by Amanda Knoles

TOKYO WAKO
310 S. Pine Avenue
Long Beach, CA
(562) 435-7600
This glitzy Japanese restaurant near the Pike Pier offers cocktail service with specialty drinks like the Samurai and Geisha, plus more than 50 wines, including 20 by the glass. There’s a waterfront patio with a killer view, and the swanky indoor dining room features a sushi bar and teppan room. A crowd favorite is the beef roll, thin slices of filet mignon rolled around slices of cucumber, gobo and radish sprouts, then grilled in butter. More traditional sushi choices include the Firecracker roll, a spicy scallop and albacore mix in a garlic citrus sauce, and Dragon roll, a variation of the California roll with eel. Other popular entrees include salmon-wrapped scallops, crisp fried chicken panko and yakisoba.