It’s hard to imagine how anybody would find Saloon Osaka unless someone told them about it. The location takes ‘low profile’ to new levels — they’re on the edge of a parking lot in a mini-mall where El Segundo’s Main Street t-bones into Imperial Highway. The rumble of jets from the airport across the street and the view of a highway with untended medians doesn’t create an expectation of stylish dining, nor do the neighboring pizzeria and a liquor store.
Inside it’s obvious something interesting is going on here, but it’s hard to tell what. Visually, it’s chaotic, with walls paneled variously in traditional paper screens, bamboo, and corrugated iron. The décor overlaying this is a hodgepodge of traditional and modern Japanese art, interspersed with odds and ends of pop culture, Native Americana and vaguely steampunk lighting. It looks like the living room of an eccentric artist writ large, right down to the guitar in the corner.
The proprietor and presumably the decorator is a friendly fellow named Keith, who plays the guitar when they’re short on customers. On both of my visits he never touched a string, because there was a steady trickle of comings and goings at the tables. It was never full, never empty, with customers appreciating the seafood-centric selection of Japanese tavern specialties.
The menu is fairly straightforward with items well explained, though we were puzzled by items marked as “bussin bussin.” This is Japanese for “really good,” so we paid particular attention to these. One of the marked items was sliced raw Hokkaido scallops, which lived up to their billing. The preparation was simple, just fresh seafood in soy sauce with green onions and sliced daikon, designed to show off the quality of the ingredients. The proprietor explained that simplicity is a hallmark of Osaka-style food, as compared to Tokyo cuisine, which is more cosmopolitan and has more ingredients.
It was the right call, because the cold-water shellfish from the far north of Japan needed no other enhancements to be delicious.
The Santa Barbara uni also showed off the quality of the seafood. Really fresh sea urchin is like eating a creamy ocean breeze, but it acquires a funky off flavor with alarming rapidity. I ordered one piece of uni sushi (after a few bad experiences my wife won’t touch it) and was delighted. The broiled yellowtail collar with miso sauce hit the spot too, though it was cooked somewhat less than usual. The sweet sauce was lightly caramelized to create a thin crust on fatty fish that was so moist it was almost gelatinous. You have to navigate bones in this cut of fish, but it’s worth the trouble.
It’s worth noting that things here come out in the order in which they’re ready — on one visit we ordered noodle soup at least 15 minutes after the appetizers, but it arrived first. The plump udon noodles were in a seaweed broth with just green onions and some crisped tempura batter but was a welcome hit of comfort food on an unseasonably cool evening. It came with a side of spicy tuna over rice that had a nicely calibrated hit of wasabi, enough to be legitimately spicy but not so much that the seafood flavor was overwhelmed.
The restaurant soundtrack is usually ‘70s and ‘80s pop at moderate volume, but with unpredictable shifts. At one point a Carole King song was followed by opera music, a stylistic break that interrupted conversations, but somehow it all seemed in character.
Wine, beer, and sake are offered. On one visit we tried a bottle of Kizakura “S” Junmai daiginjo sake. The S stands for special, and it is a light, dry, delicately floral drink that goes very well with sushi. We had some of that too, ordering from a short list that sticks to basics — no sriracha, cream cheese, or other novelties. Owner Keith grew up in Korea and has had plenty of exposure to fusion items, but the only non-Japanese items in his sushi rolls are asparagus and avocado. The avocado features in his version of a spider roll, along with soft shell crab, cucumber, and tobiko caviar, and it’s a hit. So is his version of a rainbow roll, tuna, salmon, yellowtail, and eel with minimal seasoning. It’s Osaka style, as Keith expresses it, and highly recommended.
We finished a meal with something more than a bit outside that tradition, ice cream with two accompaniments, a paste of sweet azuki beans and a housemade reduction of cranberries and pears in wine. The azuki beans were good, the fruit compote sensational. I’d order this any time I go there.
Service by a young and friendly staff is friendly and personal, adding to the overall sense of hospitality. Saloon Osaka is my new favorite spot for sushi and izakaya food in the Beach Cities, and well worth a trip off the beaten path.
Saloon Osaka is at 100 West Imperial Avenue in El Segundo. Open 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. daily except Monday. Parking lot, alcohol served, some vegan items. (310) 364-1231. SaloonOsaka.com. ER
