Red Rock features 11 locations in Japan, starting in Hyogo on the central coast. Their first U.S. outpost resides in Torrance’s freeway friendly Nijiya Plaza, replacing udon specialist Monjiro. In a rarity, the plaza’s loss was also a gain.

Dinner rises to the level of tomahawk steaks. A more limited Red Rock lunch menu revolves around beef and rice bowls called dons. Ribeye’s available, but I prefer their American Slice Beef Don ($14.95 large), a mountain of white rice coated with seven ounces of rosy, thin-sliced beef. Each order comes with mixed greens bathed with savory sauce (tomato ponzu?) and cascading yogurt sauce showered with black sesame seeds. Add a raw Jidori egg to your mountain for $1.

Each don comes with a cup of warming beef onion broth soup and salad oddly dressed with marinara sauce and Parmesan. Try not to hold that second accompaniment against Red Rock, since the salad comes at no extra cost.