Musha Restaurant

Don't come here with whiners, anti-socials, or picky eaters. It totally blows. The wait is long. No reservations after 7PM I believe. Even for two people, we had to wait 40 minutes. Set up/decor: the place is small. It has ONE large communal table and a bunch of small tables scattered around. Crowd: Very diverse. The waiters are all Japanese (boys!) but you should have no problem ordering. The menu is very simple (and in english). Food: Delish! I had the clams, the pork yakisoba, Musha Fried Chicken, Mayo Shrimp, and salad. The food took a little while but it comes out piping hot and flavorful. I had the asahi clams somewhere else and it wasn't as juicy and good. The MFC kinda disappointed me.. tasted like regular chicken katsu. The shrimp was good though. It was huge and not too ""mayo-ey"". The dishes are enough for 3 people I believe depending on what else you order. oh and we had beer. and more beer. Price: Between $6-$11 a plate. Not too bad. It should definitely be better with more people though. Like I said, whiners will whine about the wait time. Picky eaters will tell you what they ""will NEVER try"". Anti-socials will complain about sitting with the crowd. I'm only one out of the three so I'm still all good. In fact, my date was so boring I ended up chatting it up with the people around me and drank their beer too. Which of course led to the ""You pay more attention to strangers than me"" arguement. Yea, my date sucked ass. Pros: Prices. Good beer food. Cons: Always a wait. more

Musha Restaurant in Torrance offers tasty home styled Japanese cooked dishes. Diners can dine at individual... more

Musha Restaurant in Torrance offers tasty home styled Japanese cooked dishes. Diners can dine at individual tables, at the counter, or at a communa... more

Ahhh Musha.... you, who started my love affair with Izakaya taverns and indirectly, my love of Online... more

Ahhh Musha.... you, who started my love affair with Izakaya taverns and indirectly, my love of Online Restaurant Review Sites. You who did not f... more

This is my favorite restaurant in Torrance, and I've been going here for 8 years. Not only is the food fantastic, the service and the aubience are all a great part of the experience. If you're bored of sushi and are looking for a great new restaurant, give Musha a try. more

Great selection of Sake, service is good and food is better than average as some posts have said. Pros: You never know who you will see..... Cons: Usually need a reservation more

good food. I have to say try their Cheese Risotto! I can't really call it fusion.. but I can't also call it... more

good food. I have to say try their Cheese Risotto! I can't really call it fusion.. but I can't also call it pure japanese food. haha it's like a mo... more

a friend took me there for the first time and i love it!!! then i took my friend who visit from another country and she loves it also!!~ dishes are quit unique. The portion isn't the biggest, but if you are going in with a party of 3, you should get a taste of different dishes. Trust me, you eye is always bigger than your stomach! the first time i went with just a friend and i, we order wayyyy to much. tonight i went again with a party of 3, we order the ""tuna poke"" as an appetizer, the cheese risotto (rice dish), beef tongue stew on griller, garlic butter clam, and the cheese tofu as dessert. the food was sooooooooooooo good. must try! Pros: environment, dish, fun for group Cons: Ventilation system more

I wouldn't say it's authentic japanese food since several of their dishes were creative fusion dishes with a korean/italian flair. They even state it on their menu that they're not a traditional izakaya. The menu is written in cute casual english and japanese fonts, and has a variety of interesting hot and cold dishes, salad, and rice and noodle dishes that ranges anywhere from $6-$10. We ordered ten dishes for four people and we were pretty full. I particularly liked the ponzu marinated mackerel sashimi that's torched right in front of you before serving. The yuzu chicken was pretty tasty, too. Although the souffle was a disappointment (it looked & tasted like an upside down fudge brownie -_-), the black sesame ice cream was delicious! Overall, the food is average flavorwise...lots of pepper in their grilled dishes which is expected in pub grub, but musha gets extra points for creative presentation and the friendly ambience. You get to grill certain items like beef tongue and mushrooms on these mini charcoal grills, which is great for people who like to have fun with their food. The portions are just big enough to allow 4 people to sample each item. Pros: fun ambience, friendly & helpful servers Cons: Too much pepper on grilled meats (for my taste anyway) more

Musha exemplifies all of what is good about Japanese cuisine: tasty and tempting tapa-like treats that tantalize the tongue and satisfy your stomach. Winners include the following: kabocha dip (ask for more crackers when you run out), seared duck, yellowtail carpaccio, pork and kim chee stirfry, fried chicken, cook-your-own beef tongue, octopus soba omelette, chocolate souffle, and black tea ice cream. The one disappointment was the cheese risotto, which is presented wonderfully but is a bit overpowering in flavor. This is a wonderful izakaya. If you have a large group, make a reservation early and sit at the communal table. It's crowded by 7:30 on a Wednesday night! Pros: Friendly service, great food Cons: Noise level more

This is a great restaurant. Highly inventive Japanese tapas dishes. Not a bad value considering the quality of the food. Hit or miss on some of the 'stranger' dishes, but the ones that do 'hit' are fantastic and worth going back for. Nice ambience although I hear the Torrance location is a bit more laid back. I am a repeat customer and will continue to be... Inattentive service at times. Pros: Food, Ambience, Location Cons: Service at times more

The original Torrance branch has much more authentic ambience and the food seems more carefully prepared. The Santa Monica branch is more harried, therefore service is less attentive, plus it's invaded by the hipster crowd (from Los Feliz?)! Honestly, the plates are way too large to be pub grub but for the most part the food is wonderful. I would stay away from the spring rolls, though. Pros: Food, Ambience, Parking (Torrance) Cons: Crowded (SM), Parking (SM) more

I've taken many people to this place and EVERY SINGLE TIME, we had tears in our eyes... that's how good musha is. I've only been to the Santa Monica one. make reservation on Friday night. HAVE TO order their albacore salad, takotama, and grill beef tongue. Their sake comes in the most brilliant bottle as well. I went there last Friday and I'm going there tomorrow. Yes that's how much I love that place. NOW EVERYONE GO TRY IT! Pros: food, ambience, sake bottle Cons: parking, crowded, hard to find more

Excellent take on japanese food. Never fail to please your palate. From the pumpkin dip to the grill meats to the slow cooked pork ... Ask for the specials. And if you're in a big group ask for the tatami room in Santa Monica's branch. FUN. Pros: excellent food, friendly service more

No Westernized Japanese food here. This suburban gem serves only trad'l Japanese dishes. Entrees like the broiled black cod w/miso, beef tenderloin, and scallop/shrimp sashimi are all winners. And don't worry, no one is going to chase you for tip - the other reviewer is just trying to prevent others from finding out about this place. Pros: Flavorful Food, Easy Parking, Festive atmosphere more

""Izakaya"" is what this type of restaurant is called and you can't get more authentic Japanese than this... other than sushi, of course. =) It's basically Japanese tapas mixed with lots of noise and lots of beer - a great place to come with friends! I've been to a lot of izakaya's, but I'd have to say that this one is by far the best. Very creative with their dishes and its delicious!! They have a location in Santa Monica, but I personally like the Carson location better. More authentic! But either place, it's definitely a ""must experience""!! Pros: Tapas style, Parking-Carson Cons: Parking-Santa Monica more