Gourmet Musubi Pop Up in Little Tokyo
What's a Musubi?
A musubi or onigiri is pretty simple,
a Japanese rice ball wrapped in seaweed.
Some of the traditional filling include seaweed,
a sour plum, or salted salmon.
Sometimes they're dipped in furikake,
which is a Japanese condiment sprinkled over rice.
It includes chopped seaweed, sesame seeds,
dried fish, salt, etc.
You may have heard "musubi" associated with
SPAM, which is a staple in Hawaii.
Today, I'm with
My first visit to Mama Musubi was at 626 Night Market,
their 24-Hour Pork Belly caught my eye and taste buds,
I wasn't disappointed.
Read about my first visit to 626 Night Market.
I was introduced to the Mama Musubi sibling owners,
Carol and Phillip. They invited me to a sneak peek of
the menu items for an upcoming pop up in Little Tokyo.
See What Jay Eats...
Gyu Niku Musubi
Angus Beef Ribeye and Caramelized Onions
in a sweet soy sauce.
It's like a mini beef bowl that you can eat
on the go in 2-3 bites.
(L to R) Spicy Kombu, 24-Hour Pork Belly, and Mama's Special
Spicy Kombu: Seasoned Kelp and House Taberu Chili Rayu
24-Hour Pork Belly: Berkshire Pork Belly, Daikon, and Karashi Mustard
Mama's Special: Oregon Bay Shrimp, Snow Crab, and Yuzu Aioli
The Spicy Kombu (seaweed) was really good and I enjoyed it.
24-Hour Pork Belly was the one that I was introduced with and
still good today. Mama's Special was a special treat, similar
to a California Roll, but with a nice yuzu flavor.
But then again, I love yuzu...
Negi Miso Yaki and Miso Chicken
Negi Miso Yaki: Haccho Miso and Scallions on top
of a grilled rice ball.
Miso Chicken: Jidori Chicken Thighs with House miso sauce
I usually don't order the Yaki Onigiri at a yakitori house,
it just a rice ball grilled with some yakitori sauce. Crispy
on the outside and soft on the inside. Mama Musubi puts
a miso sauce with scallions on top of the grilled rice ball.
I enjoyed the flavor and crunchy rice texture. Also good
was the Miso Chicken, with chunks of grilled Jidori chicken.
Wrap Up...
Each was good and something I would enjoy on it's own.
The 24-Hour Pork Belly was just as good as when I had it
at 626 Night Market during the summer of 2013.
My favorites were the Miso Chicken and the Spicy Kombu.
The Spicy Kombu was a really nice surprise,
not too spicy but had a nice kick to it.
With the Mama Musubi sibling owners, Carol and Phillip
Mama Musubi uses quality proteins like
Berkshire Pork, Angus Beef, and Jidori Chicken.
Anytime you start with good ingredients, you keep it
simple and let the natural flavor come through.
Mama Musubi does just that with a great combination
of ingredients and textures.
If you want to sample the above menu offerings,
Mama Musubi will have their first pop up
in Little Tokyo from March 7 - 15, 2014.
Mama Musubi Pop Up
at
(Next door to Lazy Ox)
243 S. San Pedro St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 621-9500
Closed on Sundays
Follow Mama Musubi for upcoming events and pop ups:
You can find them each Wednesday at the Altadena Farmers Market
Look for them at 626 Night Market
Watch @BackyardBite's Tastemade video here
Thank You!
Carol Kwan
Phillip Kwan
Mama Musubi
My favorite musubi place in Honolulu
Click Here
Photos by Jay Terauchi
Jay Eats
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