Outside of Musha, a 2-year-old restaurant in...

Outside of Musha, a 2-year-old restaurant in Torrance, there is a small mound of salt, an ancient Asian custom said to attract customers. In the time-honored practice of Japanese sushi bars, the entire staff welcomes you when you enter.

But in some ways, Musha does not fit the mold of a traditional Japanese restaurant.

Indeed, Musha is more like a Spanish tapas bar, where

platters of appetizers are set on the bar countertop and customers select what appeals to them. Although diners can sit at a large communal table or in a booth, a popular spot is the 12-seat counter where the dishes are displayed beneath hanging braids of garlic and peppers.

The selections change daily, but some choices are always available. One of these is the marinated chicken ($4.80), which is fried, then soaked in soy, sake , sugar and vinegar and served cold. Scallop dumplings ($1.95 each) are a mixture of scallops, mashed cod and onions, wrapped in won-ton skins, then steamed.

Another favorite is the eggplant gratin ($4.80), baked with a bubbling topping of mozzarella cheese. For the Nagasaki fried noodles ($7.80), pork, shrimp, clams, carrots and napa cabbage are spooned over crunchy noodles.

Standing tall among the other items on the counter is the four-inch-thick octopus omelet, ($5.80 per order, but the staff will gladly cut a smaller portion upon request). This layered dish consists of shiitake mushrooms, green onions, pieces of octopus and eggs.

A refreshing side dish, and one that could double as a dessert, is yama imo ume ae ($4.50), a fresh mountain yam smothered with mashed plums mixed with sweet sake , and topped with seaweed.

At the back of Musha is an open kitchen where many items are cooked. These include a saute of asparagus and mushrooms in butter ($5.80) and grilled salmon ($4.80), which has been marinated in soy sauce, sweet sake and lime. A popular dish is the grilled cod ($5.80), which is soaked for two days in sake and soybean paste; it cooks up crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside.

Musha is located at 1725 Carson St., Torrance. (310) 787-7344. Open seven days 5:30 till 11 p.m.