Gotta get back to Torihei for this one.

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Torihei
1757 W. Carson Street, Torrance, CA 90501

[Porthos]

In the OC:

Sushi Murasaki. Just had the matsutake dobinmushi for lunch. Not on the level of Mori or Kiriko in terms of quality, refinement, and fragrance. However the broth is delicious and flavored with 1 shrimp, 2 pieces of white fish, and 1 clam. The amount of mushrooms given is beyond generous. The entire tea pot is overflowing. However, they're not as flavorful as the Mori or Kiriko versions. Also, there's a little bit of sand left on them. Having said that, at $13.50, it was more than worth it. Good stuff.

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Kiriko
11301 W Olympic Blvd Ste 102, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Mori Sushi
11500 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Sushi Murasaki
2901 W MacArthur Blvd, Santa Ana, CA 92704

[kevin]

where is sushi murasaki?

[Porthos]

Kevin, see link.

[Johnny L]

Not sure but I'm getting excited about the Japanese markets carrying them soon!

[Baron]

Any suggestions on what to do with them. I'm a mushroom lover, dream of fresh porcini. How do you cook with matsutake mushrooms?

[will47]

Matsutake rice is a very common preparation... lots of recipes available online.

Their taste is very delicate compared to porcini. I'm not sure if the ones we get here (mostly from Canada, I believe, and presumably shipped or trucked here) are as fresh or as fragrant as the ones in Japan.

[J.L.]

The traditional way to is to make matsutake dobin mushi, a fragrant clear soup filled with essence of the mushroom. It is served in a teapot. After squeezing a bit of lime into it and letting it seep a bit to activate the taste, you first pour out the soup into a tea cup using the spout. And after you're done drinking a few cupfuls of the broth, you can open the lid and dig into the yummy chunks of mushroom inside.

I suggest trying this fantastic dish at Place Yuu during matsutake mushroom season.

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Place Yuu
2101 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

[Porthos]

A wonderful ode to matsutake dobin mushi.

You can also find excellent versions at Mori and Kiriko. Providence also offered a soup containing matsutake last season. Last season, Sushi Gen also offered grilled matsutake (cooked using their toaster oven).

My personal favorite has been Mori's version, followed closely by the version at Kiriko.

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Kiriko
11301 W Olympic Blvd Ste 102, Los Angeles, CA 90064

[J.L.]

I've had the matsutake dobin mushi at Mori, Kiriko, Kiyokawa, and Providence.

Place Yuu still has the best version, in my opinion.

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Kiriko
11301 W Olympic Blvd Ste 102, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Place Yuu
2101 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

[Porthos]

Let me know when they start serving it this season. I'm willing to give it a shot. It'll be tough for me to pass up sushi at Mori if I'm in that area though. Maybe n/naka will do a version...

[J.L.]

Well the season's here! Place Yuu is currently serving Matsutake dobini mushi, and it is better than ever. Go. Now.

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Place Yuu
2101 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

[Porthos]

JL. May go Sunday. Any other recommended cooked dishes there? Enough to make a meal? I noticed this place is primarily sushi.

[eams]

There are lots of non-sushi dishes. There are good miso soups, many good cooked dishes (meat, fish and vegetable). We particularly like the braised eggplant. The menu includes more than just japanese standards.

[J.L.]

Actually Place Yuu is in essence an izakaya that happens to have good sushi. There definitely enough good stuff on the menu to make a large meal of it.

As far as ordering goes, as with most of my izakaya visits, I usually pace my meal out by ordering 2-3 cooked dishes at a time (the food comes out of the kitchen reasonably quickly), but most people also enjoy the meal by ordering everything all at once.

As far as cooked dishes go, my recs include: Matsutake dobin mushi (of course), shishito peppers, kaki fry (fried oysters), sauteed geso (squid) with spinach, kurobota sausages with mustard, Osaka-style battera (pressed & vinegared sushi), tempura vegetables, steamed large clams, buta no kakuni (stewed pork), ebi shinjyo (lightly battered & fried shrimp paste). His cold soba is very refreshing as well.

Place Yuu Chef/Owner Mori-san (no, not THAT Mori-san just a few blocks away) usually also offers excellent toro and yellowtail, and uni.

Happy eating, and please report back!

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Place Yuu
2101 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

[kevin]

is it the kind of joint where you can just up the matsutake soup and that's it, and then probably head over to kiriko for better sushi?

[J.L.]

No way, Mori-san's sushi at Place Yuu is legit. Just because it's not a Kiriko or a Mori Sushi doesn't mean a Japanese chef can't consistently serve great fish in this town.

I eat sushi at Place Yuu with alarming regularity and pleasure. Not taking anything away from Ken-san at Kiriko down the street, but hey, Place Yuu is at its core a great izakaya which happens to also serve very good sushi. For that reason, it is never mentioned in the same breath as Kiriko or Hide or Mori. And I'm great with that, since the rest of the city is missing out, and I can get a seat at the bar with ease.

Tha matsutake mushroom dobin mushi is a steal at $12-$13 per serving, I believe. Like saffron, you don't need much of the expensive starting material to achieve the taste nirvana necessary for the intended dish.

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Kiriko
11301 W Olympic Blvd Ste 102, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Place Yuu
2101 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

[J.L.]

Some photos of the sushi at Place Yuu... You decide.

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Place Yuu
2101 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

[kevin]

wow that does look pretty darn good.

[cacio e pepe]

I'll second the Place Yuu rec. I do prefer the sushi at Kiriko, but Place Yuu holds its own for not specializing in sushi. In fact, it was the first place I ever ate sushi many years ago. Good stuff, and there are things on the menu at Place Yuu that should keep you from getting off your seat.

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Kiriko
11301 W Olympic Blvd Ste 102, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Place Yuu
2101 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

[New Trial]

I had a good matsutake dobin mushi (with a little whitefish and a shrimp in the broth along with the pieces of mushroom) at K-Zo earlier this week.

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K-Zo
9240 Culver Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232

[J.L.]

Yes, K-Zo's version is decent. But I still like the Place Yuu dobin mushi better, for some reason... The mushrooms they use at Yuu is higher quality, methinks...

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Place Yuu
2101 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025

K-Zo
9240 Culver Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232

[kevin]

also, what's roughly the price on this dish? i forget, is matsutakes very expensive???

thanks.

[Dommy]

They have been spotted at Nijaya this weekend!

--Dommy!