This place is in a totally blah strip mall near the 76 gas station on Hawthorne. I would have had no reason to pull in here if it wasn't for the reviews on Yelp! I have been here a few times and in the last two months and have yet to be disappointed. First of all, the place looks tiny and dark from the outside, but once you step in, it is a bright, clean and classy place. To the left is the tempura bar in a small room and the right side is the main dining area. There is also a tiny bar in the the back with a few seats. There are usually lots of Japanese businessmen and families with baby seats, so their clientele is pretty much everyone and they are very welcoming to non-Japanese patrons as well. Service is always an A+ here. Kudos to the polite, calm servers and and skilled kitchen staff at Inaba. Their employees are what makes this place memorable. AND I am notoriously picky about service and I need a competent server in a happy-medium! There is nothing that irritates me more than a server who comes every 5 seconds and smiles too much or a stressed out server who sighs out loud and can't wait to get home. You know what I mean! My husband is a fan of traditional seafood salad and the one here is of high quality. I like that they put a variety of sashimi from tuna to octopus and use a light, tangy dressing that isn't too citrusy. For tempura, you use a paper checklist to mark (like at sushi bars). I favor the pumpkin, lotus root, stuffed lotus root and of course- the shrimp tempura. The tempura is not greasy or heavy as others have said. I can't explain their tempura other than it is crunchy and unlike any tempura I have had before - this is possibly due to their batter not being too flour-y or thick. They also have excellent soba which I prefer cold. They do get packed on Fri/Sat- so make a reservation. Don't get scared that they answer the phone with a long greeting in Japanese, just start talking English! That's what I did and it worked out fine! read more

This place is good. I wish I could leave it at that, but I feel like I have a need to be more verbose due to my opinionated self's inability to keep my thoughts to myself. Oh yes, I had a major craving for Japanese food. Oh who the hell am I kidding? I always am down for Japanese food. I got the tempura udon mini kurobuta (black pig) katsudon. Everything except the udon was pretty damn good. The udon was apparently frozen because I could see the spots where it got a bit freezer burned. -1 star. I hate to do that to them, but come on! If i'm paying 12 bucks or so for a set lunch and the udon is the cheapest ingredient, at least make sure it doesn't get freezer burned. I know this because my udon in my freezer always has those spots /c: But other than that, it satisfied my need for some Japanese food. (c: read more

Good solid traditional Japanese restaurant. Nice understated decor and I noticed a lot of Japanese families dining here--a good vibe. I had their hot tempura udon and sushi set (4-pc tuna roll and 3 pcs of assorted nigiri). It was all very yummy and was a pretty good value for the price, I thought. The sushi pieces were on the smallish side but with everything else you get pretty full. The udon here is different from what I'm normally used to--they aren't the thick white foofy noodles but narrower and chewier, kinda like linguine. Still very yummy though and I enjoyed my dinner very much. It's definitely above-average, in quality, presentation and price. read more

Tempura house eh? You'd expect more from a place that's supposedly known for their tempura but having sampled some of their selection during dinner, it's really really meh. Price totally unjustified. The interior is not what you'd expect from simply looking at it from outside, the inside has a very clean and modern business feel to it. I'm guessing the design is probably something similar to what you'd expect brand new Japanese restaurants back in Japan would look like for the working business man. Guess with that kind of vibe, it's only fair to note that everyone eating here when we showed up during dinner were pretty much Japanese business men. Most of the items on their menu would probably fall in the category of pricey for what you really get. On the dinner specials section where all the combination are located, the lowest priced item was the bento or a soba meal with a side tuna bowl for $20. Everything else is $25-$50 for a single person's dinner which generally focused on tempura samplers and various course meals, none which I found very appealing. Finally decided on getting the hot soba and tuna bowl and all I really want to say about it is.. wow, mediocre! I can make this myself if I wasn't so lazy. Tempura given was nothing special and not worth the price paid just to sample it. I've had better in Fukada in Irvine. I'm glad I didn't give into compulsive ordering disorder and try out their other tempura options. Service on the other hand was very good and attentive, quite the disappointment the food didn't live up to all the good Yelp reviews. read more

