When planning our current trip, we decided to fly out of LAX to avoid layovers. The flight was already 14 hours long and we really didn't want to extend our transit time. So, we planned for something like we had done several years back; we'd stay the night in Little Tokyo, then head to the airport in the morning for our flight. It would give us a chance to catch up with one of our favorite little neighborhoods in LA.
Except, this being 2023 and all, we ran into a little problem. We enjoy doing Amtrak to Union Station, then taking the short walk to our hotel in Little Tokyo. On the morning of our trip I received a message from Amtrak, our train had been cancelled and we'd been automatically rebooked to Union Station out of San Juan Capistrano!?!?!? Say what? After spending 45 minutes on hold with Amtrak, our only other option would have us arriving in LA at 6pm, after our dinner reservation. In the end, I made reservations on the FlixBus, which turned out to be a decent option and we arrived at Union Station at 430pm.
Walking to the Miyako Hotel from Union Station in 2023 was a different experience as well, many more homeless, folks with obvious mental health issues screaming at us (it's quite sad), groups of kids on skateboards harassing people acting like they "owned" the sidewalk. Whoa….
Though once you got off Alameda and made that turn on 1st Street things calmed down quite a bit.
We checked in, freshened up, and basically just had to cross the street to get to our dinner destination, Sushi Enya. Actually, we had wanted to check out a place that had been an old favorite of ours. But sadly, Sushi Komasa closed last year when the Itamae decided to retire. Sigh…. Anyway, we decided to check out Sushi Enya and I managed to get us early reservations. We were the first folks in the place and took a seat at the bar.
There were five folks working behind the sushi bar! Our Itamae for the evening was a young man who was quite friendly, it seems like a couple of the folks behind the bar were tasked with making various rolls that folks coming in after us ordered.
We got our order in and our nigiri started arriving. A couple of observations. Enya seems to do a lot of Aburi (torched) nigiri, they also have several tare/nikiri that is used on all the nigiri, so we had no need for shoyu and wasabi, except for a few exceptions. We both didn't care for the quality of the rice used as it was on the hard and chewy side and lacked a nice fragrance. As for the nigiri, well, read on!
Things started with Engawa, the dorsal fin muscle of hirame (halibut) a favorite of ours
The engawa had that wonderful toothsome texture, the nikiri added a nice touch of savory-soy tones with a hint of sweetness. Very clean, great texture!
Next up was the Kinmedai (Golden Eye Snapper).
This was torched changing the texture, adding a layer of creaminess to things. The addition of yuzu kosho gave this a nice salty-citrusy-"zippiness".
I saw Yamaimo "Fries" with Truffle Salt on the menu and had to try it.
This was quite delicious! The exterior crisp, the interior slightly creamy. All the usual sliminess of yamaimo was gone! Not much truffle flavor, but we really didn't need that as there was a delicate starchy-sweetness to this.
Next up was the Albacore.
This was a miss for us as the strong garlic sauce really detracted from the mild flavor of the fish. The sauce overwhelmed the dish.
Things were quickly corrected when the O-toro arrived.
Ethereally buttery in texture…..the fish almost melted when it hit your tongue. Too bad we didn't care for the rice here. The nikiri really added a nice, mild soy-sweet flavor to this.
We also ordered some Uni. When asked whether we wanted Santa Barbara or Hokkaido uni, the answer was quite easy.
The Hokkaido Uni was fabulous, creamy-sweet-briny. As I say, it's like having a creamy taste of the cleanest, freshest water of the Pacific ocean.
From here we decided to order a few more items to complete our meal.
We got some Hotate (Scallop).
With some ginger and the nice nikiri, this did need a bit of shoyu to balance things out. The scallop was sweet and tender.
We both didn't care for the Wagyu Nigiri.
The beef seemed really lean and did not benefit from being torched a bit too much making it very chewy.
We finished with Negi Toro Temaki.
This was fine, though the rice really dropped this a few notches for us.
