Love this place. I've been maybe 5 or six times, only have ever ordered the clam pasta (Askari Kinika) with my only variable being either the meatball or pot cutlet combo. It's just really good. It's like Spoon House but just a bit better. read more

One of my favorite hidden restaurants in Torrance for sure. Akane Chaya is a Japanese restaurant that does Western style foods and it is so delicious and the portions are really big. Note that they do close between lunch and dinner though! The menu is a bit confusing, but I always go with the set meal so I can bring leftovers home with me! We go the tonkatsu set meal and hamburger set meal. You can choose bread or rice but we chose rice. Also comes with a corn soup and pasta of choice. read more

Akane Chaya - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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The meat loaf spaghetti is amazing. Very reasonble prices considering the chef does everything.

As someone who absolutely LOVES Japanese-Italian fusion, I was so excited to discover this tiny restuarant here in Gardena! I ordered the #21 and my boyfriend got the Carbonara. Definitely hit the spot and the portion was PERFECT! The cream sauce was so perfect with the mushrooms & cod roe, definitely will be coming back just for this dish! Service was great, we got to give our order & recieved our order quickly. The jazz music with the dreamy lights also provided a calming atmosphere which perfectly tied together with the comforting dishes we enjoyed! read more

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We've been meaning to try this place for a while now. So good! The food was filling without feeling heavy. We ordered to go, but next time we'll eat inside! read more

Akane Chaya - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

Wowww. This is one of those restaurants where you have a really hard time deciding what you want because EVERYTHING sounds good. And I was not disappointed with what we had. We came here on a weekday night with some friends who have kiddos. They were super accommodating and very friendly, and made sure the kids had their own little water cups as well as little utensils. My fiancé and I shared two dishes, the Special Seafood Tomato and the "D" Super Combination which comes with a Pork Cutlet, Asari Kinoko Cream Sauce and a small curry with rice. Their portions are huuuuge and we were stuffed by the end. They also give you a generous amount of salad and their homemade bread is to die for! Everything tasted great and the pasta was cooked perfectly with lots of seafood. Even the pork cutlet was super crispy and exactly what I would expect out of a good pork cutlet. We'll definitely be coming back to try everything else on their menu. And thank you to the workers who were very patient with our indecisiveness and craziness with all the kids! read more

Akane Chaya - "D" Super Combination - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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I have always been a huge fan of Japanese yoshoku. Yoshoku isn't as common in the San Gabriel Valley, and I often have to drive to Gardena/Torrance or OC to get yoshoku. We were on the way to Newport Beach, so I decided to stop at Akane Chaya with my wife to get lunch. The service was amazing, and incredibly attentive. There was one waitress managing 8 tables, but she was always incredibly polite and always tended to our needs. The lunch hour always comes with complimentary coffee and tea, which was amazing. That day, they served complimentary hojicha. I decided I wanted to try their Viennese coffee, so I got that then got regular coffee for refills. The hojicha was very aromatic and fragrant, and the Viennese coffee was sweet without being overpowering. I had been craving hamburg steak for a very, very long time, and this restaurant satisfied my cravings and then some. I loved the hamburg steak. My wife got asari kinoko rice pilaf. I've not had a rice pilaf like that before, and it was amazing. There was a garlic flavor that was not overpowering, and then the seafood and mushrooms were quite harmonious. Probably one of my favorite new restaurants I've been to in the past year, and I definitely want to come again. read more

Akane Chaya - Hamburg steak - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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I 100% agree with the review below of Leslie. I've been coming to this place for years and years, and I was extremely surprised when, a few weeks ago, the waitress told us to order three dishes! It was me, my husband, and my child, who doesn't eat much. We had already ordered a spaghetti dish and another combo that costs almost $30 to share with the child, but she demanded that we order another plate for the child! I felt betrayed after so many years of coming here, and it's not like we had ordered a small amount of food. On top of that, the new waitress was quite impolite... It's so sad because, with that attitude and new rule, I have zero desire to return, even though this place used to be one of my favorites! read more

Came back again for dinner and waited a while for a table, but still had a good time. The staff were SO nice and friendly. Relatively quiet restaurant with great food! read more