This place is hidden in a small and somewhat run down shopping plaza. I drive by here almost everyday, and would not have known that some delicious soba and tempura was served here. Thank goodness for yelp. Pretty expensive for noodles and the portions aren't that big, but the quality is top notch. I love noodles, but was never a big soba fan (probably because the soba I've had wasn't fresh). Inaba has changed my opinion of soba with their simple combinations of cold and hot dishes. I got the cold soba with freshly grated yam ($12) and my friend ordered the cold soba with tempura ($14). I didn't know what to expect with the yam. it's white and goopy, but totally works with the cold soba! It was so good! I also tried my friends tempura and again very good. Perfectly breaded and not greasy. The interior is actually very nice. It's clean and somewhat fancy. Service was good. Again, a bit expensive, so I wouldn't be coming here all the time, but I'll definitely be back for some fresh soba and tempura. read more

Being in the neighborhood I decided to give this place a try. When I first arrived, I noticed that this restaurant is located in a seedy looking strip mall. Flanked on the left by a value Indian store/fast food joint and a martial arts studio on the right. If you judge the book by its cover, you would think that this place must be a low end restaurant as well. But once you walk inside everything changes. Inside you will find a very high end Sushi bar, a Tempura bar and a dining room with white linen table cloths. The decor is very tastefully done and is indicative of what a high end restaurant should look like. Since this place is known for their Soba (buckwheat noodles in special dipping sauce), I decided to place a large order and I was not disappointed. The Soba was very fresh and al dente, just the way I like it. The dipping sauce was extremely flavorful and delicious. Combined it was one of the best Soba eating experiences I had in years. You know when a place is top notch when they serve you the water used to boil your Soba noodles. What is the significance of this? They are basically showing you their pride in the flavors being generated strictly by their buckwheat noodles. You use the hot Soba water to dilute your dipping sauce so you can drink it like a soup, enjoying every drop. Yes, you should finish all your noodles before diluting the dipping sauce. I also ordered their Kari Kari Salad (Kari meaning crunchy). Since it was a crunchy salad, I expected the fried wonton strips but what I didn't expect was this Japanese potato salad in the middle. Let me say that I was a little apprehensive at first by the flavor combination but it turned out to be absolutely delicious. The lettuce, fried wonton, potato salad, special dressing and dried tiny fish turned out to have excellent textual properties as well. Since they had a tempura bar, I decided to order some Menchi Katsu (panko breaded fried meat dumpling) and assorted Tempura vegetables. I was pleasantly surprised by how tender and juicy it turned out to be. It was also served with demigras which was a delicious twist instead of the traditional Tonkatu sauce. Their Tempura veggies were also amazingly flavorful and without any oiliness. Again I was surprised by this since how often have you had fried foods that wasn't a bit oily? Their Tentsuyu (prnounced ten-two-you) dipping sauce was also subtle yet very deep in flavor. You must commend the Tempura chef as all he does is temper his expertise in making nothing but fried foods. Lastly I decided since they had a sushi bar, I would order some Toro (fatty tuna). I was surprised how knowledgeable the wait staff was and advised me that they had fresh Chutoro (medium fatty tuna) today. Yes they charged me $15 for 2 pieces but it was absolutely delicious. You can just tell by the preparation of the dish that the sushi chef has at least 25 years experience in his craft. This is one of the rare places when you are about to run out of water or other beverages, the wait staff is there promptly to fill your glass. Ready to answer any questions you may have about any dish and act professionally when addressing you. This is a place that you truly cannot judge a book by its cover. This place is definitely on my top 10 restaurants you must experience in the South Bay. Decor: 5 Stars (a bit small but very tastefully done) Service: 5 Stars (exceptional) Atmosphere: 5 Stars (very soothing and elegant) Food Quality: 5 Stars (top quality stuff) Quantity of Food: 4 Stars (very good) Price: 5 Stars (you definitely get what you pay for) For a Grand Total of 5 Stars. read more

