Shinsengumi Shabu - Gardena

Another shin-sen-gumi in the South Bay? MUST GO. I love the ramen, the yakatori is great, and surely the shabu can't miss!

AYCE is an irresistible deal, but theirs should also come with a warning. You'll find no fault with a pot of water and konbu, nor with the unlimited plates of tofu, udon, and Napa cabbage.

All is fine, really, until you get to the beef. Suffice it to say, the quality is crap. The meat slices have turned dark from aging in a freezer, and the freezer burn is apparent in each leathery slice. I tried cooking them for progressively less time to no avail.

Bad meat in an awkwardly-placed shabu pot had all three diners straining to reach the food, an effort so distracting that I actually forgot to take photos. Pretty impressive - nothing has entered my mouth without first being photographed for over a year.

Some people do have it all, but I'm sad to say that Shinsengumi is not quite a jack of all trades. The yakatori is good and the ramen is highly recommended, but shabu just isn't their strong suit.

Shin-Sen-Gumi Yakatori - Gardena

Judging by the last few reviews, I've been striking out on seafood. But there's more to life than scallops... Or is there?

Shin-Sen-Gumi's Scallop skewer was soft and grilled just right. So maybe it's time to stop sweating the seafood and start yakking about yakatori.

Seafood aside, the yakatori from the land is even better. I heart the regular Chicken Heart, but the Special Heart comes with a special sauce.

The Fatty Pork had me licking my lips like a...

Beef Tongue, and the Shishitos were a relaxing respite from all that meaty meat.

I tried the Intestine as well, pictures not included just in case they make you empty your GI tract. This little skewer is gastropub-style (groan), simply cooked chewy and soft.

Some of the small plates were also pretty swell. The EbiMayo is ever-so-sordid for those who like deep fried shrimp in an orgy of creamy mayo.

The Ikayaki plays it cool, a well-crafted ring-toss of grilled giant squid. The Soft-shelled Crab was their special, and its always something special when it's fried just right. There wasn't a single bite left on any plate when we were through.

There's not much to say about Shin-Sen-Gumi. The minimalist approach of basic skewers and bistro-esque small plates speaks for itself using smaller, shorter words. The words may be few and the food may be far from fancy, but Shin-Sen-Gumi Yakatori has my heart skewered through and through.