Definitely a nice surprise in Gardena. From the outside, this place looked ok. But once inside, this place is decent. The food is really good. We got the seafood pasta, mushroom pasta and pork cutlet/hamburger patty combo. Both pastas were spot on. Pork cutlet was a bit too over cooked and hamburger patty was nice and soft. These also came with salad, bread and one has a soup. The portions are on the smaller size even though this place isn't cheap. 3 people was $70 and we didn't order appetizers or drinks. Will think about coming back once I get paid or if we are celebrating something. read more

Great food varieties, really tasty, with the touch of Western meeting eastern. Great service, quick and kindly with warm smile. Rich and colorful environment, welcoming and inviting. Five stars! read more

It's okay, ghr combo B was pretty decent, especially when you add the cheese a peppers. The service was really good and the parking g was easy. Overall, a 3.5 in my book. read more

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OMG I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! My boyfriend and I always come because I am obsessed with their white sauce which is so yummy! I get the one with mushrooms and spinach and add bacon and I always finish it. The salad and hot pan comes with it and is so good! The service here is excellent overall I would recommend this place my tummy is always happy! read more

Akane Chaya - The C combination and mushroom and spinach spaghetti - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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This place is doing outdoor seating, about 5 tables outside their restaurant and is located within a plaza with ample parking. Staff is very friendly and following health guidelines wearing masks, face shields, and gloves! I also see they take their time sanitizing the tables and chairs after customers leave, which can put your mind at ease for dining here! I got some bacon/mushroom spaghetti and my husband got tarako spaghetti. We also both ordered a side of small curry & our dishes came with a small salad and bread with oil. Our food was plentiful and I must say I did enjoy my husbands dish more than mine! Prices are average and it's nice to have a spaghetti menu that serves both American and Japanese style. read more

Akane Chaya - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

Came for dinner on a Saturday night and this place was honest great!! I ordered the seafood combo cream pasta and it was really good! Came with mushrooms,clam, squid and shrimp. They gave a big portions and the saffron had a nice touch to the sauce. Also basically ate half of a combo b set, that also was excellent! The hamburg steak was also soo good and it went well with the cream pasta. The combo b portion is huge!! Totally left stuffed after being starved haha. Definitely coming back to try everything else on the menu. read more

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Food is good, but this place doesn't accept take out orders. Don't bother calling, they prefer to cater to dine in only.

Akane Chaya is hand down my favorite Japanese restaurant to get authentic Japanese Hamburg steak. Their Hamburg steak is so tender and flavorful. I always order the combination of spaghetti and hamburg steak. The mushroom cream sauce spaghetti pasta is to die for!! Also, the portion sizes are huge which I LOVE!! read more

Alkane Chaya is often compared with Spoon House which is perfectly understandable, given that both serve Japanese yoshoku dishes and are within walkable distance of one another. For me though, neither one is better than the other. I like both and for different reasons. Akane Chaya's dining space is more spacious than Spoon House though unusually cluttered for a Japanese establishment. The interior could definitely use a facelift. For a larger group or for less of a wait for a table, I would most likely choose Akane Chaya. Price-wise, I think Akane Chaya is slightly higher than Spoon House for pasta dishes in general, although the lower carb options (hamburg steak, etc.) are priced higher at Spoon House. I like that all lunch and dinners are served with a soft, slightly sweet dinner roll and a small salad that is more than just iceberg lettuce (such as the one served at Spoon House). I am normally not a fan of "sauced" pastas but saffron tomato sauce is one of those few exceptions. After Azabu (and Astro Kitchen, which replaced Azabu) closed, Akane Chaya is my go-to spot when I am in the mood for it. My other favorites here include the seafood selections with piri piri and/or tarako (without butter sauce and with shiso). Ordering the tarako items without butter sauce is a refreshing change from the heavier butter sauce offered at Spoon House, and it pairs remarkably well with piri piri (Tarako Ika Piri Piri, #24 on the lunch menu). Uni option is not normally available through its regular menu but omelette rice and curry options (not available at Spoon House), my daughter's regular favorites here, are available. I am grateful that we have such wonderful choices for yoshoku in SoCal and many of them managed to stick around through the pandemic by offering takeout when dine-in was not available. I now go in for dine-in at Akane Chaya with a new sense of gratitude, despite the outdated decor and somewhat cluttered dining space. read more

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Probably the best "Yoshoku" (Western Food) restaurant in the Southbay area. I highly recommend the signature Hamburger Steak with Demi Glace sauce and Pasta combos. Have been coming here for years and the quality, value, and service never disappoint. read more

Akane Chaya - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

The best cream sauce in the Universe. I have been eating here for 27 years they're very consistent..

