Musha Mash-Up – Torrance

The iconic Forrest Gump once uttered an even more iconic quote, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.” If you think about it, this quote is more idiotic than iconic, and IMHO, the movie is too. You really don’t know what you’ll get out of life, but a box of chocolates comes with a pretty detailed description, and if you truly have no idea that there will be something with nuts inside, you’re an idiot.

I’ve been feeling that way about menus lately. I’ve been finding them floridly formulaic, with no elements of surprise behind their detailed descriptions of solid but standard staples. Some things are made well, but individual spin seems significantly sparse.

As predicted, the Musha’s menu had its staples. The Ahi Poke, for example, featured tender chunks of tuna in an expectedly soy-dominant ponzu sauce. The side of rice cakes in lieu of chips provided a fun little crunch.

The Buta Kakuni was, as described, pork belly with potato and egg, but it wasn’t exactly a Russell Stover sampler from the local CVS. The pork belly was melt-in-your-mouth soft, and the sauce was unexpectedly both savory and sweet. Even the potato soaked in every ounce of flavor for bite after delicious bite.

The Itame Somen seemed pretty straightforward. Angel hair pasta pan fried with garlic, sesame oil, garlic chive, sake, and soy sauce was a pretty straightforward combination of Asian flavors, but together and in the perfect proportions, it was like the Godiva of noodles.

If the itame somen was Godiva, then the Tarako Kim Chee Udon was straight out of Willy Wonka in the books. I love al dente udon noodles, and when coated with butter and pollack caviar, the caviar creates a savory seafood explosion.

The noodles didn’t disappoint, however the Scallop Dynamite wasn’t quite as explosive as I’d expected. Despite all the pageantry of burning the sauce with a bar torch, there was a literal lack of substance in this dish. The juicy scallops were the size of a dime, and there should have been something more to soak up the spicy mayo.

The Roasted Maple Leaf Duck Breast was a lot more successful at soaking up the sauce. I was pleasantly surprised when I bit into a cold, juicy, lightly-marinated slice of duck instead of the Peking-style roast duck I had come to expect.

I’ll be honest. I didn’t expect much from Musha’s menu, but give me some credit. A tiny Japanese tapas-esque bar in a suburban strip mall didn’t look very promising, but like pretty much every other dish I tried, the Baguette Gratin had me eating my words, one cynical thought at a time. You wouldn’t think a plain baguette stuffed with bay scallops, white sauce, and melted cheese could be so good. But the menu does promise that it (and pretty much every other dish I had) “will make you so happy”, and the constant party in my mouth definitely did not disprove.

When the movie Forrest Gump came to its adorable end, there wasn't a dry eye in the theater aside from mine. Sure, he finally settled down with his love, but considering she was wasting away from the price she paid for so many years of promiscuity, you had to savor both the bland and the bittersweet, much like the Black Sesame Ice Cream and even more like the end of an amazing meal at Musha. The one time I saw Forrest Gump was the last time I will ever see Forrest Gump, but Forrest never lost his obsession with Jenny and they were together at the end so I can't wait to see the end of my obsession with Musha.