Back again. I remembered they have a great BENTO BOX, so that's what I ordered again and…read morerecommended the same for my friend. We had a great time here on a Saturday afternoon. The food was as great as I remember and although the restaurant had plenty of people, we didn't feel rushed. Everything was delicious from the sashimi, tempura, fish, nishime and chicken karaage. The bento box also comes with potato salad, udon and gohan. When I'm in Gardena, this is my choice for Bento Box... You literally get a little of everything!

Food: good solid Japanese fair with emphasis on udon. The broth was clear and delicious. Edamame…read morewas bland. No salt. The udon noodles had a nice chew but not too much. The tempura was good , not excellent. The shrimp was the best. Ambiance: old school but charming Service: it was a small mom and pop place. The one waitress was very pleasant. I liked it a lot. It's a casual place to get solid Japanese food. Nothing fancy. But solid. Prices are reasonable. 2 for dinner. With edamame and tempura sides plus 20% tip was $74 . So please try them. Bon appetit

Premier find for excellent Japanese cuisine. My girlfriend and I came here for an early Saturday…read moredinner after a day on the water in Long Beach. When we arrived luckily there was no wait and were sat immediately. Luckily it was only a couple moments before a party of maybe 12 arrived behind us for dinner. Our host and server were helpful and efficient. We quickly scanned through their menu and decided on their combos (pork cutlet and tempura) Our trays of paradise quickly arrived and looked beautiful! ( see attached for reference ) i loved the balanced presentation and blend of flavors. Each tray had some miso, a 4 bite California roll, some rice, soba noodles, broth, wasabi and ginger. Mine came with some dipping sauce for the tempura. Considering the amount of food I was very satisfied. The tempura was gorgeously crafted with semi thin crisped batter, and a decent amount portioned. I was mostly amazed by my girlfriends pork plate. Their crisp cutlet had beautifully made with an easy crunchy exterior and soft tender pork savory to taste. All elements complimented each other perfectly. Their soba was also good quality and a nice touch to an already balanced dinner. While I was exactly stuffed after dinner, i was still impressed with their entree presentation, quality of food, calming ambiance and great service.

Hidden in the inner corner of a shopping plaza in Gardena, the restaurant features Japanese-style…read moredécor, a 15-person party room, and enough space to accommodate 60 guests. When we arrived for lunch, the place was quite festive with a mixture of young people, families with kids, and an ongoing lunch party with senior ladies. Luckily, we were able to get the last table, and the friendly waiter brought the water and menus right away. After browsing through their menu, we ordered the following items: Special Fish Combo (Spanish Mackerel): The Spanish mackerel was nicely grilled but lightly seasoned. It had quite a few bones, which took a little bit out of the enjoyment of the meal. The udon noodles had a very nice texture, however the broth was on the bland side. The California rolls were well made and flavorful. Tempura Combo: The shrimps were tender, however, the battered outer layer of the tempura was a tad thick and not quite airy. Like Fish Combo, the udon had a bland broth, and the California rolls were fine. Our main issue was the 50-minute wait time for the meals. As a courtesy, the restaurant definitely should have informed us about the delay.

I literally picked this place as it was in the middle of who I was meeting. We've all never been…read morethere. Saw some pics via yelp and figured there was a lot to choose from. Parking: you can either park on the street, if there is parking; or park in the lot where h can enter from the back of the restaurant. Get there before 5 to grab a seat because the place fills up QUICK. Inside is small and narrow. If you're not a big eater, share a dish. Their portions are HUGE!! Biggest plates I've seen for a Japanese restaurant. The servers there work hard and try to be quick as possible. I would definitely come back here.

Azuma's menu is incredibly extensive, offering just about every type of Japanese comfort food you…read morecan think of. From sashimi, yakitori, udon, donburi, and so much more. With so many options, it was honestly a little overwhelming to choose. I decided to keep things simple and ordered the sashimi and broiled mackerel fish set, which came with rice, miso soup, cabbage salad, and macaroni salad. My husband couldn't settle on just one dish, so he went all out with a chicken oyakodon, grilled salmon, steamed eggplant, and a stir-fried chicken and bean sprout dish. The restaurant itself is narrow and deep, which actually reminded me of some of the small alleyway restaurants we visited during our travels in Japan. It added to the cozy and authentic feel. The service was attentive, especially when we requested a few extra items. One thing that really stood out was their ponzu sauce. It seemed to include green onions and perhaps a touch of vinegar, and it was absolutely delicious. It paired perfectly with the sashimi, steamed eggplant, and even the chicken dishes. Next time, I'm definitely going to spend some time studying the menu beforehand. The portions were generous enough that we had leftovers for another meal, and we were lucky enough to find parking right in front of the restaurant.

