Torrance is a very popular area for the Japanese culture with tons of food & restaurants. Newly opened is Red Rock, which is a restaurant in Japan that finally made its debut out here in California. They’re known for their beef & rice bowls with just three types. However it’s the quality of the beef here that you will truly appreciate.
I actually attempted to go here a few weeks ago only to be denied. Mind you I showed up at approximately 8:20pm and they don’t close until 10:00pm. Due to demands I was told they were turning away any further guest. I was also told had they agreed to let me write my name down on the list, I still would’ve been 40th in line with my party of three! I couldn’t be upset, although I was a bit turned off since I had driven from Orange County but I understood. This time I found a loop hole, if you don’t want to wait you can make reservations, but it does come with a catch.
In order to make reservations, which by the way, they only accept during dinner time, you have to pay an additional $24.00 per person which will provide each person appetizers. For example if you reserve for a party of two, that’s an additional $44.00, plus what you’re paying for your meal, which would be the beef and rice bowls. Now if you don’t mind waiting and arriving early, then no worries, there’s an awesome Japanese Market next door with tons of goodies you can check out while one person waits in line and you can also alternate.
The first appetizer we were offered was this bite size crab amuse bouche and the flavors were balanced beautifully, still very bright but enough to give that satisfaction. The next item we had was a confit tomato, you would never guess looking at a little tomato how much flavor was put into this. I found this very appealing, the only off putting thing to me was the fragrance was a bit floral and I’m not a fan of floral items, however this balanced with the crab was refreshing and tender. The tomato bursted with so much flavor and was so soft upon my first bite.
Next they brought out a large platter that could’ve easily fed 4 people. I was amazed at the size and taken completely off guard. This was a salad beneath, however on top were pieces of bbq’d pork ribs, roasted chicken, roasted potatoes, mushrooms, Jidori soft boiled egg(this was extremely delicious) grapes, and roasted squash. We could not finish this dish, I was very surprised, the bbq ribs could’ve been a bit more tender, but the roasted chicken was cooked perfectly, also chicken thighs for you breast lovers.
For our order we went with the American slice Beef Don which is similar to thinner slices of roasted beef, on top of a bed of rice seasoned with a sweet soy glaze, some veggies, and a yogurt sauce. We opted to add the Jidori Raw Egg which adds that depth of richness, I know it’s raw and this probably sounds off putting to most, but trust me, I highly suggest adding this to your dish and mixing it into everything. The beef itself was very tender, not too much flavor but the sauces that accompanied it balanced it out.
The next dish was the Angus Rib Steak Don, which we also added the Jidori Egg to as well. I prefer my meat cooked medium rare and this was cooked so perfect, extremely tender, but still with a nice char. The rice came seasoned once again, and the egg added that rich taste since the steak wasn’t very fatty. I’m not sure if I would wait several hours for this, but it’s definitely worth trying. I’m very happy Red Rock decided to open a location in the U.S. I’m sure they will only be here to stay. Let me know if you give Red Rock a try and how your experience was, just remember to order Medium Rare, you won’t regret it!
Restaurant – Red Rock
Location – 2141 West 182nd Street, Torrance, CA 90504
Contact – 424.329.3363
Website – http://www.redrock-kobebeef.com/en/