Kimukatsu - Torrance

Tokyo Central's in-store, sit-down, stop-when-you-shop, super-specialist Kimukatsu really only serves one thing. 

The Special Pork Millefeuille Katsu Set is the sole reason to sit and savor every slice. The science of the layers seals in all the flavor.

Squint at this cross-section and you can just barely see the juices shine. 

There's also unlimited rice and cabbage as well as a flavor-packed miso soup with tender slices of belly-pork. 

Don't dismiss the side salad - the sesame dressing is delish. 

The chicken katsu is solid as well, though not quite as stellar. 

Fantastic food, small selection, just make sure the special pork is on your plate. 

Kagura - Torrance

It took me years to get to Kagura, years of enjoyment lost. They make some of the best katsu in Torrance, and they definitely dominate El Segundo as well. 

Always start with some sort of Filet Katsu - it's their staple, a basic in the best way possible. Perfect panko, comfort-crunch that even a toddler can't resist. 

You can see those fine flakes in this close-up of the Katsu Curry. Add the curry when you're ready and make sure it soaks the rice.  

I rolled the dice on a sliced-beef-something stirfry special, and I don't recommend it at all. Too much puddling of a brown, salt-sauce. The beef itself wasn't bad, but even I could make it better.

Their Uni Pasta is among the best I've had. Every al dente noodle is coated with an even layer of smooth, ocean cream. Sea urchin bits are scattered throughout, and every sweet bite makes a memory. 

Simple and sophisticated, Kagura is all katsu and class. Get a good bento to enjoy your favorite form of fried chicken or pork - their execution is exquisite. 

Tokyo, Japan

On the plane to Tokyo, all I feel is trepidation. I've traveled far and wide but never without a guide or a local companion. Now I'm off to get lost in a city I've never seen, in a language I'll never speak, #tryingtofitin... all while accompanied by a large white guy. There will be no blending, there will be no hiding behind a tour group flag, and this time I’ll be standing at street level or sitting on a subway underground, far beneath the lofty perch of a private bus.

I've admired and even envied Japan for a long time, and this trip is very much a lifelong dream. Japan embodies a proud Asian nation, brings order from the chaos, and exists as living proof that size really doesn't matter. 

From the beginning, I knew my self-guided tour of Tokyo was bound to have its bloopers, but I was determined to start the first day right…with the breakfast of champions…from the local 7-Eleven.

Nothing else was open…actually I probably just didn’t know anything was open. Fortunately, Onigiri is great at any meal. This one has soy-sauced rice, and the textbook soft-boiled egg couldn’t be more perfect with a few morsels of pork. The other Onigiri was so deliciously different; briny with flavor-bursts of red, grainy roe.

Whoever said Wheaties were the breakfast of champions never had a Katsu Sandwich. The pork breading doesn’t get soggy in the microwave, and the dash of horseradish mayo is as pure as the crust-less white bread it comes on.

Fueled by a little food, we set off…to wait in line…for a little more food.