The hearts are super tender! Order:…read moreHearts Liver Special shiro (special pork intestines, really good if you like intestines!) Shishamo (on the special menu) Ika yaki (think of like a deconstructed takoyaki without the carbs) Chicken meatball Chicken thigh Gizzard was also very good Duck Cartilage Chicken oyster Beef tongue (only alright compared to other spots) Pork belly with shiso Tail Everything was super tender! Would come again! Heart, gizzard and special shiro we ordered more of! Food was so good that I didn't take any pictures haha

the line sucks . i am not sure i'd wait more than 20 minutes for this but im honestly just…read moreimpatient, so if you are here on a weekend or something you will need to get in line or be ready way before. if you go at lunch on some random tuesday it'll probably be ok, and i've done that. the food is excellent. the interior of the place isn't anything noteable but not dirty or anything but don't expect a fancy restaurant. that said, once you are seated and ordering its great yakitori

Finally got a chance to try Waka Sakura, and it was such a fun experience! We stopped by on a…read moreFriday afternoon after 2 p.m. and were pleasantly surprised there was no wait. The conveyor belt dining was entertaining--we kept ordering just so we could watch the dishes make their way and stop at our table. The food was fresh, tasty, and there was a great variety to choose from. Between the good food and the novelty of the experience, we had a great time. We left full, happy, and definitely amused. Looking forward to coming back!

Waka Sakura is located on the second floor of Tokyo Central, and it ended up being a great spot for…read morea quick sushi fix. We came on a Sunday and were surprised that there was no wait at all. We were seated immediately, and the service throughout our meal was excellent. This is conveyor belt sushi, but instead of grabbing random plates, the sushi comes out on the conveyor belt after you place your order. We tried several nigiri including the salmon, whelk, and yellowtail, along with a few hand rolls. The fish tasted fresh and was better quality than I expected for the price point. One thing that caught my attention was the rice since it has a brownish color, but I believe it's actually white rice. Whatever they're doing, it tasted great and paired well with the fish.

Otafuku is well known for its variety of soba and yakitori dishes, though the entire menu looked…read moretempting. I ordered the hot seiro soba with Japanese mountain potato. Note that all of the soba toppings are priced separately, which can make the dish a bit expensive. That said, we added shrimp and scallop tempura, and it was absolutely delicious. For yakitori, we tried the chicken wings and the chicken meatball. The meatball was amusingly served as one giant chicken-sicle! The wings had great flavor, though the skin was a bit too fatty. My husband also ordered a pork cutlet bowl, and we shared a sashimi plate with scallop, cod, salmon, and two types of tuna. Everything was incredibly fresh and delicious. We also shared the jidori egg and seaweed salad. Out of everything we ordered, my favorites were definitely the sashimi, the shrimp and scallop tempura, and the jidori egg. They do take reservations, but when we visited on a Sunday night, we were lucky enough to be seated right away. Dining here really felt like being back in Japan, and we'll definitely return.

Easy eats soba noodles in a low key space…read more Went for a Friday evening dinner - would recommend RSVP'ing but was able to walk in. There is a parking lot in the back but would recommend street parking as it gets pretty cramped in the lot. Vibe feels like an old school mom n pop Japanese restaurant - relaxed and welcoming. Was sat immediately - ended up ordering the hot Seiro soba, some shrimp and veggie tempura, and a beer. Everything was light, but filling and tasty. Noodles disappeared pretty quickly - definitely enjoyed it, as well as the broth. Tempura was also very well cooked. The shrimp tempura wasn't sad shrimp, they were sizable. Two meals were about $65 ish all together - not bad. Would come back!

This place is a neat little restaurant that specializes in spaghetti with various toppings,…read moreJapanese style. The interior opens into some countertop seating with a waitress stand to the left. Behind the waitress stand is more seating overlooking the open kitchen where you can take in the sights and smells of the employees working on their craft. The interior is decorated simply and cleanly with wall decorations but most of the focus drawn to the kitchen. I ordered the avocado cream cheese (with onion and bacon) spaghetti. The avocado and cream cheese tag teamed into a creamy coating on the noodles with a tang from the cheese and a richness from the avocado. The onion and bacon added some necessary contrast, crunch, and meatiness to the meal. The noodle texture is excellent with a nice snap. Unfortunately, it does reach a point where the cheese becomes too rich to consume and I found myself requiring breaks before resuming. All in all, a very good meal and a definite recommend in the area for the experience.

