Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Izakaya Masa, Japanese Treasure in Mission Hills

Friends and foodies have been telling me forever to check out Izakaya Masa -- the little Japanese restaurant with no sign that is tucked into the corner of a strip mall on Fort Stockton Drive -- but it wasn't until last week that I finally heeded their strong recommendations, and I'm so happy I did. But not for the reasons I thought I would be.

For some reason, I had it in my head that this was a strictly yakitori (grilled skewered meats and veggies) and ramen joint. But the menu was extensive, with a cross-section of all of my traditional Japanese dining favorites, from agedashi tofu to chicken katsudon.

I was happy to be there with a group, which meant I could see and taste more than if I'd just gone with David. We ordered a handful of small dishes off of the appetizer list. Agedashi tofu, of course, and a tofu steak with "Masa's blackpepper sauce." Both tofu dishes were extraordinary in their own way -- the agedashi was, as with Sushi Tadokoro's, served sans bonito flakes and therefore had none of that overwhelming fishy taste I don't care for. Atop the tofu was a mound of grated mountain yam.

The black pepper sauce on the tofu steak had a rich umami flavor and a nice bite from the black pepper.

My friend Kimberly and I couldn't go near the tongue, for reasons of uncomfortable mental associations, but David and Shawn said it was as tender as it was tasty.

There was barely enough gyoza to go around, what with that satisfyingly crunchy side from where it has sat on the skillet.

I felt terrible for demanding David to order the ramen so we could see how it compared, because his entree was the one disappointment of the evening. The broth was bland and watery, the noodles were thinner than the standard, and the pork was fatty (which, though not a bad thing as some people like that, we prefer leaner meat). After he tasted it, David looked as drawn and sad as the bowl in front of him.

On the opposite end of the flavor spectrum, I was experiencing a foodgasm with my nabeyaki, or hot pot udon (in a "cray" pot, according to the menu), which came with shrimp tempura, a perfectly poached egg, chunks of tofu, and spinach that managed to maintain its own flavor and avoid getting slimy in the simmering broth. Oh, the broth! Savory, spicy, just the right amount of salt -- it was the kind of bowl you're sure to tip to your mouth at the end to get every last drop. So my recommendation is, if you're craving something noodley and soupy when you hit up Masa (the nickname locals have given the place), skip the ramen and order the udon.

Though the chicken katsudon (fried chicken tenders, egg, and onions on rice) that Shawn ordered looked amazing, I was too busy luxuriating in my udon dish to give it a try.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Hip-hop artist Don Elway makes movies for his music

Not Ordinary EP tells a story of life on the streets
Next Article

Hip-hop artist Don Elway makes movies for his music

Not Ordinary EP tells a story of life on the streets

Friends and foodies have been telling me forever to check out Izakaya Masa -- the little Japanese restaurant with no sign that is tucked into the corner of a strip mall on Fort Stockton Drive -- but it wasn't until last week that I finally heeded their strong recommendations, and I'm so happy I did. But not for the reasons I thought I would be.

For some reason, I had it in my head that this was a strictly yakitori (grilled skewered meats and veggies) and ramen joint. But the menu was extensive, with a cross-section of all of my traditional Japanese dining favorites, from agedashi tofu to chicken katsudon.

I was happy to be there with a group, which meant I could see and taste more than if I'd just gone with David. We ordered a handful of small dishes off of the appetizer list. Agedashi tofu, of course, and a tofu steak with "Masa's blackpepper sauce." Both tofu dishes were extraordinary in their own way -- the agedashi was, as with Sushi Tadokoro's, served sans bonito flakes and therefore had none of that overwhelming fishy taste I don't care for. Atop the tofu was a mound of grated mountain yam.

The black pepper sauce on the tofu steak had a rich umami flavor and a nice bite from the black pepper.

My friend Kimberly and I couldn't go near the tongue, for reasons of uncomfortable mental associations, but David and Shawn said it was as tender as it was tasty.

There was barely enough gyoza to go around, what with that satisfyingly crunchy side from where it has sat on the skillet.

I felt terrible for demanding David to order the ramen so we could see how it compared, because his entree was the one disappointment of the evening. The broth was bland and watery, the noodles were thinner than the standard, and the pork was fatty (which, though not a bad thing as some people like that, we prefer leaner meat). After he tasted it, David looked as drawn and sad as the bowl in front of him.

On the opposite end of the flavor spectrum, I was experiencing a foodgasm with my nabeyaki, or hot pot udon (in a "cray" pot, according to the menu), which came with shrimp tempura, a perfectly poached egg, chunks of tofu, and spinach that managed to maintain its own flavor and avoid getting slimy in the simmering broth. Oh, the broth! Savory, spicy, just the right amount of salt -- it was the kind of bowl you're sure to tip to your mouth at the end to get every last drop. So my recommendation is, if you're craving something noodley and soupy when you hit up Masa (the nickname locals have given the place), skip the ramen and order the udon.

Though the chicken katsudon (fried chicken tenders, egg, and onions on rice) that Shawn ordered looked amazing, I was too busy luxuriating in my udon dish to give it a try.

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Authentic Japanese in Old Town

Next Article

Tajima lives up to its reputation

Hillcrest Japanese spot includes gluten-free ramen and variety of Japanese craft beer.
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.