Hubby & I decided to stop in here for some soba and tempura. We walked in 15 minutes before they close for lunch. We ordered the tempura soba set. He got the additional marinaded mackeral sushi. I got the chicken donburi. Then we ordered extra tempura off the menu. It was pretty pricey.. You can compare it to sushi prices! Soba was good. The noodles were white with black speckles. They were thin but still were chewy. Japanese al dente done right! Chicken donburi was EH.. No flavor, just some chicken and eggs tossed on some rice. Fail! Husband liked the marinaded mackeral. It was pretty to look at though. He said it tasted fishy. But then again, what do you expect from mackeral, right?? Tempura was a disappointment. Good tempura usually has a nice translucent look to its coating, but here, it looked thick and doughy. Flavor was good but overall, it certainly didn't live up to being the specialty here. Service was great.. At the end, our server gave us some of the soba broth to mix in with our dipping sauce. It definitely cleansed our palate alright. Will be back if I'm ever in the area. Maybe not for the tempura, but definitely for the soba! read more

Ordered via GrubHub and ordered the "dinner" Yellowtail and Shime Saba for $18 each. With that price and how it is listed, I expected a "dinner set" not appetizer. If appetizer that should be listed on the menu. Was shocked to only get appetizer sizes. I would recommend updating your dinner menu to reflect that your "Dinner Sashimi" plates are only the sashimi. read more

I have been eating at I-naba for as long as I can remember. Their food is really great., which explains why they've been around for so long, and why people continue to flock to this little restaurant in the run down plaza on the corner of Hawthorne and Torrance Blvd. I've never been here for dinner, so this review is strictly for their lunches. First off, their lunch hours are quite short. They are only open from 11:30-2pm. It can get pretty packed right around noon with all the business people who come in on their lunch breaks, but if you get in right when they open or around 1pm, it's usually not TOO bad. They have a really extensive menu with lots of different combinations to choose from. I've never had a bad meal there, so I'm sure all the dishes are equally good. Anything with tempura is a must try. Their sashimi is always really fresh as well. I especially like the mixed veggie rice that come with a few of the combinations. It's such a great twist to the boring bowl of steamed rice that usually comes with combinations at your typical Japanese restaurant. The Tenzaru soba (tempura and cold soba noodles) is one of my favorites. The Inaba bento is always good too. As other Yelpers have mentioned, don't judge this place on its exterior. It may not look that appealing from the outside, but it has a nice minimalist look on the inside. It's very clean, and the staff is very welcoming. Ask to sit at the bar if you want to watch the tempura chef preparing everyone's tempura :) read more

Came here based on Michael L.'s recommendation for a good soba and tempura place. Mike was not wrong. Although my favorite tempura is at Thousand Cranes, this place is not bad and better than most. We had the tempura and sashimi dinner set. There was plenty of food. The set menus also come with ice cream. If I could change one thing, it would be to offer more tempura and get rid of the radish wrapped mackerel. The soba noodles are good and I like the soba dipping sauce. Next time, I want to sit at the tempura bar and eat solely the tempura and soba. Dinner items are not cheap. We paid over $55 (without drinks) for two adults. read more

I never come here for dinner. too pricey. but for Lunch it's great. This is a more traditional, authentic Japanese spot. not a place run by Koreans acting Japanese, thinking whitey won't know the difference. (ok, to be sure, whitey and everyone else usually doesn't know the difference) no sushi rolls with cream cheese in them, or any other fake japanese shit. anyhow, I digress. good place for bento boxes, grilled fish, sushi. i usually don't get the soba or udon, but they have it here too, and people say it's good. I've had the udon here. it's good. they make it here. plenty of Japanese folks come here. very nice staff here. they don't charge for green tea. come check it out! looks like nothing much on the outside, but the inside is nice. read more

After reading mostly positive reviews of Inaba, I took my family of 4 there for dinner yesterday. Even though we were seated quickly, the service from that point on was disappointing. Once we ordered it took over 35 minutes for any food to get to the table. The food was disappointing. The sushi was small and paper thin. The shrimp tempura was also small. One piece of sushi was rubbery and inedible so I asked them to replace it; what came back was an even thinner and smaller piece of fish. They need to improve portion size of their sushi. Most of the combination dinners were $20-$55 . We will not go back there again as it was not a good value for the money and the waitstaff did not seem to care whether we enjoyed our meal. read more

