Getting together the Ladies Who Dine – all of the Ladies Who Dine – is a near impossible task. While well fed, these Ladies are busy. They have children. They have board meetings. They have episodes of television to binge watch and last minute plans with in-laws to attend. So a victory is getting a Lady quorum. Actually, a victory for me is at least one other Lady and a cocktail. But, the more of us, the better – more food to sample, more stories to hear, and much louder laughs. With eight of us showing up for February’s sushi dinner at Kihon Sushi, we were a quorum plus one – a veritable extravaganza.
Our pick for the evening came thanks to Dine Out Long Beach, one of two (competing?) restaurant weeks in the LBC. This selection suited me, as I’m trying to explore tastes beyond my usual Mexican/Italian/“American” fare. But I failed. Even here on a special LWD outing, I went for my standard Japanese pick: potstickers and a crunchy roll. Not very adventurous, but at least I didn’t commit the crime of ordering the teriyaki chicken (no judgment – one of the Ladies did; she wasn’t arrested).
Others were less timid with their options. As a table, we feasted on yellowtail, on albacore on crispy rice and salmon with crispy spinach; on shishito peppers, and edamame. While I didn’t quite make the big jump to try something that was less than fully cooked, I did sample a few new things. All that I tasted proved amazing – there’s a certain zing and a zest these dishes had that satisfied and delighted. It’s easy to see why the tables were full, why the wait staff stayed busy on their feet.
Dessert earned the prize as my favorite. I’m not sure how authentically Japanese it is, but I could hardly stop eating Kihon’s tempura ice cream. It’s as if my fork was magnetically drawn to the dish, forcing me to take more than my fair share (which really was none, as I’d originally declared myself full, only taking a first bite upon prodding). I’ll be happy to return to Kihon to get my own very soon, along with another crunchy roll, neither selection greasy or overfried.
So while not brave or daring, February’s LWD outing ended up being delectable. And with the Ladies, of course, crazy fun.
Kihon Sushi
5662 E. 2nd Street in Long Beach