Gluten Free Chocolate cake

New Chocolate cake!!

I made this today so that I can introduce a new thing of "Gluten Free dessert!!" to you guys!! Of course, I am using vegan, macrobiotic friendly ingredients!!

OMG!!! this one was a winner!!

I loved it!! Even though it takes long time for me to bake, it's worth it!!

Very creamy and decadent! lovely chocolate cake!!

I think we can offer this to you next month! Please come and try!

Customer report

Everybody is happy with the special torte and special course!! Thank you very much for coming to enjoy our delicious-vegan-macrobiotic friendly meals!! We love you all!!

special course!

Love!!
We are still offering our special course!
for only $20!!
and if you reserve your seat beforehand, you get to have a speical eco-torte, just like the one in the picture!!
Aren't they cute??
Sarah (who designed it) and her friend, Sherry :) They dined and had a special course and special gift from us:)
Please call (213)617-0305
the special offer ends in two weeks!!!

Business Hour Change!! starting April 1st.

Summer Business Hours starting on April 1, 2010

Lunch Dinner
Monday Close 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Tuesday Close 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Wednesday 11:30am - 2:30pm 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Thursday 11:30am - 2:30pm 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Friday 11:30am - 2:30pm 5:30pm - 10:30pm
Saturday 12:00pm - 10:30pm
Sunday 12:00pm - 10:00pm
Holidays 12:00pm - 10:00pm
New Business hour starts on April 1, 2010

For the weekend's dinner (friday and saturday), we extended the hours!! (if you are coming in close to 10:30PM, please give us a call to make sure that we can wait for you!! (213)617-0305)
For saturday, sunday and Holidays, we are open all day long so you don't have to worry about the break! (We start our dinner menu at 3 o'clock on those days.)
For the weekday's lunch, we extended 30 min! (closed on Monday and Tuesday)

Birthday gift from our customer!!

Isn't it cute!? little cherry blossom stickers on the cute little box!!
For our 2nd anniversary, this cutest couple made some ginger snap cookies!!
They were very tasty!
Thank you sooooo much:)
you guys made us very happy!

Spiced Crispy Tempeh

Spiced Crispy Tempeh
Pan-fried marinated tempeh in crispy spicey oatmeal crust and sliced eggplant. Served with special marinara sauce and garlic mashed potato.

We didn't have Tempeh as an entree...so finally it is here to prove how good they can be!!
(I personally do not like tempeh, but this crispy tempeh has a great flavors! Now I think I can enjoy tempeh a lot more)


For those who do not know much about tempeh...
It is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form. Tempeh is unique among major traditional soyfoods in that it is the only one that did not originate in China or Japan. It originated in today's Indonesia, and is especially popular on the island of Java, where it is a staple source of protein. Like tofu, tempeh is made from soybeans, but tempeh is a whole soybean product with different nutritional characteristics and textural qualities. Tempeh's fermentation process and its retention of the whole bean give it a higher content of protein, dietary fiber, and vitamin. It has a firm texture and strong flavor. Because of its nutritional value, tempeh is used worldwide in vegetarian cuisine; some consider it to be a meat analogue.

We (except me...) had a study meeting the other day!!
we do occasionally, have a little study group to discuss about how
our foods are made...and all...
Since we need a lot more spcecial knowledge about our menu.

And not just talking!! we get to eat a great stuff meal!!
The vegan/macrobiotic pizza that were served this day...
Asparagus, homemade sausage, basil, special pizza sauce & vegan cheese
Spinach & Vegan Mozzarella
Mixed mushrooms, special pizza sauce & vegan cheese

mmm...I wasn't there... :( to taste these yumminess!!
The pasta was...
Vegetables with Herb Butter
Yakisoba

mmm...is this a torture????
Yakisoba is my fav stuff meal!!!



But anyways, that's how we learn!

Happy Birthday!

To celebrate her birthday for the second time at shojin!!
She brought her another best friends!!
Thank you very much for coming and loving us :)
happy birthday! Hayley!

Lemon seared Eryngii and Asparagus

Lemon-seared Eryngii and Asparagus

Erynggi mushrooms and asparagus sauteed with soy margarine, seasoned with sea salt, black pepper and fresh lemon juice

This simple, yet refreshingly new flavored dish is our new item as well!!
The secret I think is....


