Overall impression: Everything we tried was excellent -- no complaints at all. 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. read more

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Lots of lunch specials to choose from and good portion sizes! 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. read more

Izakaya Akatsuki - Salmon lunch special - Noodles Near Me - Gardena, California

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If you are looking for an authentic Japanese Izakaya with good quality food, this restaurant is a good option. They have plenty of comfortable seating and the food options are varied enough to satisfy most people in your family. We were seated quickly on Mother's Day night but I did have a reservation. The Akatsuki Special Hot Pot with Chicken Soy Sauce was very nice. It is a bit pricey but we did share it among 3 people. It has a good combo of pork belly, meatballs, mochi and veggies. We would have chosen the Spicy Miso Butter soup base but one of my daughters doesn't like spicy food. I highly recommend getting the Udon Set with it. We only got one since my daughters are not large eaters. My husband ordered the Grilled Yellowtail Collar and he said it was very good. The size was so large - it was a really good value. But the star dish of the evening was the Crispy Winged Gyoza. We ordered that at the end and only got 6 pieces. It is perfectly crispy, with a really tasty filling and the dipping sauce is to die for. Next time we will order the 16 piece set. Sadly we were so excited to eat everything I forgot to take pictures of our food. But we'll be back for sure! read more

Celebrated my birthday at one of my favorite old school Japanese restaurant. One thing I love about this place is their consistency. The quality and taste is always great. My favorites are the rice balls, mushroom salad, and gyoza. read more

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Located off the corner of Western Ave and 182nd in Gardena. In the plaza in the corner parking is shared with all the other businesses in the plaza. Came here to meet up with some HS buddies. We had one of rooms where you sit on the floor. Service was good and pretty quick. The staff were friendly and hard working. I got the plain udon it was good. Overall had a good time here service was good and food was good. read more

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As my rating indicates, I wasn't particularly impressed with this restaurant. It pains me to say this since I really had high hopes when I visited this place over the weekend. Don't get me wrong, it's not a terrible restaurant by any means. I liked the traditional Japanese decor and nostalgic songs playing on the speaker. The service was solid. Nothing to complain about that either. BUT the food... it was pretty disappointing. Some things that stood out to me, not in a good way: 1) The sashimi was fresh, but cut way too thick. I'm embarrassingly bad at handling chop sticks and the sashimi slices were hard to grab. 2) The California rolls barely had any avocados in them, if at all. 3) The tempura was not hot and crispy. The shrimp, which is usually my favorite tempura item, was limp and cold. Didn't get the sense that it was freshly made to order. I will acknowledge that this restaurant is generous with their portions. Can't imagine anyone leaving hungry if they order one of their bento boxes. However, it would have been nice if they focused more on the quality of their food as opposed to the quantity and variety. read more

Izakaya Akatsuki - Noodles Near Me - Gardena, California

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I highly recommend the Mentai Cream Hot Pot. The creamy dashi broth is flavorful and tasty, perfect for sharing between 2-3 people. It comes with generous amounts of mentaiko, tofu, mochi, cabbage, mushrooms, pork belly and chicken. It's so delicious! Another recommended dish is the Salmon & Ikura Kamameshi aka cast iron pot. Their udon dishes are good too. The noodles are made in house daily. When u arrive, they always ask if you have a reservation. We have done walk-ins many times and were seated right away. I would suggest making a reservation for weekends and holidays, just in case. read more

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Need to grab lunch in the South Bay and this place came up my search. First of all the entrance is nicely decorated with Japanese accents that transports me to Japan. We see mostly local Japanese people dining when we walked in so it's a good sign. There's a lot of options for lunch. We ordered curry udon with pork chop, rice with chicken bowl and udon with yellowtail rice bowl. The portion is pretty generous and everything was very tasty and hits the spot. What a local gem! We will come back again when we are in the area to try more dishes. read more

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Izakaya Akatsuki popped up on my Feed, so I decided to go for an early lunch. The restaurant is tucked away in the corner of a strip mall, but is actually very spacious inside, including a few beautifully-decorated dining rooms on tatamis, perfect for events. I ordered agedashi tofu and the signature Original Umami Maze Udon. Food came out fairly quickly: I especially enjoyed the agedashi tofu, with its lightly-crisp exterior and soft, silky interior. The maze udon was tasty, but a bit too salty and heavy on green onions: portions were decent, but could've used less green onions to allow the chewy udon noodles to shine. Pretty-affordable meal at $24 total; there are also lunch specials under $20, which are great for the wallet. Service was a bit cold, but overall, a solid, no-frills udon restaurant for a satisfying meal. read more