My friend suggested that we eat sushi at Inaba. Not having been there, I agreed. When I got there, I was shocked when the sign said, tempura in large letters and sushi in lower case smaller letters. I like when the place is known for sushi and they make some other things for the menu as appetizers, not the other way around. The yellowtail and salmon I ordered were a bit fishy. The amaebi was decent but the uni was runny and lacked texture. In addition, they don't fry the heads of the amaebi, which is odd, since its a tempura place and you know they got some oil in the kitchen. Finally, the pieces of sushi were so petite, I was still very hungry after my regular order. I may go back for the other menu items, but definitely not for their sushi. read more

"Oh, you already had the place planned out before you got here?" said my mom as we headed here straight from LAX. This place has been on my J-food list for awhile now after excellent experiences at Sakae Sushi, Spoon House, Okafuku Noodle House, and Sanuki No Sato at the suggestion of Yuko Y and Akiko T! This place does not disappoint, especially with a packed house before 30 minutes after opening (we were the second ones in waiting outside the doors to OPEN, OPEN, OPEN)! My mother got the hot soba and mini tempura plate and I got the tempura hot soba with salmon sashimi, cooked salmon, and salmon roe mini don (rice bowl) The salmon don was excellent! Highly recommended. The tempura and soba were nice, but I think eating it hot took some of the flavors off the noodles compared to the cold. Definitely will be a second visit even though I think Otafuku has better soba noodles! read more

Just like any little Japanese restaurant you can find in Tokyo. Their Tempuras are very good, light weighted and tasty. Udon noodles are very fresh. It is a great place for a nice family lunch. We went there with four people including my 2 years old boy. I was little worried since you need to check if they allow children in Tokyo. They served quickly and offered kids utensils. My boy enjoyed the Katsudon very much. read more

Been coming here for over ten years and the food is always good and consistent. Their soba and tempura is my go to. There is one chef dedicated to cooking tempura and one to sushi. The tempura is crisp and light and the soba has nice texture and flavor. The dipping sauce is spot on. Favorite soba spot in LA. read more

From the outside this restaurant is not very attractive, and since you can't see into it, it hardly looks like it's open. Once you get past the entrance though, this is definitely a hidden find. The inside is decorated in a very minimalistic fashion, and feels clean and elegant...very reminiscent of some fine dining in Japan. We had the small Sashimi combo, Cold Soba with hot dipping sauce and tempura, and Uni Tempura. The menu indicated that the small combo was meant for 2-3 people, but honestly i could have easily finished the whole thing myself! Not only because the pieces were small, but so delicious! The sashimi was rich, and high in quality. I smiled from ear to ear with every piece that practically melted in my mouth --Good thing my friend let me eat most of it! :) The tempura here was very good, particularly the Uni Tempura --at $7 bucks for 2 tiny pieces, it was still worth it! I would up the pricing listed for this restaurant from $$ to $$$, and be prepared to wait a bit for your meal, it did take a while for our dishes to come out. This wouldn't be the place to go if you're just looking for an everyday kind of Japanese restaurant for rolls and bento boxes, but it's well suited for a nice dinner date. read more

[six star award] I need my 11 on the dial, you know? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbVKWCpNFhY Yeah, this place goes to 11. Look--I'm picky about my Japanese food, ok? If you can't tell the difference between the soba they gave you in a styrofoam cup at about 2am on that nasty United coach flight to Asia, and hand-made exquisite artisan "let's have a moment of silence" soba at Inaba, then I can't help you, ok? I'm sorry. We're just talking about different things, we're not at the same table or even in the same room or the same restaurant or the same city. We're in really, really, really different places. And that's just reality. If you want amazing soba, come here. I can't find anything in SF that touches this. Damn. The sushi is very very good as well. I felt like I'd stepped into Japan, even if just for an hour. Amen. read more

