Koji's

 John and I recently went on vacation in Hollywood, California. It was the last night of our stay and we were looking for somewhere new to eat, as always. We had passed Koji's earlier in the day when we were looking for a quick lunch spot and wanted to try it out. The sign for the restaurant said that they served "sushi and shabu shabu." Like many of you, we were completely unaware of what shabu shabu was until we actually sat down to eat at our table. Here is a dictionary definition of the Japanese style of cooking: a Japanese dish consisting of thinly sliced beef and vegetables cooked briefly in simmering broth at the table. After we sat down and noticed that each table had individual pots we caught on to what shabu shabu was. We wondered if we would know when our food was done and how it would taste being cooked in the broth. 
 After perusing the menu here is what we decided to try: 
    Appetizer: California Roll
    Entree: Kobe Beef slices served with mixed vegetables
 We weren't sure if this would be enough to satisfy our appetites but luckily by the end of the meal we were both comfortably full. The California Roll was delicious and the accompanying sauces they gave us both really added some flavor. The Kobe Beef came out soon after and we were told that it only needed to stay in the broth for about 15 seconds. I wondered how this could possibly cook the beef so quickly but 15 seconds was more than enough time. When it came out of the broth it was well done but still extremely tender and flavorful. We also used our dipping sauces for the beef, and again they added tons of flavor. We were also given individual bowls of rice which we ate our meat over. 
Overall we were very happy with our choice and suggest that you try a shabu shabu restaurant if you ever have the opportunity.  Here is a local restaurant that serve shabu shabu style:
   Fuji Mountain Japanese Restaraunt 
   2030 Chestnut Street
   Phila, PA 19103

    John was proud that he taught me to use chopsticks!!


   
Koji's is located at:
6801 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90028

Flavors

We heard about the "Flavors of the Avenue" event one night while we were eating at our favorite Passyunk restaurant Plenty. On the counter were cards promoting the event and it sounded like it was right up our alley. When we found out that it was only $25.00 to attend there was no doubt in our mind that we would be buying tickets.
 The event was held in the parking lot across from Los Caballitos (better known as Cantina). Under the huge white tent over 20 of Passyunk's restaurants were featured. Each had its own stand where attendees could sample one of their signature menu items. Menu items varied from breakfast and dinner to dessert and samples of cocktails.
 We were very surprised by how many people were packed into the tent during the entire span of the event. Every stand had people lined up to try one of their dishes, although we noticed that Cantina attracted the largest crowds all wanting to try the margaritas.  There were restaurants that have been on Passyunk for years such as Mamma Maria's, whose food thoroughly surprised us, as well as new comers such as Izumi and Green Eggs Cafe. We both enjoyed almost every dish we tried and were full by the time we got to the last table.
 Outside of the tent was a free street fair, including a craft market and DJ. The craft market, called "Crafty Balboa", showcased many of the clothing stores in the surrounding area. We particularly like one of the new stores, NRS (Nicole Rae Styer), which features handmade, original items for women and children.
 This was a great annual event that we were so happy to have attended and hope everyone will try to make it out next year!
Here are some pictures from the event: