Far Bar - Baseball World Series Happy Hour in Little Tokyo, LA

I just missed 3 shots of sake for free. Every time Shoehei Ohtani hits a home run, the Far Bar in Little Tokyo pours a free shot of sake for everyone who's there.

I was across the street during that game at another Happy Hour watching the LA Dodgers battle the Philadelphia Phillies, the afternoon Shohei Ohtani hit 3 home runs in one game. 

Oh well, wins some, lose some. Happy Hour at the Far Bar, in downtown Los Angeles, is a deliciously fine time with or without winning a free sake shot. 

I started watching the Dodgers at different restaurant/bar Happy Hours around Los Angeles during this year's Baseball Playoffs because I'm too cheap to buy cable TV channels. And, a senior *LA Metro ride is only 35 cents, so I hit the rails.

Click on any photo to see larger.

The star attraction for the LA Dodgers is Shohei Ohtani, originally from the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan. The Dodgers have two other Japanese players, so I wanted to hang out with the locals in Little Tokyo (in downtown Los Angeles).

I found the Far Bar on 1st Street in Little Tokyo a cool restaurant/bar with cheap food and drink specials, and their Happy Hour goes 4 hours, from 3pm to 7pm, Monday thru Friday. 

The tall neon sign, above the outside entrance, has "Chop Suey Far East". A flyer outside says "Free Shohei Sake Shot When He Hits A Home Run". Shohei Ohtani has hit 55 Home Runs this regular season. That's a lot of free Sake Shots! Who knows how many he will hit in this year's Baseball World Series? 

When you enter the historic Far East Building, the Far Bar's large front room has half a dozen tables and a long bar lined with television screens. 

If you keep walking to the back and bear right, past the restrooms, then make another right, you enter a long outdoor patio, or a smaller bar in the back room. I planted myself in the small room with a bar and four small 2-chair tables. 

For a quieter experience, sit in the outdoor patio. I like the small back bar for watching the LA Dodgers on two TV screens, while nursing a Sapporo Draft with a Sake Shot for $9. Even the wait staff and the cooks do a quick peek in the bar for the TV screen baseball scores. 

The draft Sapporo is smooth and light, and the Sake is sweet - it's a good combination.

I decided on the Happy Hour Shrimp Tacos for $8. You get two small, but loaded, tacos. Inside the corn tortillas were whole, lightly sauteed shrimp.

The Pico de Gallo salsa is chunky with tomato, chopped onion, and jalapeño.

The additional Salsa Verde is mildly spicy when topped with a light Cilantro Cream. These are very tasty tacos, well worth the Happy Hour price.

That was enough to last me for half of the ball game. For the second half of the game, I had another round of Sapporo + Sake Shot, and Wasabi Fries. 

The French fries are McDonald's-style, thin and crispy, just the way I like them. The fries are topped with a wash of Wasabi Mayo and flecks of dried seaweed. Across the pond in Europe and the Far East, they like mayonnaise on their French Fries, and it works for me. Next time, I would ask for a small cup of Wasabi Mayo on the side to dip the fries. I do like a lot of ketchup (or Wasabi Mayo) when I have fries.

The first time I came here, early in the Dodger Playoffs, the small back bar was jammed and I barely squeezed in.

For my next game visit, there was plenty of room at the bar and small tables. The back room bar is less raucous than the front of the house.

I ordered a Sapporo and a Sake shot again. This time I tried the Ming Wings from the Happy Hour menu. They were crisp, Japanese Tempura-style. The batter is light with the possible addition of light cornstarch to heavier flour. 

They have a sweet coating similar to a Thai dipping sauce.  The chicken wings had whole spicy red chilis, chopped green onion, and specks of garlic - a very tasty chicken wing coating. 

The order included 5 chicken wing pieces, combining drummets and flats. They were large and meaty, moist and perfectly cooked.

The last Happy Hour item I ordered was Teriyaki Mango Sliders for $7. They come 2 to an order.

The Teriyaki Mango relish on each small beef patty is sweet and tangy. You get about 3 bites per Slider. No cheese, but that's okay.

The regular menu has a nice variety of entrees and specialty drinks, with prices in the low teens and twenties. (Click here, to see the full menu.) The menu is mainly Asian Fusion cuisine. Far Bar is a casual setting that gets rowdy on sports game days.

The Far Bar hits all the bases for Happy Hour during the World Series Playoffs. The crowd is there to cheer on the LA Dodgers, and you can't help but join in with high-fives, fist pumps, and chants of "Let's Go Dodgers". And, the *LA Metro's Little Tokyo rail stop is half a block away.

Far Bar - Open 7 days

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday:  3pm - 12am 

Friday - Saturday:  12pm - 1:30am

Sunday: 12pm - 12am

Happy Hour: Monday - Friday 3pm - 6pm

Social Media:

Twitter: x.com/farbartweets

Instagram @farbar_la

Facebook: facebook.com/farbarlittletokyo

* LA Metro

Website: www.metro.net

Seniors 62+/ Medicare/ Customer with Disability: www.metro.net/riding/fares/seniors

When you are a senior (62 years old) with a senior-issued LA Metro TAP card, it only costs 35 cents per ride during off-peak hours. The normal base fare is $1.75 per ride - it's a steal. 

Mr. Ramen - Cheap Dining During LA Dodgers Baseball World Series

How about 35 cents for a senior LA Metro rail trip* to Downtown's Little Tokyo to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers playoffs? 

With 3 Japanese players on the team, I wanted to watch a few games in Little Tokyo with the locals. 

                                          Click on any photo to see larger.

So, hang out with me and I'll show you a few great meals and drink deals in a cool, historic Los Angeles neighborhood.

The 700 million man, Dodger pitching and hitting ace, #17 jersey-wearing Shohei Ohtani (originally from Japan), has led the team to its second consecutive World Series Playoffs. His image is plastered all over Little Tokyo on murals, posters, and bobble heads. 

But I'm there for ramen, sake, and other food and drink specials during game days. 

Earlier in the baseball season, I happened to see a half-price ramen "Ohtani Special" advertised on Mr. Ramen's restaurant front window while shooting Shohei Ohtani murals downtown.

Mr. Ramen restaurant offers 17 half-price ramen bowls on the day after Shohei Ohtani hits a home run (since most 3-hour or longer games are played late-afternoon and into the evening near closing time). And, just the day before, Ohtani hit a home run, plus they still had a few of the ramen specials left when I ordered.

Shohei Ohtani's Dodger jersey number is 17, and number 16 is the number of the 50% off ramen "Ohtani Special". It is a delicious Tonkotsu Ramen with sliced pork, boiled egg, seaweed, pickled red ginger, and green onion in a bone broth loaded with tender ramen noodles. 

I asked why the Ohtani Special ramen is number 16 instead of his jersey number 17, and the waitress said number 16 is a classic ramen recipe, while their number 17 is a vegetable ramen. 

They can't change the numbers since most menu items have been the same for decades. (Shohei Ohtani just joined the Dodgers last year.)

               Half-price is about $7.50

The ramen bone broth is milky and loaded with intense pork flavor. I can see why they offer #16 instead of #17. (I'm sure the #17 Vegetable Tonkotsu Ramen is just as delicious.)

Mr. Ramen is a small and colorful ramen restaurant on 1st Street in Little Tokyo, featuring Japanese manga illustrations on the walls. The service is quick and friendly. 

The waitress mentioned that her husband has taken over the restaurant from his father.

Mr. Ramen is located on 1st Street in the heart of Little Tokyo. There's even a Dodger memorabilia shop down the street that I browsed and picked up my own Shohei Ohtani bobble head.

Walking around Little Tokyo, I spied other cheap$kate deals I'll share with you during the LA Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays Baseball World Series, so check back. 

Mr. Ramen

341 1/2 1st Street

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Phone: (213) 626-4252

Email: www.mrramendtla.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/mr.ramen.dtla

Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/mr-ramen-los-angeles?osq=mr.+ramen

Hours

Monday    12PM - 11PM

Tuesday & Wednesday - Closed

Thursday to Sunday     12PM - 1AM

* LA Metro

Website: www.metro.net

Seniors 62+/ Medicare/ Customer with Disability: www.metro.net/riding/fares/seniors

When you are a senior (62 years old) with a senior-issued LA Metro TAP card, it only costs 35 cents during off-peak hours. The normal base fare is $1.75 per ride. 

Baseball World Series Recipes - L.A. Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays

It's jalapenos vs. cheese curds for a recipe battle between the LA Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays in the 2025 Baseball World Series. So, choose your sides!

First at-bat, Hot Dogs are the King of the ballpark. And boy does this Knight of the Round Dinner Table have royal recipes for you to try...all hail the Winners, I mean the Wieners!!

Mr. & Mrs. 99, plus our friend, Kathy.

Canucks have their own versions, too. Load up a regular hot dog and top it off with a creamy coleslaw sweetened with real Canadian maple syrup. Click here for my basic mayo version, but add a tablespoon of maple syrup. Canadian Coleslaw versions also include a little milk and vinegar. The hot dog animation below guilds the maple leaf with the addition of beef chili. 

I live in L.A., so you know who I'll be rooting for...Let's Go Dodgers!

Boy, are hot dog ingredients cheap. This year, I've been getting hot dogs, buns, mustard, and sweet pickle relish from my local Dollar Tree.

Last year, the Dodgers bought in phenom pitcher and home run hitter Shohei Ohtani. He is now the record holder of the most home runs and stolen bases in a single season. He created a new category of 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases, the first baseball player to do so. All over L.A., there are murals and memorabilia featuring Shohei Ohtani to see and own.

I couldn't help but come up with my switch-hitter version of a Dodger Dog that I call an Ohtani Dodger Dog. It is a regular hot dog with 2 sheets of Dried Seaweed Snacks.

Check out my recipe video below and see how my Ohtani Dodger Dog stacks up!

In this World Series of Recipes,  it's a bacon battle of lean Canadian Bacon vs. American-style Bacon. 

In L.A., we add avocado to everything, including the traditional BLT. For my version of a Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich. I switched hit lean Turkey Bacon and added sliced avocado from the dugout. It's a homerun sammie, with crispy bacon and creamy avocado.

I never had Canadian Bacon until McDonald's pitched the Egg McMuffin to the world. For my homemade version, I couldn't find cheap Canadian Bacon, so I substituted a slice of ham. If you are a Blue Jays fan, then it's back bacon all the way to your home plate. Below is how I stole home with my homemade version - Oh Canada!

In Los Angeles, we invented the California Roll...hold it, Canada also has dibs on it, too. Read about the debate here. Any way you slice it, all baseball fans are the winners.

The ingredient lineup is rice, cucumber, avocado, and fake crab, or krab wrapped in a glove of seaweed.

I like imitation crab or krab as an ingredient because it is the cheapest seafood. Here in L.A., we get avocados all baseball season long.

I made a sushi roll in the video below, but it's easier to just wrap the ingredients loosely as a Hand Roll, if you are a minor league rookie. 

I'll confess, I prefer Canadian Maple Syrup on my Pancakes, so thank you Canucks! And when I make Pancakes, I always add fresh American fruit from California to the pancake batter. Can we get along, at least for breakfast? 

So dig deep into my bullpen and click on any of the tasty treat names above to watch an instant reply of recipes from my food blog. Your guest will be cheering you on -- from their cheap seats!

Witches Brew Coffee

The Sinister Chef is cursed to be a cheap$kate. But you can benefit by scrolling down this food blog, and clicking on my Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube accounts. The typical Chef model had a spike driven through its moldy heart when I started making my fanciful food videos over a dozen years ago. 

So keep checking back for a cauldron full of tasty treats. Don't burn me at the stake for my budget ingredients because one day you or someone you know, who's hit hard times, may need my price-slashing cooking tips to scrounge up a meal. 

In my latest Halloween video, the Witching Hour has never been so sweet.

Allow me to put a spell on you to keep visiting here this month...and beyond!

                                Play it here, video runs 1 minute, 53 seconds.

To link or play on YouTube, click here.

National Pasta Day Recipes

National Pasta Day - what's not to like? I probably have the most food recipes involving pasta. Just type and enter the word pasta into my blog search window to see them.