The outside of I-naba does not do justice for what awaits you inside. The interior is very modern, simple and quite spacious... you could never tell from the outside. I-naba is a straight up authentic Japanese restaurant. There aren't any fusion rolls here, if that's what you're looking for. I don't get too adventurous when it comes to sashimi, but really enjoyed the mellow flavor of the yellowtail. I ordered a dinner set with the misoyaki cod fish with sashimi and tempura. The set was very traditional served with steamed Japanese veggies. The tempura was lightly battered and perfectly crispy. It also came with a warm egg custard, which I thought was a little salty, but okay. What I thoroughly enjoyed was the agedashi tofu (fried tofu served in dashi broth). It came out piping hot, so much so, that the bonito flakes were flailing in the bowl of heat. Delicious! Service was attentive and fairly quick. I also appreciated the fact that the tables were quite spaced out inside the restaurant. It definitely did not feel cramped despite the restaurant being completely packed. read more

Very authentic, very clean, very good service. I would recommend this place for both the kitchen dishes and sushi.

I was in the mood for Tororo, slimy grated yam, and I yelped this place. My lunch was cold soba with okra and tororo. All the lunch sets come with chicken fried rice. I was very satisfied with this place, and I look forward to trying it again. I spent about $14 for lunch. read more

Beautiful authentic and intimate Japanese dining experience. Came in here last night with a few friends. I think we were the loudest in there and for that I apologize. Love the tempura bar and sushi bar, both separated from the main dining room. Very traditional Japanese interior decor, simple lines and angles, absolutely spotless. We ordered a lot of beer, sashimi, sushi, and cut rolls. Personal favorites: - negi toro cut roll - scallop sashimi - tako (octopus) sashimi (nice and tender here) - ikura sushi (fresh and flavorful) - black cod - alllll the tempura The tempura here is so fresh and incredible. It's a must-try if it's your first time here. Presentation is absolutely beautiful. Wish I took some pictures. Not much curb appeal outside, but step inside, and you are transferred to a very proper and traditional Japanese restaurant. Attire is casual though, so no worries! read more

My friend recommended me to try here delicious food in Torrance area. I had Hamburg steak and taste was pretty good. Portion was small for me. Interior is typical Japanese restaurant and only Japanese customer was there. In 30 mins, I got really bad bad food poison after eat Hamburg steak. I don't know why this happened but I feel like one of Hamburg was old one. Please don't try Hamburg one and it is scary to me it might be happened same thing next time. So can't go back here. read more

WTH... those were my thoughts as I walked into the place. From the price range, the pics, and the reviews, I was expecting a seme-casual place for some good tempura and Japanese tapas. Maybe the picture of the uni tempura just completely blinded me. Walk in and it's white linen in a modern, semi-formal setting. WTH. The food was good, but definitely not the $$. It should be more like $$$. It might be authentic--as many of the patrons were Japanese. Even the waitress started speaking to me in Japanese -- nihongo-ga wakamasen. Eigoga! (In my head I was answering in Japanese -- "I don't understand Japanese. English!") The highlight WAS the uni tempura -- more of less what I expected, but not spectacular as I'd hoped. read more

Having spent a day on the Westside and heading back on the 405 South, we stumbled upon I-naba with the help of Yelp. There was another Japanese restaurant a few doors away, but we opted to go with the line of people waiting for this restaurant to open up at 5:30 pm (on a Saturday). This restaurant is in a small, run down strip mall. But don't let that deceive you. Inside, the restaurant's decor is clean, minimalistic and contemporary. Who knew that this was a beautiful restaurant with a "tempura bar" inside! I had the miso soup+tempura (2 shrimps and veggies)+cold soba (with the suggestion of our waitress)+california roll (instead of the tuna roll and sashimi)+soba broth (at the end of my dinner) combination set meal for $22. It seemed a bit pricey, but the quality was very good and it did come with a lot of food! I would definitely like to go back and bring my family/friends. If you decide to try this place, I'd recommend making reservations. We were lucky to get in when they just opened, but we had to sit at the tempura bar instead of at a table (it actually was better than sitting at a table) since we got to watch the chef cook the tempura in a huge copper fryer. :-) It was a wonderful dining experience to end a hot n' humid Saturday! read more

