Am a bit conflicted. As the Japanese take on seafood pasta (and pasta in general goes), Akane Chaya does a great job-- seafood pepperocino has a nice hint of kick, fresh seafood, and noodles done just about right. But as the Japanese take on pasta goes, the cachet here doesn't quite hit a home run (unlike one of the competitors right across the street). And the sides-- the salad was decent, the bread was pretty ordinary-- reinforced that impression. Adding spinach and mushrooms (both at extra cost) definitely enhanced the pasta, but not so much that it felt memorable. Verdict: 3.5 stars, but rounding up seems more appropriate than rounding down. read more

This is the best Japanese restaurant in LA ! My family love it so much ! Also the service is great, the owner will chat with you if you really a big fan of Japanese cook. A lot of fun! Also they have free ice tea before 12PM. Highly recommended!! read more

Great food, atmosphere and customer service. We ordered mentaiko-ika spaghetti, pork cutlets with demi-glace sauce, natto curry over rice and meat sauce spaghetti. We will definitely be back again and try the hamburger steak with demi-glacé sauce... Thank you for the delicious meal :-) read more

Akane Chaya - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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TIP: Best time I've found to avoid wait is a little before dinner rush, around 5 pm. Akane Chaya shares a lot with a lot of popular stores-boba shops such as Tea Time and Happy Lemon, the delicious Sea Empress Restaurant, markets, and other small stores so that means THE PARKING LOT IS HUGE. So no worries when it comes to parking. My friend Jessica and I came here to grab an early dinner, and between you and me *whispers: I'm not a big fan of Spoonhouse* so when she mentioned Japanese pasta I was a bit hesitant. I ended up getting the bacon carbonara and I loved it! The spaghetti noodles were cooked perfectly, and the sauce was creamy but also flavorful. They didn't overdo it on the salt and the bacon wasn't burnt or crispy which I appreciated. Keep in mind it is a cream heavy sauce so it's something you might want to skip if you're watching your weight :P If not...highly recommend. The meals also come with a dinner salad-pretty decent but a lot of dressing which I recommend asking if you could have it on the side. They also provide warm dinner rolls which you can dip in the vinegar and oil mixture. I'm personally not a fan of vinegar so I just ate mine with butter, so healthy, I know. Service was a bit slow, but we didn't need much so I didn't mind that. I liked that this place is spacious and clean, and it isn't too noisy. read more

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Come early to get the best seating. Try the house specials if you're not sure what's good. Don't forget dessert.

This is one of the great Japanese style western food restaurants! I'm originally from Japan and it's little difficult to find a restaurant that has a good Japanese pasta but here it is! All pasta comes with little salad and homemade bread and the price range is $12-$15 (I think this is cheap in California) Love everything including service! Old Traditional Japanese style which I found it's cozy and relaxed:) read more

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We dined here as an alternative to Spoon House when they were unexpectedly closed. While Akane Chaya and Spoon House both serve Japanese style spaghetti, they are very different in taste and menu offerings. We ordered the spaghetti with meat sauce combo with mini curry and rice and the tarako kinoko ika cream sauce. Everything we ordered was cooked well,tasty, and fresh including the free, unlimited bread rolls. We had a satisfying meal and although we are still craving Spoon House's signature flavors, Akane Chaya did not disappoint. read more

Great service and the food is so good! The place is a hidden gem in a shopping strip mall. Very good pasta dishes and the portions are large. We sat at a small table. Be sure to come hungry! read more

Some consistency issues, but still a good option for Japanese-style Italian. With the sky-high gas prices, I've been revisiting some of my local joints around the South Bay instead of trying out spots further away. I hadn't been to Akane Chaya in a while, and since my last visit, it seems they've started to take a break in between lunch and dinner service like many other Japanese restaurants. I've been here several times recently, and there's some issues with consistency. Their tarako (cod roe) pasta tends to be good, but it was sometimes prepared with an excessive amount of oil that masked the flavor of the roe. Similarly, their potage soup uses blended but not fully pureed bits of potato, which I enjoyed, but it contained enough oil to leave an aftertaste. For $4.50, you can add a small side bowl of Japanese curry rice. This is decent, but it's been inconsistent in how sweet/tangy it tastes. Despite the consistency issues, I've yet to leave dissatisfied after a meal, so it remains a decent alternative for nearby Spoon House. read more

