Izakaya Bincho was once Yakitori Bincho, one of the better yakitori options in South Bay before the fire department forced them to close down because of the complications of grilling chicken in this tiny alcove of a spot in Redondo Beach's pier area. The night was eerie, with a low-flung fog and chill keeping this dark and misty at the deserted boardwalk.
Chef Tomo-san hard at work.
The chicken meatball was salamandered (broiled would be the correct term) on slivers of crunch lotus and doused with an easy soy sauce to start the meal. Not extraordinary, but hearty and scrumptious. Picture looks better than the taste.
This was a big disappointment as the menu tauted "black ham and cheese - deep fried". In reality it was paper-thin pieces of ham and some cheese deep fried with a panko batter. The ham was not too tasty and the dish lacked interesting flavor.
This dish was well-thought and delicious. Perfectly juicy chicken meatballs and a heap of shredded daikon radish came covered with a mild ponzu. The acidity rounded out the hearty flavors and we gobbled up the small plate.
Octopus is a tough affair (pun intended) especially if overcooked. The pieces looked arresting, but they were invariably hard to chew. Yuzu-pepper helped the overall blandness and we forgot why we really ordered this dish.
Shrimp dumplings were quite good though the meat inside could've used more whole pieces of shrimp. The skins were nicely browned.
This is really the best reason to come here. I've had tebasaki in Nagoya, fried chicken wings that are fried quickly with a bonito flake crust (seemingly...though I'm not completely sure) which basically means MSG heaven. These wings were similarly fried and then dipped in a wonderful spicy-salty sauce that gave them a nice sheen while keeping the crispy texture. The wings were hefty compared to the ones I've had in Nagoya and also Furaibo here in LA. The flavor of the jidori chicken really shines here. My only qualm is that they were a tad too salty but some cold beer helped to wash it down and balance out the flavors. Despite the qualm, these are easily the best chicken wings I've had in LA.
We had some fried chicken thigh though they were overshadowed by the wings. They were covered in a light soy sauce.
Overall Izakaya Bincho had some hits and some misses but the overall experience was notable for fresh food that was well-prepared. Chef Tomo-san gave me and Josh of FoodGPS a one-man show and I applaud him for his efforts in the kitchen. To me, part of the allure of an izakaya is that it's sometimes hard to find, a backalley joint. It's not fine dining and that's perfectly okay. It's to-the-point and really about the food. Flavors are crisp, comforting, or straight-forward with beer or sake to wash it down. Bincho hits the mark in this regard. Prices are reasonable, around $35 a person depending on how many items you get and what beverages you choose.
Izakaya Bincho
112 N International Boardwalk
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 376-3889
10 comments:
That's the funny thing about good looking food photography---it sometimes doesn't convey when something isn't delicious. Wouldn't it be awesome if there was a lens that took ugly pictures of gross food and amazing shots of tasty treats??
I would go for the chicken meatballs with radish...
And I want the digital camera that Gastronomer is suggesting :)
Gastronomer: very true. Photos can play tricks on you. Those chicken meatballs with lotus actually weren't that bad, just that the photo makes them look extra delicious. Deceiving...
Loving Annie: those chicken meatballs with daikon was easily the next best dish. I could eat those for lunch every day and be happy.
I said god damn, that looks good. Too bad Redondo is way off my radar...
I came when it was a yakitori. The chef's wife asked us not to take pictures of the kitchen, though I was free to photograph the food. I was wondering what this place looked like since they reopened. Looks pretty much the same. Have they hired another staff yet? The two-person show seems so stressful, considering their popularity.
hey mattatouille ;]
were these taken with your D50?
jonbaik: yeah they were taken with my D50 and my Sigma 24-60mm F2.8 lens. I'm planning on getting a 50mm F1.8 for some even lower light stuff.
matt: yeah, I think the food overall looks better than it tastes.
aaron: it's still a two person show, but it didn't seem too busy. You're right though, if the place were busier it would definitely be tough.
Love the photos. My little digital camera just can't handle low lighting!
pleasurepalate: though it's a bit expensive, if you combo the Nikon D40 and the new 50mm AF-S lens, you could have the most compact, but powerful low-light camera out there. Cost about $800, but hey, you'll get superior photos :)
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