According to Wiki, Eryngii is an edible mushroom native to Mediterranean regions of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, but also grown in parts of Asia. It has little flavor or aroma when raw. When cooked, it develops typical mushroom umami flavors with a texture similar to that of abalone.

This abalone-like mushroom goes very well with lemon and asparagus!!

Spicy BBQ Roll

Spicy seitan BBQ Roll.
Spicy barbecued seitan, greens and kaiware sprouts with spicy soy sauce and vegan mayo.

For a long time, the BBQ roll that we had was only the Caterpillar roll...
Even though we knew seitan BBQ, rice and seaweed goes very very well!!
Now, we are so proud to offer you this yummy and spicy seitan BBQ roll. The BBQ seitan is already spicy by the cayenne pepper...and all, but in order to achieve further spiciness we put some kaiware sprouts that has distinctive aroma and spiciness to it.
hope you get to try this hot hot new item!!!

ATT Salad

Spring has come...
As a macrobiotic-friendly restaurant, we have to offer something
that is seasonal!! Spring...Spring...
light colored beautifully tender and scrumptious
Asparagus!!! is in the season!!!!
So we added massive varieties of asparagus menus through
appetizers to Sushi...

And this is one of them...



>DIV>

ATT Salad

Asparagus, tomatoes, homemade tofu cheese and mixed greens served with lemony soy vinaigrette. Topped with fresh roasted granola.

The combination of the asparagus and tomatoes!! and the homemade tofu mocks a "Ricotta cheese". Alas! The dressing is very tangy and refreshing with lemon and soysauce, aren't they mouth-watering already!!???

Seitan Steak Marinade with Garlic Herb Butter

Seitan Steak Marinade with Garlic Herb Butter

Marinated and grilled juicy tender seitan steaks. Topped with garlic her butter.

This is our new menu, yet it is already a sensation!! Everybody love it!!

It is sooo juicy and tender as the description of the menu says. And also, it is smoky because of the way we cook it~over the grill!!

The secret of the juiciness is from the overnight marinade. And we don't waste the marinaded liquid, we use it as the sauce. The match between sauce and herby butter and brown rice!! They all make sense together.

Don't forget, we are doing the special course still! for only $20!!

please call and make a reserveation to get your special gift!

(213)617-0305

tempura veggie roll

Tempra Veggie Roll
Assorted vegetable tempura roll with sweet soy dipping sauce.
The vegetable would be...Zuccini, Japanese pumpkin (kabocha), carrot, sweet potato
usually. (They might change for seasonal purposes)
Chef Kimiko told me that she wanted to make something that is "Deli-style,"
quick and yummy, yet fulfilling and nutritious.
And this is what it is!!
Very sweet and crunchy vegetables are wrapped in a seaweed and brown rice!!
come and try :)

New items and how we study...

Boiling pot with lemon and altchokes...

The other day, we gethered around the kitchen and studied new menu.
Since we expanded our heavenly menu, we had to learn how to cook them as well!!
Look at the hands with notepads!
We are serious learner :D
Hope you are going to enjoy the mega menu!!

To get to know the new menu better,
you should try and come in for the special course that are offered limited time only!
It is only $20 per person. and you get to eat one appetizer, small soup or salad, one entree and one dessert! (and plus, you get to enjoy our original eco-bag if you reserve the course beforehand)
(213)617-0305

Special gift for the special course!

LOVE vegan~original Shojin eco-bag, designed by Sarah.

this is going to be the special present for the special course!
You have to reserve the special course if you want this!
And this course is a great deal!!!
Special course start with appetizer (you can choose one appetizer from our reg. menu)
and small soup or salad and main dish (one dish from our reg. menu) and dessert (also from our reg. menu)
Before you know it, everybody is going to walk around the neighborhood, carring aroud this bag!!
only thing you have to do is to call and reserve!
(213)617-0305

sides of heaven!

Garlic Mashed Potato
Mashed Yukon gold potatoes with a hint of sauteed garlic. Served with savory herb gravy!!

they are delightful!!
Yukon gold's sweetness and butter-y ness are going to blow you away!
And the herby gravy is the best match made in heaven!

I think you get to choose this side of potato for certain main dishes...
hope you get to taste of this Yukon gold!!!