Menu/food: huge selection to choose from, varying from japanese-Italian pasta, salad, curry and combination plates. I got the pasta + Hamburg combo plate (comes with soup, salad and rice) for $19. bang for the buck? ABSOLUTELY. I chose peoperoncino but it was nothing amazing. Good but not great. The Hamburg on the other hand was amazing! Super juicy and really tasty. Ambience: clean, cozy Service: friendly waitress who was very attentive the entire meal read more

Akane Chaya - Pasta + Hamburg combo plate - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

Good Japanese pasta place. Located in Pacific Square, it's next to tea station and oko cafe. The place was quite empty when I went. The waitress was a japanese lady was very nice. I got one of the vegetarian pasta. It was good. It also comes with bread and salad. I didn't eat the salad though because it was covered in dressing. I prefer my salad without dressing. The pasta seem to lack like maybe more ingredients? a bit plain but idk. The price is a bit high for what it is. This place has unique decor and they sell cards! like greeting cards or something. A good japanese pasta place for japanese people. read more

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My friend and I stumbled upon this somewhat unassuming hidden restaurant. Ever since then, we have dined here almost on a weekly basis. The service is top notch and I feel bad that I don't remember our waitress's name. She always remembers us and even our orders. We have tried most of their pastas on their menu. I tend to love most or all of their seafood, clam and taroko (cod roe) pasta combinations. On their menu they highlighted in green for their top requested pastas. The pastas are light even the cream based sauces. I never feel gross after eating and I have no issues finishing up the entire plate. The pastas come with dinner rolls and a side of salad. *HIGHLY RECOMMENDED* read more

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Food is good but service is bad. They don't pick up the phone. Don't bother calling for take out.

It's a place with a Japanese style of light food. Potato soup comes out at first. It tastes healthy. Pasta is Japanese style. (It's not salty, it's not irritating, it's not tasteless, but it's not delicious.) I recommend hamburger steak I hope you eat it. It takes some time to get out. There is a lot of juicy meat in the hamburger steak. The sheep are a little small, so the men... I recommend a set with pasta. read more

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Really enjoy coming here. Food is great and service matches. The place is kind of dark but cozy. If you like pasta this is a place to try out. read more

My good friend took us here for lunch. She's a regular at this restaurant. Ok, the portions are HUGE here!!! Definitely share! C ordered the spagheti with meatball which is basically a hamburger steak and it came with rice and curry. That's 1 meal! R and I decided to share the alfredo spaghetti with meatball. It was more than enough food for us 2 to share. I even enjoyed some of the curry rice. Everything was very tasty. I wasn't a big fan of the citrus dressing so not a deal breaker. We'd definitely come here again. PROS: -plenty of free parking -very good food -fast and friendly staff -portions are big enough to share , i love that! -price is very budget friendly especially if you share -clean facility Hope you can enjoy the food here at least once!!! Cheers! read more

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After eating at Spoon House, I was told to try Akane Chaya to compare. Akane Chaya also offers Japanese spaghetti, and is located across the street from SH on Redondo Beach Blvd and Denker in Gardena. As you are facing Marukai Pacific, it is on the left side. I ordered #4 - Spaghetti w/ clams, shrimp, squid & scallops ($11.75). The entree also includes a complimentary salad and bread & oil. Compared to SH (3 Stars), I really enjoyed this spaghetti. The portion was perfect sized to be full, w/o being stuffed. In addition, there was a fair amount of seafood compared to SH (and Tasting Kitchen) for the price. Lastly, the oil, garlic & pepper sauce was nice and light, and did not drown the al dente pasta: 5 Stars. On the other hand, the salad and bread were garden variety - What you would expect in a cafeteria: 3 Stars. Regarding the ambiance, it is very Japanese. There are several tables, and two large tables for big parties or communal sitting. All of the clientele were speaking Japanese, including the two cute girls sitting next to me: 4 Stars. Likewise, the service was very good. The waitstaff was attentive, and the food came out quickly: 4 Stars. I would definitely come back here vs SH, when I am craving a reasonably priced pasta meal, that is quick and efficient. I could not obtain the same amount of food at Olive Garden, or another chain place, at the same price. read more

