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

Dinner rises to the tomahawk steak level. A more limited Red Rock lunch menu revolves around beef and rice bowls called dons. Ribeye is available, but I prefer their American Slice Beef Don ($14.95 large). They blanket a white rice mountain 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 the restaurant. Salad comes at no extra cost.