Musha
1725 W. Carson St., Eastgate Plaza, Ste. B
Torrance, CA
South Western Avenue
310-787-7344

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.


Hours: Mon.-Wed., 6-11 p.m.; Thu.-Sat., 6-11:30 p.m.; Sun., 6-10:30 p.m.