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I really love Akane Chaya, and usually have a craving for it once a week. They know mom and I pretty well, two Italian spaghettis, one hot coffee and one iced tea. At $8 a plate, it comes with a small side salad and a bread roll that is seriously my favorite bread anywhere. When it's hot, it's super soft on the inside and it has this crust that it just perfectly crusty and is the epitome of what the outer shell of a bread roll should be. They're not as liberal with the free refills on rolls anymore, because I think they charge now if you want more. But it's that good, that sometimes I do go for it. Their Italian spaghetti is my all time fave because it has a light tomato sauce, a few pieces of sliced ham, some mushrooms and slivers of green peppers. Different from Spoonhouse for sure, but unique. And the chef has been there as long as I can remember and he is ALWAYS the one cooking. If you go before noon, you get your drink free (coffee or tea, but not iced coffee), and they will refill until 1. So it's a good deal for lunchtime. read more

This is a Yoshoku, western influenced Japanese food. They have pastas, curry, meatloaf, etc. All the food here are very good and if you are having a tough time choosing what you want to eat, they offer combos or super combos that has all the different things that you would want. read more

Akane Chaya - Combo A with demi glaze meatloaf and meat sauce spaghetti - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

I have had Akane Chaya on my bookmarks for awhile. Being a fan of Japanese spaghetti, I've been wanting to visit this place. It's very close to my favorite store..Sanrio (hehe love any excuse to visit Hello Kitty heaven lol). In all seriousness, though I really have wanted to see how this place fares in terms of Japanese pasta. When I finally got to check this place out, I chose to get the Combo C. This combo comes with pork cutlet and spaghetti with your choice of pasta sauce. The combo comes with soup, salad, potato salad, bread or rice. I was also fairly surprised to learn from waitress that they had an early bird special which meant I could get complimentary iced tea or hot coffee. First up was the soup. They give a small corn chowder soup. I liked the soup a lot and wish it came in a bigger bowl. The salad was something simple and had very light dressing. This was ok but nothing to special. For my spaghetti, I chose to get it with meat sauce. I liked the long, soft noodles and subtle sweetness with the meat sauce. The pork cutlet was good as well though I would prefer chicken to pork. Nevertheless the coating was very good in flavor. They give three pieces and it goes well with either the spaghetti or the rice. The potato salad was creamy and slightly sweet. It was something I enjoyed as the last part of this meal. Similar to the soup, I wish they give a bigger portion. This was just a small taste. Last but not least was the complimentary iced tea that I got. It comes unsweetened but they give syrup on the side which you can pour into the tea. The iced tea here is very refreshing. I was very pleased with my visit to Akane Chaya and i can't wait to be back! (PS I am coming back not so I can go to the Sanrio store nearby..i want to come back because the food here is delicious! The Sanrio store nearby is just a bonus ;)) read more

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This unassuming restaurant is hidden in the midst Pacific Square Plaza. The inside includes a great ambiance whether for a date, just to catch up with friends, or even dining alone! On a random Wednesday night, I ordered seafood spaghetti with white cream sauce, delicious, generous amount of seafood. Didn't leave a heavy, after-feel. My 2 friends and I were there for a good 2 hours and no one rushed us. This may not be the place for you if you're in a hurry. Service is a bit slow, but then again the waitress was a 1 woman show. She acknowledged us every time we had a request. Overall, great experience and I'd come again. read more

Akane Chaya - #4, seafood spaghetti with white cream sauce, $15 - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