First time trying it. Little mom and pop restaurant. Yes, like others said, they took up a few tables with Togo supplies that they sit there and organize. This doesn't bother me. Yes, there is an old plastic Xmas tree in the back near the bathroom, looked fine to me...again doesn't bother me. I'm here to eat and a lovely hole in the way that was clean! Best suggestion is to stick to what they are good at PASTA. The seafood pasta (white sauce) is soooo yummy!! Can't go wrong there! The pasta and seafood was perfectly cooked and flavored well. I also ordered off the menu omurice. Our server said they usually don't make it when they are busy since it takes time to make it, but it wasn't too busy so it was made. I appreciate them for catering to me. To be honest, the Demi glaze tasted strange like from a can with an after taste. The rice inside was like a Spanish rice with mushrooms, onion. Definitely had better. Not too many places make omurice in L.A. well so my fault for hoping they would. The pork katsu curry...while the curry was good, the pork cutlet was soooo dry. Again order pasta here, they do an amazing job at PASTA! Service was decent too. Pasta pasta pasta get the pasta any kind just don't order other items besides, you guessed it PASTA!! read more

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I tried Akana Chaya for the first time with some friends who had been there a handful of times before. I'm so glad I did, because it was absolutely wonderful! I ordered the B Combination--the food was delicious, and the portion size was very generous. The B Combination comes with the Clams and White & King Mushrooms with Cream Sauce pasta. I always worry about ordering cream sauce pastas because they can be too heavy and make me feel sick, but this one was absolutely perfect. The noodles were al dente, and the sauce was flavorful and light, while still being thick enough to coat each noodle and bite magnificently. While the pasta was definitely the star of the show on this combo plate, the hamburger steak, curry, lettuce salad, potato salad, and miso soup were all delicious as well. I was planning the next time I'd come back before I even finished my meal. On top of it all, the service was wonderful! My friends and I were seated promptly, and the wait staff was prompt, attentive, and super polite. We didn't have to wait long for our food either. I highly recommend Akane Chaya if you're looking for some delicious Japanese-style pasta. I'll definitely be returning myself when I have a chance! read more

Akane Chaya - "B" Combination--great portion size, and super delicious! - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

I come here all the time and they are consistently amazing! Lots of seating, perfect portions, delicious pastas! Why I was here - Had a party of 8 people come and I love that there is always a lot of seating! I have also just been here like a bazillion times and I'm surprised that I haven't written a review yet. Service - consistently always friendly! Atmosphere - jazzy, romantic, casual nice. Sometimes you'll see groups of Japanese business men, couples, families, solo goers. I'm a girl who craves my Japanese pasta, so you'll see me in groups of all the above. Food - Oooo where do I even start. All of their pastas taste great! Pasta noodles are al dente like I like it. Portions are great! If you add that cup of soup, it's so worth it if you like corn chowder! I think they put magic in their bread because it's perfectly soft and always tastes great! Overall, Akane Chaya is such a solid restaurant that I have been consistently eating at for the past 8 years! read more

My favorite spaghetti place since I feel every dish is made with care. I don't miss spaghetti in Japan as long as there is Akane Chaya. The servers are attentive but lunchtime is busy and fills up quickly. I always eat the same seafood spaghetti when I am there. Their hamburg steak with rice is delicious and are my little one's favorite food. They finish it in minutes! read more

Biased review- vegetarian. Service- wonderful. Nice waitress, attentive. Mushroom pasta with soy sauce base- not very tasty. Pasta itself was a bit bland. The mushrooms were very good, but not enough flavor to make up for the tasteless pasta. Maybe next time I should try another base. Bread- soft, heavier-than-I-thought rolls. Heavenly. I will give it another try. read more

Akane Chaya - Mushroom pasta with soy base (#39). - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

