Tokyo 7-7
3839 Main St Ste B
Culver City, CA

I confess, I have a soft spot in my heart for diners. Where did this nostalgia come from? It's not like my childhood memories are filled with trips to real 50's diners like a Mel's Drive in, or anything. The closest thing I got to a diner experience is in high school, and even then they weren't PLEASANT memories.

The only place that was open in the whole San Jose area past 10pm was Carrow's, or as we called it, "The Row's". The place was pretty dodgy, as was the food. Pretty much, only trust anything fried there, as the flying process kills off germs - my friend's husband to be found out this rule out the hard way, as he ate a T-Bone steak and eggs meal there, and got a severe case of food poisoning. Oh, the 'Row's. Fond, fond memories.

I digress. Tokyo 77 is the diner I never got in my formidable years. The very definition of "greasy spoon", this place is run by 3 kindly older Japanese ladies, who do everything from take your order to wipe the table down after you leave. I admit, I've waited awhile after placing my order, is there only one person back there preparing everything? Also, there's times when they've run out of items, like they ran out of rice. They're not going to make more for the day (they close EARLY!) so you're SOL. Anyways, here's what we got the first time we went there:

There's 2 sizes of orange juice, this is the "large" one. It's definitely reminicent of Japan sizing, but without the Japanese price! I think there's only like 15 cents difference from the regular and large, so always opt for the large. By the way, when I mean 15 cents different, I think the samll is like 99 cents and the large is 1.15. These are REAL diner prices.
Miso soup comes with the Tokyo 77 Special - I don't think it's out of this world miso but miso is pretty good either way.
Owen got his usual - The "French Toast Sandwich" plate. 4 french toast halves (= 2 pieces of bread for those who are counting), an egg (over easy, Owen's favorite style) and 2 pieces of bacon round out this extremely cheap order. He devours this in seconds, but it's the perfect combo for him - savory and sweet.
I ordered a side of fries with our meal - how can I resist for like 1 dollar? This goes so well with...
..my order, which was the Hawaiian Royale. A flat type omelet, almost a frittata but not as crispy, stuffed with Portuguese sausage, char siu, onions, green onions, and mushrooms. This was served over rice. It was a good mix of flavors - savory, a bit sweet with the bites of char siu, all bound together by egg, over a bed of white rice. It's tasty, if not the most filling thing you've ever had.
This is the only thing Scott's ever ordered: The Tokyo 77 Special. 5 thick slices of char siu, tamagoyagi (rolled egg omelet thing), rice and sunomo? For the life if me I can't spell it. It's basically pickled cucumber - kinda tastes like tears. He loves this, and every time, he completely clears the plate.

I'm not saying this place is the BEST for food, but it IS the best for prices and what you get for the money. And isn't that what diners are supposed to be? Do yourself a favor and head out to this place, just to soak up the ambiance of an old fashioned diner. Be warned, Cash only.