I feel so conflicted! I'm a huge fan of Japanese fusion spaghetti dishes and not only that but I absolutely love Spoon House ... but but but, this place is just as comparable (if not ... slightly better? I don't know!! Both are so good LOL) Without further ado, order their Cod roe with smoked salmon, basil and cream spaghetti sauce! It's pretty much a given. If you order it and eat it, you will have no regrets. I promise. Another honorable mention is the curry beef spaghetti, but the smoked salmon blows it out of the water. The portions are very good and you will be left feeling very full. Each meal comes with a small complimentary salad. The food is absolutely delicious! I am still dreaming of that smoked salmon spaghetti. Overall, quality is great. Service is friendly. Credit card accepted and there's plenty of parking. I'd definitely come by again and try their other spaghetti selections. =) read more

Akane Chaya - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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# P A S T A - B R E A K D O W N (# of + stars = rating) * A T M O S P H E R E/C O N C E P T: -1 star * F O O D/P R E S E N T A T I O N: +1 star * P O R T I O N/C O S T: +1 star * S E R V I C E: +1 star * R E V I S I T: +1 star One of my favorite spots for Japanese Italian if Spoon House is too busy, except this place does not have any uni. The portions are good and the extra sides ensure the higher price is worth it. The taste is very fresh and very good. Tastes healthier than most creamy pastas and they make it to order. I usually get a tarako pasta with any of the toppings or a tomato sauce with the hot dog. Or even the creamy salmon. This is one of the few places where I don't order the exact same thing every time. It's really nice to try something different here. B R E A D The complimentary bread that comes with every pasta dish is absolutely wonderful. It's soft, fluffy, and very tasty! I wish they gave more bread for no extra charge. That is the one downside of this place! They also don't rush you and you can take your time here. P A R K I N G Shares a big lot with the supermarket so it will be easy to find a spot here. read more

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I have been eating there for 16 years. Food always prepared to order. Seafood items always fresh and properly cooked. Always clean with excellent service. Eat there once per week and never get bored with the food selection. Fresh bread baked in the kitchen. read more

Akane Chaya is a great alternative if you don't have the time or patience to wait for Spoon House across the street. Akane has a lot more options on the menu with several different combinations. The portions are huge! Very small restaurant with humble decor and friendly service. You can tell a lot of business people come here on their lunch because all the waitresses operate at lightening speed. They serve you fresh hot bread which you can dip in oil but it tasted so good by itself. All of their pastas are categorized based on sauce i.e. marinara, clam, etc. So you want to first decide what kind of sauce you want then what you want in the pasta. I ordered the spaghetti with octopus and spinach. I was looking for something light and with not so much flavor. The pasta was cooked al dente. The spinach was steamed with a nice portion of calamari/octopus. The flavor is on the blander side but it was totally what I was looking for that day. The jury is still out on this one. Some say this place beats Spoon House but I need to give it a few more tries before I decide. read more

Akane Chaya - 15. Asari, Ika, Spinach (chopped clam, squid spinach and spaghetti). - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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Finally got to try this place with good friends. What can I say this place is the bomb and much better than Spoon House it's neighbor and competition. It looks like diners either order the combination dishes which feature pasta, hamburger, and believe either curry rice or bread. Portions are enormous for price. Ordered the mushroom tomato pasta. Was aldente with that Japanese tasting flair! Bread was excellent with olive oil and soy sauce. Be back try other pasta dishes!! read more

Akane Chaya - Mushroom, Tomato, Basil Pasta. - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

This place is really a hole in the wall. I've been in the plaza where it's located but never been to it. The sign is a little faded but trust me give this place a chance. The parking is nice here, you won't have trouble finding a spot because it's located in the same place as a supermarket. The waiter was really nice and friendly. I went as things were starting to open up because of the pandemic and the staff still practiced social distancing while still keeping it classy. It doesn't look like a super classy place but the way the staff handles themselves is very respectable, and makes all the difference. The food was really good and the portions were pretty large. They have pasta with a japanese twist to it. I ordered the hamburger steak curry and that was so mouth watering. The waiter was tentative on refilling our drinks and asking if we needed anything. He wasnt hovering and didnt come too often to our table which is what i liked cuz it gave me tine to talk to my friend. Whenever the waiter would come by mid conversation he would excuse himself and asked if we needed anything. Food: 5/5 Ambiance 4/5 Parking: 5/5 Would reccomend and come again? yes read more

Definitely a family friendly place! The portion was huge especially the combination, My niece and nephew were loving it ! And the price was very reasonable .strongly recommend read more

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Delicious seafood pasta- comes with salad and bread. Service was great. Will definitely go back.