Legit japanese pasta spot in Gardena! If you come, do not miss out of the salad! It's so good and…read morefor the price, you'd be a fool to not get it!! I got the uni squid pasta, but be warned, it's not your typical version with cream as a base. It was definitely seafood forward and tasted pure to the ingredients. I recommend coming with someone to try different plates! The location isn't super big, but it's quaint and the servers are so friendly. Very little parking in the back lot or you can park on the street.

My new favorite handroll place!…read more Such a cute small shop. Parking was easy and free, got sat immediately. Service was absolutely outstanding, we were very well taken care of. They even opened the door for us as we exited. Our food came quickly and tasted fresh and amazing. We loved all 6 handrolls we ordered. Our recommendations are the eel + tamago and the snow crab + spicy mayo. I highly recommend adding double rice to your handrolls (it's free!) We also ordered the sweet potato brulee which was the best dessert I've had in a long time. It was not too sweet and very light/refreshing tasting. We will absolutely be returning! Can't wait to come back and try more.

We called ahead to confirm they had the 50% off tuna since it was listed as limited quantity. They…read moreassured us it would be available all day, which is the main reason we decided to come in. When we arrived, we ended up waiting about 30 minutes for a table for just two people, even though there were clearly open tables inside. During that entire time, none of the staff acknowledged us or gave any updates. We were also the only ones waiting, which made it even more frustrating. After finally being seated, I asked for the 50% off menu, and that's when they told us they were already out of stock. This completely defeated the purpose of us coming in, especially since we had called ahead to confirm. This isn't the first time I've had issues here either. On a previous visit, we weren't seated despite there being open tables. Overall, the lack of communication and organization is really disappointing. Unfortunately, I won't be coming back.

One of my friends has been coming here since they were little and has been recommending it forever…read more I had been once a couple years ago, but was happy to come back with family! It was pretty busy on a Sunday evening, but after about a 5-minute wait for a table to be cleaned, we were seated. The space had a lively, casual vibe -- definitely a popular spot for dinner. I love seafood, but I also really wanted to try the katsu, so even though I'm not a big eater, I went with Combo D... which was huge. Honestly, I think it could easily feed two people. The side soup and bread came out almost immediately. The soup was simple but nice with a bit of pepper, and the bread was so good -- warm, soft, and buttery (I had to pace myself knowing what was coming). The pasta was delicious -- the clams weren't overly "clammy" (lol), and the cream sauce was light and not too heavy. The katsu was crispy and satisfying, and the salad added a nice, refreshing balance. Everything worked really well together. I ended up taking a good portion home, and even reheated, it was still just as good! Overall, a great spot with generous portions and solid food. I'd definitely come back and would recommend it to others!

WHY AKANE CHAYA? - Ever since 1991 a staple in Gardena…read more - Budget friendly pricing and portions - Craving Japanese-Italian besides Spoon House FOOD 4/5 Hamburger Steak & Pork Cutlet with Demi-Glace Sauce 4/5 - h.steak was soft and went well with the sauce - cutlet wasn't fatty Shrimp Spicy Tomato Sauce - Sauce isn't as thick as Spoon House, so it depends on what you like better SERVICE 4/5 Both staff members were extremely kind and friendly. No issues PARKING 5/5 Pacific Square Shopping Center has tons of ample parking

Overall impression: Everything we tried was excellent -- no complaints at all…read more Food highlights: We ordered the octopus sunomono, crispy gyoza, seared marinated mackerel, hard shell clam, fried chicken, and mentai cream hotpot. · The fried chicken is among the best we've had in LA. · The gyoza and mentai cream hotpot are absolute must-tries. Service: Attentive and genuinely doing their best -- very solid. Ambiance / decor: A bit dated, but practical and comfortable.

Lots of lunch specials to choose from and good portion sizes!…read more We came here for the udon and were not disappointed with the menu! I decided to go for a full sized udon with a side of tempura. The udon was heavy on the noodles, I wish there was a little more broth but the noodles were tasty and a great texture. Tempura was good, one of the tempura pieces a mushroom, was not fully cooked and had some raw batter on the inside but the rest was great. My partner for the salon bowl which was very fresh and a small side of udon which was still a great size. We both didn't finish our lunches and brought stuff home! Service was great but the restrooms could use a little work. The rest of the restaurant was clean and Japanese themed, appropriately so.