Saturday, September 12, 2009

Try And Focus, Please

Imagine a world without music: pretty lonely, right? Now, imagine a world without music or okonomiyaki: uninhabitable. Fortunately for us all, Salon De Cafe Focus in Little Tokyo has both. Nestled in the bottom of the austere Japanese Plaza parking structure, Focus proves to be a relajante retreat from the usual bustle of the area. Actually, I found I was the only customer on a Sabado afternoon after walking past the karaoke rooms and into the cafe atrium. I ordered okonomi (which means "what you want") yaki (meaning "grilled") and stared at the skyscrapers while listening to the same three ambient Radiohead songs repeat over the house speakers. When the savory pancake arrived, I quickly snapped to attention and dug in as the bonito flakes danced the samba. The Focus version is basic but solid: batter, eggs, grated yam, cabbage, pickled ginger, camarones, onion, bacon, katsuobushi, sauce, and Japanese mayo (muy excelente). While the focus of Focus may be karaoke, just knowing that this culinary hideout exists is truly music to the ears.

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