Furaibo on Sawtelle Blvd

I'll start this post by describing Sawtelle boulevard in West LA. Think of it as a culinary epicenter of (mostly) Japanese and Korean eateries, nestled amongst a Yogurtland, several karaoke bars, a crepe stall, and a highly-regarded day spa. Sawtelle Kitchen, Hide Sushi, Tofu House, Tofuya, Asahi, Nijiya market, Hurry Curry, Orris, Kiriko. So many more. The sheer density of good eats in this stretch of west side asphalt is worthy of a page in Guinness. I will leave it as an exercise for the reader to Yelp those places and the many others, but bear in mind, when you walk through this area, it will be impossible not to step into restaurant you'll eventually fall in love with.

Last night was our team's weekly dinner/happy-hour outing, and next on the list (and the list is long) was Furaibo -- an eccentric Japanese bar and izakaya famous for its seasoned deep-fried chicken wings and other deep-fried delectables served at college-friendly prices. Having been in the office that day since 7am to work with our Pune counterparts, I was a bit tired from the day's tasks but nonetheless very ready to eat and drink with my usual A game appetite.

Some exterior shots:





We proceeded to sit in the cozy, semi-private tatami room (shoes off and sit on floor cushions), which we had to ourselves until 8pm or so. Stepping into the main room revealed Furaibo's hustling, upbeat vibe. Everyone's eating, drinking, laughing, talking, drinking.

Furaibo has a substantial menu of mostly small dishes categorized by veggie/meat/chicken/seafood that are either grilled, deep-fried, or served cold. The drink menu includes about a dozen unique sochu cocktails, as well as the go-to Japanese beers Sapporo, Asahi, and Kirin.

We started the night with some Asahi pours.

Someone in the group mentioned there is "Japanese" pour and an "American" pour. More on that later.

A co-worker's red grape and sochu cocktail:


Hanpen - deep fried fish and cheese pockets:

Think of these as McDonald's fillet-of-fish sandwiches, deep fried. These were very good and went quickly. I think one girl in the group ordered a plate for herself.


Sweet potato coquettes:

So good! More please! We also have shishito peppers in the background. These were OK; I prefer shishitos when served in a bowl with a heaping pile of bonito flakes. By the way the best rendition of shishito is at K-Zo in Culver City.

Fried rice with pork:

This was actually very good and not too oily. The pork-to-rice ratio was textbook.


Deep-fried chicken wings and thighs:

A bit dry and over fried. The sauce helped but in the end these were un-salvageable.


Chicken skewers, grilled:

Spicy, tasty, so satisfying, and perfectly charred. Not quite as good as Nanbankan's version, but the ones there are a bit pricier.


Eggplant:

Nicely done. Not mushy, and cooked through with some texture preserved. The sauce was more of a complement and wasn't overpowering like at Sasaya.

Chicken skin:

A little dry and overcooked. The pieces that weren't charred (on the far left) had some nice flavor and texture.


Asparagus with what I believe is fermented soy paste:


Very nice texture with a complex, savory flavor combination. This was one my favs for the night.


Deep-fried whole fish:


Delicious. The meaty fillet pieces with the fried outer skin made for a fantastic marriage of soft and crispy textures.


So here's an "American" pour:

Apparently a Japanese pour has little or no head? Can someone confirm?

We ordered several plates of teba-saki chicken wings and I must have been in the zone while chowing these down because I clearly forgot to take pictures of them. I can say that they were good, cheap, too salty, but very popular with our group.

Overall, Furaibo is a celebrated after-work spot that will cure just about any work ailment the day may have brought upon you. It's worth a visit if you're in the area.

Furaibo
2068 Sawtelle Blvd
Los Angeles CA
90025




This weekend I'll be visiting LudoBites and TGIF's. Wow talk about polar opposites. I know I have some explaining to do for TGIF's. Just look for those postings soon.