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Love this gem of an authentic Japanese restaurant! Vibe is homey, staff are very friendly, and food is delicious and fairly priced. We got the mentaiko motsunabe and it's one of the richest soups I've ever had. It's enough to feed 4 people!! Portions are very generous. Definitely will come back! Came on a Sunday night and surprisingly no wait! read more

Izakaya Akatsuki - Mentaiko motsunabe - Noodles Near Me - Gardena, California

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We found ourselves at Izakaya Akatsuki because everywhere else was booked and busy. Izakaya Akatsuki, however, was a welcomed surprise. This was the first time we've ever encountered kamameshi irl. The small clay pot slow cooks the rice, protein, and whatever else i.e. veggies. For first timers, we ordered the Salmon & Ikura bowl ($26). Shiitake and shimeji mushrooms are cooked directly into the rice and the salmon + salmon roe are nestled on top. The flavors are wildly unexpected. The rice and salmon are pretty mild, but the salmon roe functions as a seasoning. I like the juxtaposition of the warm rice alongside the cool salmon roe. Delish. Also good was the spicy crispy tofu ($8). It's topped with chili oil, crispy onion, ponzu sauce + green onion. It's a new take on an old favorite and it was absolutely delightful. I like chili crisp onion anything - here it added a little crunch and heat. Everyone else around us came for their hotpot so we'll definitely be back for that. read more

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Akatsuki in Torrance is such a gem. I love that they have tatami seating, it really adds to the cozy, authentic izakaya atmosphere. The portions are huge, the food is incredibly fresh, and you can truly taste that everything is made on the spot. Their bentos are especially amazing: beautifully prepared, satisfying, and a great value. They specialize in house-made udon and soba, and you can feel the care put into bringing traditional Japanese flavors to the table. Everything feels authentic and thoughtfully done, without being overpriced. A fantastic spot whether you're going solo or with a group. Definitely one of the best Japanese comfort-food experiences in the area. read more

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Loved this old school izakaya spot - got a rec for it and so glad we could make the trip from Monterey park! Loved the gyoza with skirt and the maze udon! The udon had great umami fishy flavor. Workers were super nice, does feel run down but that adds to the charm. I also saw some private tatami-y rooms in the back! We went on a Friday at 7:30p and no wait but maybe unusual - heard someone call and ask if there was a wait. Also heard you can make reservations. read more

Izakaya Akatsuki - Maze udon - Noodles Near Me - Gardena, California

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The restaurant is located in a small shopping plaza on the border of Torrance and Gardena. Inside has nice traditional Japanese décor (with some private party rooms) and it is large enough to accommodate 100 guests. The friendly waitress at the reception guided us to our table and brought menu and water right away. The menu was quite extensive and for this visit we ordered the following items: Blue Fin Tuna Negi Toro Bowl with Side of Hot Udon: The toro tuna was silky, buttery, and fresh. The rice was perfectly cooked and pleasantly seasoned (slightly tangy and sweet). The side order hot udon had a light but flavorful broth and with hint of bonito flakes. The noodle texture was quite different from regular udon (maybe due to the addition of tapioca), it had firm feel and quite al dente. Original Umami Maze Udon: The broth-less sauce was creamy and flavorful, and also with hint of bonito flake. The mixture of green onion, seaweed and cilantro blended well with the savory ground pork and runny egg. The texture of noodles was similar to the hot udon's which was on firm and chewy side. Agemochi Oroshi: Nice side dish to complement the lunch, the lightly fried mochis were soft without being overly chewy and went well with the grated daikon, green onion and dashi sauce. A nice lunch experience overall. read more

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Delicious and legit Japanese restaurant for your craving! I had: 1. Mentai Cream Hot Pot 2. Salmon with Truffle Oil 3. Yellowtail Jalapeño 4. Japanese Chili Fried Chicken Wing 5. Crispy Winged Gyoza 6. Spicy Crispy Tofu 7. Salmon Ikura Kamameshi 8. Yuzu Sour 9. Okinawa Sour read more