I have been coming to this restaurant for a long time. Possibly 20 years or more. It's one of the best restaurants in the South Bay. The food is excellent. Service is good. The restaurant isn't fancy but I'd rather they spend money on their food and staff and not worry about upgrading how the restaurant looks (as long as cleanliness is a priority). Their choice of music is inviting and relaxing. We've always been more than satisfied with every visit. I look forward to dining here again soon. read more

It's a very cozy Japanese western restaurant. They offer pastas, curry, Japanese burger and Katsu. The ice coffee is very tasty. My favorites is the corn soup. read more

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One of the greatest spots in the South Bay, but also a well kept secret. When I was first told about Japanese Italian Fusion I was skeptical unsure how the two would intermingle. But AC definitely pulls it off. The seafood pastas are delicious but not overly fishy , the sauces are complex and subtle at the same time but you if are expected sharp tomato or basil pastas you will have a bad time, this is fusion not Olive Garden. Also some of the best curry rice I've had outside of Japan. read more

Since me and my husband found this place, we come here every week! Literally EVERYTHING is good! I have missed Japanese Italian since I moved from Tokyo, and finally we found the one!! JUN and MIYUKI always treat us very good and remember all our favorites! Thank you so much always for wonderful food and perfect service! See you next weekend!! いつもありがとうございます！ read more

I like this restaurant because it's quiet (maybe I was at the right time), it has good customer service, a lot of seats, and the dishes are big! If you want to eat A LOT, then this is the place! I both love pasta and Hamburg steak! This is the only place that I've tried so far that has both of these in one plate. :) read more

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My family and I came to eat here a couple days before Christmas. (My sister and her husband had been coming here for a very long time). It's a little on the smaller side, but has a great homestyle feel, and the server we had was very nice/polite. I had the seafood spaghetti (shrimp and scallops) with a creamy sauce - very good! It was more like a shrimp scampi dish. Most of us had a spaghetti variety, and the others had Japanese curry - smelled really good. If I am back home again I want to try it next time. read more

This place is fire. Great service, delicious food , and affordable prices. Can't beat that

My go-to place for a Japanese style Italian restaurant. Tasty food, great service and very reasonable prices. I like that they play some soft music in the background. Not much else one could ask for. read more

My favorite simple restaurant. There's no frills or anything but it's my comfort food in Gardena :) My daughter loves their strawberry juice (strawberry and milk)! My family loves the hamburger (not an American style burger but Japanese style with the patty only served with rice on the side) and many of their pasta dishes. read more

Just an update to show my hamburg steak with onion, ginger, green onion, sesame seeds cooked in a sweet soy based sauce. It came with green salad, with that yellowish sweet/ginger dressing which is really good. Came with rice and i think it's a corn potage soup. Take a look at the pic, delish! read more

Akane Chaya - hamburg steak plate with salad rice and onion/mushroom/sweet soy ginger sauce, goes well with rice - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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I ordered my favorite Akane Hamburg & Pasta set ( otona no Okosama Lunch set) I was little disappointed about taste that different before ... Pasta is OK. Same as before . ( average taste ) But Hamberg is too much use a Hamberg helper powder and it's very dry taste and NO beef taste . It's only taste 80% Hamberg helper powder .. I totally understand that beef is expensive this year . Service : waiter is quick service and drink refills is perfect timing but he wants to take a dishes without my approval . I told him " still working ( still eating , not finished ) He returned my dishes . I don't know why he want to take my dishes... because Restaurant is empty and pretty slow ... at 3:00 pm. I gave 4.5 stars on 2017 I gave 2 .5stars on 2018 I miss 2017's Hamberg taste .... read more

Akane Chaya - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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