Sarah's greatest art pieces everywhere...

Our favorite artist, Sarah William did the Curtain for the Viva Elvis by Cirque du Soleil, which
started last month at the new hotel "Aria" in Las Vegas!!



And these two t-shirts are designed by Sarah. They are on sale at your nearest Target!!
Aren't they cute:)
love them!!
and you know what!!??
Now you can purchase Sarah's love arts on our wall!!
They are sooo affordable! Please hurry and get yours. They are not going to last long!!!

Shojin and Shojin and more Shojin

It's egg-free, cane-sugar free and also meat free birthday cakes we have :)

So since Shojin is 2 years old now...
We are set to serve our newest menus, starting this Friday!!
We have tons of new stuffs (that I haven't even mentioned...)
please join us and celebrate our new menus!!!

and don't forget to reserve for our special course (which starts on 3/15)
if you reserve the course beforehand, you get a great gift from us :D
Please call (213)617-0305
If I were you, I wouldn't miss this sp course!!

Baked Artichoke

Oven Baked artichoke with garlic herb butter. Served with refreshing yuzu
"ponzu"dipping sauce...

I think this is going to be our new menu as well...
The big flavor of the artichoke will be presented with Japanese flare!!
Herb butter gives the richness to it. And the use of ponzu soy sauce will give the
powerful, yet new sensation (I bet!) since we are so use to the
normal artichoke dip... like aioli and all...


Hope you get to enjoy these cute artichokes straight from farmer's market!!!

Shojin Sandae :)

All the Japanese fav is right here in this little glass!!
a big scoop of Green tea ice cream and yummy sweet azuki paste
Shiratama MOCHI adds great texture!
To be preciese, shiratama is not really a mochi... It's actually shiratama DANGO, which is
a Japanese dumpling made from rice flour. it however, is related to mochi, and yummy as mochi...
hope everybody like them!! Since this is another item that I added to the new menu for
our 2nd anniversary:)

Coconut Mango Cake!

This is my new dessert. The real name is... "Shojin Tropico."
It is a layered lime spongy cake with coconut cream and mango confit in the middle!
very tangy and refreshing! my favorite is the coconut triangle that is crunchy and coconutty!
served with lime ice cream.

I created this when I was craving sweet stuff (so unusual... :P ).
The sweet things... sweet things...
the first thing came to my mind was, Bobby Flay's throwdown. I think
he did a battle on coconut cream cake or something.
so I wanted to the create some coconut flavor cake, only in a vegan version.

Double Yam Roll

More details are here now!
Double Yam roll!!!
Very sweet and confection-like yams in a sushi roll...
Using purple and garnet Yams. We are going to tempura them,
and serve it with lemony tartar sauce and green seaweed flakes!

I've got the secret of... making this double yam roll.
It started when we had this helper whose name is Kodai from
other sushi restaurant, he told us that in his restaurant, the garnet tempura
yam roll with mayo is the best seller...

and so it was done...


sweet and orange-y look that garnet brings....

Also, sweet and exotic look that purple brings.... combined together!

Shojin's 2nd birthday!!!

March 5th is very important date for shojin...
Shojin was born on that day...and grew slowly but surely...
cuz of you ;)
To show our appreciation, we are thinking about
1. Creating more and more new menus (they are coming pretty soon)
2. Special Course (starting 3/15th~) with great price!
You get to choose one Appetizer from our appetizer menu, one Entree from our entree menu, and also one dessert from our dessert menu. (plus small salad or small soup). this course is going to be an customer appreciation price, (which means...it's bargain!!!!! ;P)
And for the people who reserve this course in advance, we are preparing a very very special shojin gift!! I can't tell you what it is yet, but this is going to be specutacular as well!
(213)617-0305 is the number to call!

*****The wall arts by Sarah William will continued to be on the Shojin's wall throughout March! Love is still in the air! please come and see them!******

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday! Ryan:)
Hope to see you soon!

Happy Birthday!! Jessica:D
thank you very much for bringing your mama!

Customer report

Our friend, Mary and Hugo were here at Shojin!
in front of Sarah's art!
hope you guys enjoyed yourself :)

They are the owner of Mary's secret Garden
www.maryssecretgarden.com
Organic Vegan Bistro!
Please visit them when you are in the are of Ventura!!