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AMBIENCE: (4/5) - Spacious seating - Not a lot of tables and it filled up fast but we didn't have to wait since we came for an early dinner - There are private rooms for bigger parties - Very cute Japanese decor SERVICE: (5/5) - Greeted with a smile - Waiter came by quickly and took our orders - Food came at a reasonable time - We had a lot of questions for the waiter and she was so patient with us and gave us recommendations since everything looked so good and we couldn't decide what to order - The udon I got came out fresh and hot from the kitchen FOOD/DRINKS: (5/5) - Tempura Udon (5/5): The udon was the perfect texture and they gave me a lot! I almost couldn't finish it and I came here hungry. The tempura was also great, lightly breaded and not oily at all. I love that this combo gives you a whole plate. OVERVIEW: (5/5) - Comfortable seating. Freshly made udon every day & of a good size for the price. Would come here again! read more

Izakaya Akatsuki - Hot Tempura Udon - Noodles Near Me - Gardena, California

We came by for lunch here on a weekend and didn't have to wait long since the restaurant is large, but it was still pretty busy. They got our orders for the California roll wrong and one of our bento sets was missing a chawanmushi, so make sure you check everything when you get it. The sashimi we got wasn't the freshest I've ever had but it was decent. Portion sizes are pretty generous and the bento was very filling especially with the udon. They have private rooms if you have enough people, but you probably would want to make a reservation to make sure you get the room. Overall, the food is decent but I think there are better places in the area for lunch. read more

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There was a bit of a wait but it wasn't too bad. The interior is cozy and with more traditional design and layout. Their menu offers a wise selection and I got the spicy umami mazesoba. The spice was just right for me and the greens were a nice cut to the thick sauced noodles. Bowl was also quite large and very filling. read more

Izakaya Akatsuki - Noodles Near Me - Gardena, California

My friend sent me an Instagram of someone visiting here and what caught my eye was that they make noodles in-house. They have booths, tables, and tatami rooms for seating though it might be good to make reservations depending on when you're going. The room is very bright so you won't struggle seeing the menu. I ordered the small gyoza, karaage, and zaru tempura soba. The gyoza (6 pieces) was fried in a way where it was one complete circular piece so there was some thin crispy parts. The karaage was nicely fried. The soba (made in-house) along with tempura (2 shrimp, veggies, and I think a piece of fish). The soba was good. I really like the sauce which I believe was made with fish stock. The tempura sauce tasted pretty much the same. read more

This spot offers authentic Japanese-style tapas, and it was such a lovely experience from start to finish. I especially loved the traditional tatami-style seating. it made the meal feel cozy and private. The vibe was calm and intimate, perfect for a quiet dinner. Their noodle dishes are a must, made in-house with fresh, chewy texture that really stands out. Highly recommend the octopus & mushroom rice pot and the grilled eel hitsumabushi -- both were packed with flavor and comfort. And don't skip the yuzu sake. refreshing, citrusy, and the perfect pairing to the meal! read more

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I went to Izakaya Atatsuki for lunch and it was a great experience. Food is delicious and the sashimi bowl is so good and their portions are very generous. Staff is welcoming, friendly and are helpful in giving recommendations. read more

Izakaya Akatsuki - Sashimi plate - Noodles Near Me - Gardena, California

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Excellent Japanese restaurant. Their corner spot in the plaza offers a generous indoor seating arrangement has options with tables/booths in their common seating and also has traditional tatamis for more private dining options. We had a reservation and quickly were helped to the table and menus by their hostess. Their staff was plenty friendly from the get go. We were a party of 5 and had wide eyes for their menu!! Plenty of options for salads soups hot pot sashimi and much more! I loved the spicy maze udon a ton! The kimchi was ferment to perfection, slight spicy level and had been plated delightful sliced veggies over quality noodles. The plate was a nice hefty portion but i still had capacity for trying lots of other plates. Their karaage for example had epic sized servings! It was crisped nice but did lack some sauce for dipping in my opinion. The tempera plate was also a good size with lots jumbo shrimp and decent veggies options to choose from! While the food was good, I think what highlights my experience here was their indoor ambiance, menu options, and range of Asian alcohol/non alcoholic options! Not sure if I'd be back was so happy and grateful to try! read more