I heard Japanese spoken by the waitresses and patrons as I entered the restaurant. That's always a good sign! Although I-Naba was buzzing for lunch on Saturday, we were able to grab the last table and didn't have to wait. The lunch menu has a lot of great options that are reasonably priced. I tried one of the tempura noodle combos which came with a small plate of tempura (including shrimp), a bowl of hot udon (you could also get soba, hot or cold), and a bowl of marinated tuna over sushi rice. The bf wasn't as smart in his choice and decided to order the tempura lunch which came with a larger portion of tempura over regular rice, miso soup, and salad. I could see him enviously eying my lunch, which had more options, more variety, and cost the same. Don't make his mistake. read more

The white fish tempura is just SUPER! There is another restaurant called Gonpachi also claim they make their own soba, I tried it... Soba from Inaba totally beats Gonpachi, can't even compare... I prefer cold soba in here since I like soba to be on the "chewy" side, hot soba unless I eat it very quick, it will become soggy eventually. Their "izakaya" style small dishes are very good too. I just love their cold tororo soba. I also wish they can serve their tempura with a bit of sea salt on the side instead of the good old "tempura sauce". read more

Simple and Sweet This place is as authentic Japanese as it gets. No frills just straight up Japanese comfort food. Located in a small strip mall its definitely a easy miss if you drive too fast. Upon entering you will realize this place is extremely clean and the waitresses all speak Japanese and greet you with a smile. When my dad and i were seated i realized that we were the only chinese people here. Every table but us spoke Japanese so its definitely as legit as it gets. We ordered tempura soba and a rice bowl combo and everything was fantastic! The noodles had a great texture and the tempura was crisp and delicious. The rice bowls we got were the oyakodon and the tuna bowl. Both were delicious. Once the meal was finished one waitress brought us the starch water that the noodle was cooked in and explained to mix it with the mentsuyu (the dipping sauce) and drink it as a soup. I've never seen that and thought that was super awesome and it tasted great! Their service is phenomenal and super clean. I think this is a hidden gem of Torrance and i know ill definitely be back! read more

Inaba Restaurant - Tempura soba, tuna bowl, and oyakodon - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

Wonderfully authentic and reminds me of Japan in every way down to the decor. The food is probably not the best in the world but for a regular meal it hits the spot. read more

What a wonderful place. Don't let the strip mall of despair fool you, it is well worth it. The sushi was fantastic and the service impeccable. A bit pricey but the quality is there, no complaints. read more

We have been dining here for many years and the food is consistently excellent and the service outstanding. Last night we had a large party of 10 and had one person with a lot of food allergies, and the staff at Inaba were extremely knowledgeable, patient and accommodating. They are one of the most allergy friendly Japanese restaurants in the area, and made our meal a highly enjoyable one. read more

I did not know what to expect from the yelp reviews. There's a Japanese term, hakujin, that is thrown around my family, & judging from the reviews it seemed like one of those. Boy, is it delicious being wrong. Try one of the zaru soba sets with either the salmon or tuna w baby anchovies rice bowl. A very clean, nice restaurant to go with the family. read more

Salmon rice soup bowl... oh yum! Went here with a friend for a late dinner. I like their sake sampler... fun to taste different sakes! They also have a tempura bar/menu. I always get the same thing: Shrimp & Sweet Potato! My favorites! Funny story... they are SUPER japanese here...barely understand Engrrrish! So they accidently try to give us 2 salmon rice soup bowls. I had to repeat myself at least 3 times to explain that we only ordered ONE. But they are super sweet and great service! read more

I-naba is literally a hidden gem in the crappy strip mall. But it's very calm and classy once you enter, with the sushi bar when you first enter and then the main dining room. It's small and cozy, and closes early, so make sure to make a reservation on the weekend. We've taken a lot of my visiting family here, and they've all really loved it. It's definitely nice enough to take people for a nice dinner and to wow them if they're not familiar with Japanese food. I honestly haven't had anything here that I didn't like. The set meals are expensive, but you get tons of food and the opportunity to try a little bit of everything. So in the end it's worth it. The sushi is fresh, and they have a pretty good selection to choose from. They also specialize in tempura, and you can order it by piece from a paper menu similar to how you can order sushi. The tempura is out of this world- perfectly cooked, crispy and not oily at all. They have veggie and seafood ones available. Lastly, they do specialize in noodles as well and these are made very elegantly. Top off your evening with some sake, the pours are japanese style into a cup and wooden box- you basically get 2 glassfuls which is very generous and Japanese. The only thing I'd complain about is their early closing time, but it's worth making it for that special dinner! read more

