Hi again. Kirk is on vacation. mmm-yoso!!!, the blog, is not on vacation. Cathy and ed(from Yuma) will be temping in the interim.
Located in the corner of a strip mall at the NorthEast Corner of Baltimore at Lake Murray, is what used to be an eight table (with three chairs in front of the sushi bar), unassuming, local Japanese Restaurant, Arigato. Fast forward more than 20 years, and it has expanded into the next two storefront units, adding another 12 or so tables and a small private banquet room.
Not fancy. Excellent food.
When you are seated and start to look at your menu, your beverages and a small bowl of edamame are brought out. I've noticed different preparations and presentation of edamame lately and will try to document in the future. These were simply steamed and cooled fresh soybeans…no salt added, crisp and fresh in flavor. The green tea is complimentary also. 
It was lunchtime and we ordered three items, and all were brought out at the same time. The kitchen staff is efficient.
The soft shell crab appetizer ($5.95). Perfectly fried, not at all greasy. Light batter. Served in this boat shaped platter with a light sauce which was not needed if you had already squeezed the lemon onto the crab. I did, however, dip some of the cabbage, which was a cushion under the crab, into the sauce and the flavor of the sauce went with the cabbage. This was a very good size crab and appetizer.
The Mister ordered "Pork Mayonnaise- thin slices of pork in a special sauce" ($8.25). This was a wonderful tasting dish. The pork was moist, not crispy and had a very rich flavor…no sauce on the plate, just somehow absorbed into the meat…we are looking to see if we can duplicate this dish at home.
The Mister's plate included the rice and a miso soup (good, with lots of tofu) and this extremely crisp salad. (Both were brought out before the three dishes from the kitchen, if you were reading along and not just looking at photos.) Unusually, remarkably fresh crispy tasty romaine lettuce topped with a gentle sesame-ginger dressing. I can't emphasize the freshness of this lettuce. The small grape, instead of a tomato was a colorful touch…
I wanted to try the Sunomono, described as "Variety of rawfish with cucumber, seaweed topped with special vinegar sauce" ($9.95). There was a small amount of lettuce, a lot of thinly sliced cucumber, an interesting, curly black seaweed, the radishes and burdock, as you see…that bit of octopus tentacle and a shrimp, some crab, hamachi, albacore, salmon and some bits of a cooked fish.
Here is a better photo of the unique seaweed. It was tasty and firm, not slimy. Different and the vinegar based dressing was excellent.
All in all, this was another excellent meal. I wondered why we stopped regularly eating here…the menu for lunch and dinner is the same – no price increase. I suppose because there are no lunch 'specials'…we had started going elsewhere. Now I realize we don't need 'specials'. The quality of food and service here are excellent, as always. Arigato is back on 'our rotation'.
Arigato Japanese Restaurant 5775 Baltimore Drive, Suite 110 La Mesa, CA 91942 (619) 469-3157 Open Mon-Sat 11:30-3:00 and 5:00-9:00
Mmm soft shell crab……… I think they’re in season now? I must go to Point Loma Seafoods! 🙂 The sunomono looks wonderful too.
The crab looks delicious! We love sunomono, with or without protein. I sometimes make it at home with just cucumber and maybe seaweed if I have it, very easy.
PLS is a wonderful place, Dennis. Part of our ‘rotation’. Yes, early Spring is usually when the crab are molting.
I sometimes crave sunomono, Carol. The day we were here was one of those days. The person who does the frying at Arigato knows what they are doing.