Dinner with friends has become a major part of my life. I love it because it’s an enjoyable few hours where I can catch up with people I’m close to. On this evening in particular I was meeting with an old coworker, Darin, at Osawa in Pasadena. Darin is a talented graphic designer I used to work with a few years ago at a marketing agency in Hollywood. Once we both left the agency, we kept in touch and then he became a pivotal part in the development of Follow My Gut. He created my logo, showed me where to get my theme, and continues to help me with site issues. Since he brought a mere concept of mine to life, I wanted to take him out to say “thank-you” for everything he has done and Osawa was the perfect place to do that.

I’ve passed by this restaurant many times while in Old Town Pasadena, but never stopped in. It wasn’t until I saw some of their beautiful creations on their Instagram account that I told myself I would go in and take Darin along for the ride. The restaurant is small and cozy, but it carries a welcoming feeling that makes it easy to continuously order food to avoid leaving. Tables sit close to one another, but not to the point that you infringe on another group’s conversation. Black and white art is hung across the walls to make it feel comfortable and colorful plates rest across the tables. Once Darin arrived and the conversation began, we took a second to look over the menu.

Our waitress, Yuki, came to our side to walk us through the menu. With so many unique sounding dishes, I relied on her to guide us to the best ones. Thankfully, she was a great help in steering us to the things that we were interested in. With her help, we checked off a few items, ordered a few more, and were well on our way to a great dinner!

To start we ordered a few sushi rolls. Salmon, conch, squid, aori ika, Thai snapper, and halibut were the ones that caught our eyes. Ranging from $6 to $8 for two pieces, the sushi came on a nice board for us to share. While they were all well-prepared, fresh, and delicious my favorite was the Thai snapper. I already love snapper so to have it here on sushi was perfect.

After the rolls, we got the Chicken Tsukune ($19). Two ground chicken skewers were served in a dish sitting underneath a poached egg. You may think these are just skewers, which is understandable considering the way it looks, but it is more than that. The ground chicken was incredibly flavorful and the when the poached egg was sliced and mixed with the sauce it created a delicious blend that absorbed into the chicken. Adding this to whatever you order will surely fill you up, unless you’re a competitive eater or play for the NFL. In that case, I doubt there’s anything that will ever make you feel full.

The third dish we shared was the Seared Foie Gras with Daikon ($19). I don’t have foie gras often just because it can be expensive. However, when I see it on the menu I flirt with the idea of ordering it. This evening, that flirt turned to action and we got it. The dish was small and a part of me wanted to gripe about the size to price relation, but I have to remember that duck liver is a luxury item whose controversy comes with a steep price. Taking that into consideration, any complaint that could have swept across my lips was quickly silenced. I took my fork and let myself enjoy it, and I did. If you’ve never had foie gras before, the taste can seem strange. It’s soft and delicate and in spite of being so gentle, the liver is highly condensed and it carries a strong smooth texture. Almost an oxymoron of attributes, you’ll either love it or hate it. At Osawa, I leaned more to loving it. The foie gras sat atop a Japanese daikon raddish which was delicious. Slicing it with my fork (or a chop stick if you’re experienced) was so effortless and I loved how well seasoned it was. It sits right in the same taste as a cassava or yucca.

The final plate of the night was the Yuzu Pepper Duck Breast ($15). Crispy slices of duck were served with green onions and eggplant drizzled in a miso sauce. The duck was so tender that it was difficult for me to share with Darin, he was kind enough to let me have the majority of them. It could have been because he saw me scarfing them down with pure elation across my face. Normally I don’t care for eggplant, but I loved the sweetness of the miso sauce because it made the vegetable exciting. Despite eating so much prior to this dish, this plate was gone within a few minutes. Who am I kidding? Seconds.

I loved how simple Osawa’s dishes appear when they arrive to the table. They may not be large plates that look like they’ll fill you up, but sometimes I don’t want that. Amongst all the burgers I eat and overt food porn I see on social media, it’s nice to slow down with a plate that caters to minimalism and modesty. Even more, it’s beautiful to a dish that isn’t pouring past the brim. At Osawa, dishes are served with the focus of individuals enjoying the flavors of the food and less about being plated for bragging rights on social media.

Not to worry, the latter will ensue regardless.

To check out Darin (because he’s a badass designer) visit his site here: Darin Dared Me

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Address: 77 N Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101
Phone: (626) 683-1150
Hours: Sunday to Thursday – 11:30am to 2:30pm and 5:00pm to 9:30pm, Friday and Saturday – 11:30am to 2:30pm and 5:00pm to 10:00pm
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