When I order curry I expect it to be hot and spicy. I asked for hot and I received mild. My wife ordered the hamburger and she was not impressed. I suppose I should have ordered the spaghetti but this was not an Italian restaurant. read more

This is a solid reliable place. The prices to portion value is maybe a tad on the higher side. It's not horribly disproportionate, but if the restaurant ever had customer retention issues, I'd say revisit either lowering prices or increasing portions to possibly remedy that issue. Oddly enough the children's menu Curry Hambuger is about 1/2 the price of that of the standard Curry Hamburger, despite their statement it's smaller, and thus either the Children's Version is the best deal, or comparably, the standard version is the overpriced worst deal. It could in fact be our children's order was mistakenly given a standard order, or worst yet, our standard order delivered a children's portion. Regardless, the portion we received for both orders was more adequate for a children's portion or for that price. I'll say this, however, the curry is excellent in flavor, tasting as good as any Japanese Curry I've had, which I actually prefer over Indian, Thai and other curries. It's more mild and a tad sweeter, tasting delicious and flavorful instead of just spicy hot. The spaghetti tastes like Chinese Cantonese Tomato Beef Chow Mein, which is actually a compliment in that it's a rare dish not found often outside of San Francisco Chinatown, so if you crave that classic dish, you may want to try this one here. Japanese spaghetti marinara sauce tends to be more sweet than savory. The service here, as with so many Japanese restaurants is very polite and friendly as well as attentive. Parking here is excellent and easy. read more

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Ambiance: the restaurant is specialized in serving Japanese style pasta, some customers here were very lack of manner, like putting their feet on chairs while other people were still eating Service: friendly but served the food inconsistently, for exact the same order, the table next to us received a hill and we got a plain Food: overall ok taste Salad - *** average taste Akane Bread - *** cold bread Seafood Pepperoncino - *** shrimp, squid, scallops and chopped clams with garlic, parsley, chili, olive, chopped tomato and white wine, very watery taste Bacon Kinoko Tomato Sauce Akane Style (Parsley, Garlic & Piri Piri) - **** bacon and white king mushroom with tomato sauce, chopped parsley, garlic and red chili pepper, flavorful, recommend Price: very small portions as least for our orders, less than $20 per person read more

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My family's go-to place It's my all time fav Japanese-Italian fusion. I always get the Asari kinoko soy based cream sauce pasta. Truly delicious and nice balance - not a heavy cream. PS ask for the wasabi. Adds more umami. My kids love the cheese meat spaghetti. Delicious beef curry too. It's a small team and so patience is needed. However best customer service. They are so friendly and accommodating. read more

I had such high expectations for this place but it was a total let down. We went during lunch time. If you get seated before 12pm, you get a complimentary unsweetened lemon iced tea or coffee. I chose the lemon iced tea. It was good. The meal also comes with a side salad and bread with olive oil/vinegar dipping sauce. As for the clam/mushroom pasta, I was saddened. The sauce was more runny and it was it was un evenly seasoned. I could barely taste the cream!Some bites were extremely salty too. The mushrooms were plentiful but I could barely see the clams (*stares into plate*). It was a huge let down for me. My friend got the bacon sausage dish. I didn't taste it but his opinion is that it tasted like watered down ketchup and the sausage is actually cut up hot dog. So he was let down too. I've heard good things about their hambug steak but I didn't order it. I think if you want better spaghetti to go across the street. Otherwise, maybe try some other items on the menu. On the bright side, service is wonderful! They were attentive, fast and kind. Enjoy! read more

Akane Chaya - Asari Kinoko with cream sauce (clams & king mushroom) - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

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I've tried many hamburger steaks so far, but this one is the best!. It's incredibly tender with no unpleasant odor, and it has a sophisticated flavor without being overly sweet. The Italian spaghetti is also well mixed with the seasoning, and the ham is savory and delicious. I highly recommend it to my friends around me, and I can't wait to go there again. read more

Akane Chaya - Hamburger steak & Italian spaghetti combo. - Japanese Near Me - Gardena, California

The food, service, and ambiance is very Japanese. Meaning, the food is very ocd and precise. The staff is very accommodating and polite. And the ambiance is clean with a little bit of clutter on the side. It's worth the drive every time. 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

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

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

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

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

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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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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