I'll save you some search time and highlight some of my most delicious ones below. And click on any recipe name to see the original blog post with tasty text and yummy photo illustrations.

Dried Pasta is still cheap. I find it in my local grocery store and Dollar Tree.

If you have a favorite jar or can of tomato sauce, then sprinkle in some dried Italian herbs for a quick pasta sauce.

SpaghettOs are still around since when I ate a can or two in my high school daze.

You should have a pasta sauce to start with. My homemade version is quick and easy to do.

My Tomato Marinara Sauce is a click away, here. Check out the video.

I like recipes that you can devour a few ways. My Lighter than Air Meatballs fit the bill. I usually have the Meatballs in tomato sauce over Pasta. 

You can also make a fat Meatball Sandwich. My Meatballs have a lot of veggies that make them lighter than the average Meatball. I like the addition of spinach and mushrooms in my Meatballs. It's okay to leave out some veggie ingredients for a more solid Meatball. Check out my video below.

For the simplest Pasta recipe, how about canned Sardines in Tomato Sauce? It's ready to go once you've cooked some spaghetti. 

Open a can of Sardines in Tomato Sauce, heat for a minute, then top the spaghetti with fish fillets and tomato sauce. It could be easier and quicker to do.

One of my first recipes on this blog was canned Baby Clams with Spaghetti.

I don't find cans of baby clams for 99 cents anymore, but small cans or packages of clams show up quite often and cheaply.

My local Dollar Tree carries small packs of cooked salmon, imitation crab meat, and cans of tuna. I have mint in my small garden, so combine salmon (or any of the above) and add fresh or frozen peas for my Peas, Mint & Salmon with Pasta. 

The other main sauce for Pasta is made with cream. I like sauteed Mushrooms with Cream and Pasta. 

Another creamy dish is my Ham, Peas, & Cream with Pasta.

My favorite cream Pasta meal is a ripoff recipe called Olive Garden Fettucini Alfredo. 

It's just pasta, cream, and Parmesan cheese. Okay to add a little protein and a favorite veggie.

One of my earliest stop-motion videos is Baked Pasta with Cauliflower & Cheese. It's basically a Mac & Cheese with cauliflower. Cauliflower and cheese are a tasty combination.

Let's go from heavy to light. Sauté some kale in a little olive oil, then add garlic, and you have a veggie Pasta. Click on my Pasta with Kale and Pasta with Brussels Sprouts, here.

You can't get much leaner than my Veggie Pasta Salad. Steam your fave veggies and mix in a light salad dressing to add to cooked pasta. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

I also like frozen, canned, or jars of veggies to add to a Pasta salad like my Peas, Artichoke Hearts, Broccoli & Wheat Pasta recipe.

My nephew Zak has a filling Cajun-style Tuscan Primavera Pasta. 

I always have a fun time when I cook with my family.

Zak's Tuscan Primavera Pasta uses pine nuts. I find them quite expensive. A cheap substitution is bags of nuts I get from Dollar Stores. The amounts are enough for a serving or two. If they are salted, it's easy enough to shake the salt off or even rinse the nuts. When you saute them, they will dry out. 

Try my Pasta with Garlic and Cashews...or Almonds, or Peanuts, or Walnuts - you get the idea.

You can combine almost any protein to pasta. Chicken is still cheap, so try my Chicken & Lemon Cream with Pasta. 

Sometimes, I like ground poultry, now that it is cheaper than ground beef. Everyone likes Baked Lasagna, just add a one-pound package of Ground Chicken or Turkey.

Salami or Pepperoni anchor a pungent pasta sauce. All you are doing is heating up the meat with a little onion and garlic then adding pasta. Click here to read all about it.

A delicious slow-cooking pasta sauce is made with the cheapest cut of beef I can find, called beef shank. It has a bone with marrow, so this is an extra-rich, meaty sauce. 

The other main ingredients are half a dozen sliced cheap onions. Do try out Pasta alla Genovese. 

I'll end with my most outré entrée, a Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Bacon Bits. 

No self-respecting chef would ever use Bacon Bits instead of Panchetta. 

Well, I'm a bottom feeder and proud of it. If you don't want to use Bacon Bits, then fry up a couple of slices of Bacon, and it's still a cheap dish.