We had a big dinner here and had 7 seats reserved at the tempura bar counter. The best seats in the house! We had an extensive menu of various fried tempura, and it was entertaining to watch the tempura chef make tempura all night long. Apparently he was making tempura for the entire restaurant, not just our orders. Fresh, crispy, and flakey - very delicious tempura! Even the sashimi was very fresh there. One tip though, don't eat too much tempura as your stomach will be paying for it afterwards... Parking in those shopping center was surprisingly difficult given the ample parking spaces. But guess a lot of people here visit the pool joint and the bar here. We had to park all the way at the other end of the lot to find a space. read more

Tasty soba is called "Bijin soba" in Japanese. To determine a "Bijin soba", the soba suppose to be clear color almost white and chewy. Yes! their soba is the topnotch soba restaurant. Homemade soba. They serve fresh sushi as well. read more

My family and I are regulars here -- this is our to-go to place for any special occasions, or even just for the night out. Our relatives from Hong Kong even enjoyed this place, and that's saying a lot since they go to Japan and get authentic Japanese food all the time! We've gotten so many things off their menu, and everything is pretty good. But I highly recommend their tempura! It's seriously the best in town. They have their own tempura station that you can sit in front of. You can tell that they fry everything very delicately and with great care. The tempura is nice and crunchy, and the best part is that it doesn't ooze with oil! It even tastes healthy! Ohhh, and get this, they have their own tempura ordering menu, so you can get almost anything you want fried. Try their sweet potato tempura, I promise you you won't be sorry!! Notes: 1) The place is a bit on the pricey side with smaller portions, so keep that in mind when you're ordering your food. 2) This place is ALWAYS packed, so make reservations ahead of time! Lunch is less packed though, and have decent lunch combinations, so if you want to try this out for your first time, come for lunch! read more

Our health insurance company has increased our awareness and is encouraging us to eat more vegetables in order for us to lead healthier lives and decrease their costs, that and, and they cut out the access to about half of our previously available doctors. Save us obama. Anyways, using the Secret or via some sort of holographic universe method, I must've telepathically communicated this need for veggies to the tempura bar dude because he unsolicitedly added some kale type greens and garlic into my rice bowl, which were actually pretty good. Even though the tempura cooking dude behind the bar didn't speak much English, this is a reminder to me to always sit at the bar at any restaurant that has a chef on the other side. Usually I stick with the a la carte menu, but that always seems to add up on me pretty quickly. I love their combo tempuras, the ones with uni are particularly good, but the uni must be some crazy conduit of heat, b/c they always burn my mouth. The scallop here is also super good. Instead I ordered a rice plate with eel tempura. The eel was quite good & impressively deboned, but I miss the opportunity to order the veggies that I like. the batter here is quite light and it doesn't feel like you're doing damage to yourself when you eat it. read more

I finally tried this place out. I'm sad I didn't come sooner! The decor is nice, and the atmosphere is casual and welcoming. The staff is absolutely wonderful as well. I ordered the grilled salmon miso, and yellowtail sashimi. The sashimi was cut perfectly! So fresh and tasty. The salmon was deeeelicious. It was tender and full of flavor. I also tried the beef with ponzu bento box and fell in love. The tempura was good, and the tuna sashimi was fresh and tasty, too. Next time, I'd like to try the soba or udon and other sushi assortments. The place is small; it's located in a strip mall with other tasty places. Our bill came out to $42 for 2 people. We left full and happy. read more

Today, I ordered the zaru-tempura dinner. Started with salad, then soba, tempura, and marinated tuna bowl, all for $22. I think it's a pretty good deal. I came out with a full and satisfied stomach :) read more