Musha

At Musha in Torrance, regulars sit around a communal table or take a seat at the counter. No need for a menu -- just look. There's a tall omelet stuffed with rice noodles and slivered octopus, and served in big wedges, and a huge pan of steamed clams in garlic sauce with a touch of cream. Delicious marinated mackerel is finished with a blowtorch just before serving, and meats are cooked over individual braziers. The beautiful thing is that you can eat and eat and it's hard to spend more than $20 a person. There's also a branch in Santa Monica, with an even more wildly eclectic crowd.