Hooking Up with Izakaya Hachi - Torrance

My new approach to online dating is pretty similar to my approach to buying produce. You pick up what you think looks decent, you give it a quick squeeze and make sure it's not too bruised. If you like what you see, you bag it and take it home.

That said, online dating has given me a new appreciation for things that are clearly labeled. The cucumber is actually a cucumber and there's a very slim chance of going home with a bad apple. Plus you get a receipt so you remember what you brought home. 

For example, although I enjoyed  the fresh Tuna with crisp, bitter greens, embraced by a thick, salty miso-esque dressing, I can't remember what it was called so I can't have it again...especially if I call it by the wrong name.

To say I'm an acquired taste would be an understatement. My sarcasm can be off-putting, but my wit is crisp and lightly fried like that Agedashi Tofu, and I quickly warm and soften up with a sweeter, milder sauce.

I'm pretty prude for the first few dates. It's hard turn down a guy if he's cut like Kobe, but I'm still horrified when someone I've only met once tries to slip me a little tongue...unless it's the Beef Tongue Steak. I went to town on that blackened-seared, beefy-red, impossibly-juicy-and-soft slab of steak.

I do appreciate looks, but it's what's on the inside that counts. The Dashimake Tamago may look simple and a even a little dense, but I looked past all those wrinkles and found a perfectly-fluffy omelet. The savory broth soaked into every nook and cranny, making each bite a mouthful of flavor beyond my wildest egg-drop dreams.

I guess what I'm really looking for is someone who matches me like the Inaniwa Udon. I may seem as cold and al dente as the noodles, but I just want to avoid dipping my noodles in the wrong sauce. When I find a sauce that works as well as this shoyu-esque broth, I'll have the perfect pairing.

I seem to have trouble finding someone who eats as adventurously as I do. People aren't always so open to trying new things. But despite how much I love my pork kidneys and beef tripe, sometimes I'll gladly take the familiar, tender flavors of grilled Pork Toro tempered by a tasty dipping sauce instead of trying something new that I may not necessarily like. Plus I try not to give people too much lip for refusing to try the tongue.

When it comes to dating, I really don't ask for much. All I ask is that I get what's on the label, and it would be nice if everything wasn't significantly rounder than the picture would suggest. I do want to keep dating, but I think I'm sticking to shopping for now. Even the roundest of apples and the plumpest of peaches don't require copious amounts of alcohol before I can bring myself to bite.