Overall, a nice meal. Because of being the only folks sitting at the bar it was like we had our own, personal Itamae. Wish we liked the quality of the rice as it would have made our meal that much more enjoyable. As it was, this just illustrated how much we enjoy Tadokoro. We'll have to get our fix there soon!
Sushi Enya Little Tokyo
343 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
After dinner we decided to take a stroll and see what was going on in Little Tokyo.
Stay tuned!
The well-established (since 1955) pizza parlor, serving Italian food as well as cocktails is open for lunch in nearby Lemon Grove. 
A bowl of the house made 
A large (for two) antipasto salad ($9.95) was shared for an appetizer. Plenty of mortadella, salami and provolone along with pickled vegetables and parmesan.
The Italian Salad Bowl ($7.95) is always a good shareable 'appetizer' for us. Don't be fooled by the camera angle- that is a very large, deep bowl (it's the same bowl used for the 'double bowl soup'). Lettuce, tomato, mozzarella, olives, pepperocinis and all of that pepperoni could make a nice low carb meal. But we've been ordering large pizzas lately.
A large sausage-pepperoni pizza ($20.45) is one choice. Neither of us wants too many ingredients to take away from the beautifully flavored dough.
The large sausage-mushroom pizza ($19.25). More of a favorite. You can see the thin crust.
The 'Bar' area is a bit closed off from the rest of the dining area.
It's located West of the I-15 at Auto Park Way.
This is the breakfast portion of the menu; lunch will be a separate post. Know that the entire menu is served all day.
There are tables and booths available. If you can see the mechanics in this photo, the separating wall at the left booth can be lifted up, making a large booth-seating area for a group.
The Mississippi Skillet ($16.59) is made with ham, sausage, crisp bacon, bell peppers, onions and mushrooms and topped with Monterey Jack cheese and added avocado (99¢). Excellent flavors and there were leftovers. The choice of a scratch made biscuit was a good one-a light, crisp crust with a fluffy crumb. It didn't even need the butter. 
Huck's Combo ($11.99) with ham (a nice, thick ham steak which was juicy/almost sweet and not at all too salty), two (perfect) over easy eggs, add country reds ($2.59)(sliced and fried red skinned potatoes with bell peppers and onion) along with a half of a butter-crisp waffle (choice of that or a sweet cream flapjack or a slice of French toast). Each item was excellent in portion size (again, leftovers) and flavor-the waffle didn't need much of any toppings and was indeed crisp yet had a fluffy interior. 
About two weeks later, I made it a point to return with The Mister since I hadn't tried anything 'huckleberry' on that first visit. A Benedict Scramble ($14.99)was my order, because I was craving the ham. The slice in the Benedict was not as thick as on the Combo I had last time, but was still flavorful on the toasted English muffin topped with plenty of scrambled eggs and a slightly lemony creamy hollandaise. The potatoes (75¢) are so nicely crisp.
The Mister ordered a Monte Cristo ($14.99) Sourdough stuffed with ham, turkey and Monterey Jack, dipped in egg batter, crisp fried and topped with powdered sugar. He chose the optional sweet potato fries (99¢) and the platter arrived with syrup for the sandwich and 'Huck's Sauce' for dipping. He also added on a biscuit and gravy ($3.99) because he really liked that half biscuit leftover I brought home. The sausage gravy here is excellent. 
Yes, blueberries are the first ingredient for the jam. 
In the midst of an office park you will find the nicest little place which serves "Old School Mexican" from this modern building near the Border. It's family owned, been here for seven years with a location downtown on 6th Avenue and another one set to open soon in Liberty Station.
Step inside and you can scan the QR code next to the door if you want to see prices, otherwise, walk toward the cash register and place your order, after passing the multiple examples of possible choices.
We decided on a cafe de olla, which was kept refilled (there is liquid piloncillo on the table if you would like some of that brown sugar flavor in the cinnamon coffee) and a "La Verde" Aqua Fresca (each $4.95).
Soon, our orders were brought to the table. The Mister had ordered "El Patron" ($18.75, with carnitas ($4.75)). Crispy cajeta toast (a French toast topped with cajeta (Carmel-like sauce made with goats milk and sugar), two eggs (over easy requested and perfectly made), beans (not refried, but more liquid and meaty flavor) and chilaquiles with rojo sauce and topped with a light very flavorful (not fatty) carnitas. The chilaquiles were tossed in the salsa, not merely covered, so that each piece of crispy tortilla was coated. Wow-each item was quite perfect and flavorful and so very good.
I ordered the Enfrijoladas ($14.75)-Four corn quesadillas topped with frijoles, puercos cream, sour cream, cheese, onion, cilantro, two eggs (over easy), beef chorizo and avocado. This satisfied all of my cravings. I wanted to try the chorizo (IYKYK) as well as corn quesadillas, which are just something I enjoy. The bean sauce/topping had bits of pork, adding to the flavor and everything came together in each bite. 
Noticing this poster when leaving, I'm sure we will be back for lunch. 
The Mister and I stopped in on a Saturday and walked through the store which is undergoing renovations. Fresh, warm tortillas in an insulated box on the floor, as well as all sorts of beverages, a couple of grocery aisles and a small freezer as well as a meat counter with well-priced selections made this look like a convenient place in the neighborhood. We ordered and paid at the check out counter.
There are outdoor tables and on the weekends, the smoker is filled with meats (ready at around 2 p.m., if you want to purchase by the pound).
Soon, our sandwich was brought out. ($11.99, includes a beverage from the cooler).
It's already cut in half and ordered with 'everything'- mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, avocado, onion, pickled jalapeño and pickled carrots. Sometimes we have to 'rearrange' the tri-tip on our sandwich. 
The meat has an excellent flavor-smoky and meaty (with a thin smoke ring),even with the condiments. The torta is soft and fresh. The size is just right for sharing.
You might notice the truck in the parking lot, as well as neighbors who stop by on weekends.
The facades of buildings on Main Street in Ramona are quite interesting. The Miles Mercantile building (on the West side, between Sixth and Seventh) is the home of Ramona Country Bakery, which opened in October, 2022. The bakery is family owned. 
It's next to the Town Hall and across the street from Turkey Inn, if you need a better visual.
Sttep inside and there's a beautiful area of antique furniture pieces filled with fresh made bread, right next to a small condiment area (for the coffee served here).
Behind (as well as on) the counter are cloche covered fresh baked treats.
I did order a plain cheese danish ($3) the other day (blueberry cheese was also available) and it was excellent with a light puffy, crisp laminated dough as well as a flavorful creamy cheesecake filling; not too sweet.
In February, I chose the Cranberry Walnut Bread ($7). Soft crust, springy texture and just enough raisin and crisp walnuts to make a slice taste good plain (with or without butter), toasted (with butter) or as the base of a chicken salad sandwich. 
The wings actually held up better than the Karaage. Don't get me wrong, the karaage was very moist and tender, but that light, what seems to be katakuriko based batter is made for eating quickly. I think of the flavors are very nicely balanced, soy-with a touch of sweetness. I like that the karaage still has skin attached. The "whole" wings (tips and drumettes included) did well. Like I've mentioned before, I like the addition of wing tips as they add a nice cartiligous texture with the addition of the batter of course. I could make out a touch of the shichimi togarashi a lot clearer than the karaage.
This was a shade better than the larb, at least it had a bit more heat to it. The gailan was crisp and nicely stir fried. The pork belly suffered the same fate as the previous dish; it was hard. We were left wondering what was going on with the usually crisp and tasty pork belly.
Well, the first thing the Missus said when I opened this was "where's the fried egg"? We had ordered and paid for the "fried egg option" but they forgot to put it in this dish. Bummer. And I wasn't about to drive all the way back to 30th street for a $1.75 egg. This dish needed more basil and the overall texture was on the greasy side. At least the chicken wasn't hard and dry as we'd experienced before.