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Stopped by right at opening on a weekday evening and was seated immediately, but man did this spot fill up fast, and my friend and I could definitely see why! We shared the sashimi platter (3 pieces each of salmon, yellowtail and bluefin tuna) -- so fresh, buttery, and delicious! We also each had the tempura udon which was a generous portion with the best house made noodles. Staff is friendly, parking is easy. Loved the ambiance. We sat at a booth but saw an area with tatami mats! read more

Izakaya Akatsuki - Noodles Near Me - Gardena, California

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Wanted to try this place since my usual spot was pretty packed for dinner and it was pretty good! The restaurant is very spacious with lots of seating and the service was great. I got the tempura udon but forgot to take a pic. The tempura was good, I was not expecting the mushrooms in there so that was a nice surprise. I also got the sashimi and it was nice and fresh. While they do give you a lot, I do wish it was cut a little thinner. read more

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I had one of the best dining experiences at here. This restaurant is tucked in a quiet plaza in Gardena and serves up authentic Japanese cuisine. It's truly as authentic as it comes. They have private tatami dining areas and even make their own udon noodles daily. I've never had fresh udon noodles and now I only want to eat them fresh. The texture is so good. We splurged a little and dined on the Akatsuki hot pot with meatballs and pork belly, unagi hitsumabushi, salmon truffle, yellowtail jalapeño, katsu beef cutlet, spicy miso butter umami maze udon, crispy gyoza, and spicy crispy tofu. For drinks, we ordered the Asahi draft and their yuzu sour. The staff was also super friendly! If you haven't been yet, definitely add this restaurant to your list and visit as soon as possible. read more

The post Thanksgiving Day holiday had our family craving Japanese cuisine, and led us to this restaurant. My kids are familiar with this area and said this might be the fourth business at this location. Th menu says each customer will please order one item per person. We went beyond that I think! We tried the Japanese house Akatsuki special hot pot : your choice of broth, fresh made udon noodles and meatballs, slices of pork, tofu, mochi, Napa cabbage and enoki mushrooms. Extra charge for additional broth. Hot pot is served on a butane powered stove. We got yuzu salt broth - their version I quite better tasting than other hot pot style places. Got this dish plus additional udon set (noodles, spring onions, tempura crumble and egg or risotto set (it's really just rice, comes with seaweed and cheese (poured broth over the dish to make the risotto). I got the Nabeyaki Udon ( broth, udon, fish cake, two shrimp tempura, chicken and poached egg. I enjoyed this dish too! Hearty broth and great chew on the noodles. Served in an iron pot - stayed hot throughout my meal. The Kamameshi bowl takes 30 minutes to come out ; hot ceramic bowl with rice and salmon- their version salmon got overdone but the rice itself was flavorful. Brothless Maze Udon had ground pork, spring onions and other herbs plus poached egg. Salmon chazuke is served with its own little pot of broth to pour over the dish. Spicy umami Maze udon had kimchi added. Ended with Japanese mochi ice cream split and a Japanese's cake roll . Serves cocktails, beer and sake. Attentive waitresses and servers. Fried Gyoza appetizer came out midway through: 17 pieces (the next size only has 6). Overall solid food offerings. Unfortunately the first table by entryway had plastic and blue tape overhead- some kind of plumbing issue a few weeks past was posted on their facebook page. Several other dining areas, some with Japanese style low table seating (adapted for Westerners by having a lot of legroom underneath.) High chairs not advisable because a lot of dishes are rough to table piping hot! Lots of parking. read more

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This is one of my favorite restaurants. The seating is spacious and comfortable, and the staff are friendly and attentive. The food is good, and the prices are reasonable. I usually come here for the mentaiko motsunabe. It's loaded with mentaiko and plenty of motsu, and it's always delicious! They also have private rooms, which makes this place a great option for business meals. read more

Izakaya Akatsuki - Mentai Motsunabe - Noodles Near Me - Gardena, California

Me and my friend wanted to go to the hand roll place next door but the wait was too long so we came here which is in the same plaza. We didn't really know what to expect since we didn't take our time to look at the menu. But we did see some udon so we decided to give it a try. I got the spicy umami maze udon and I was not disappointed. It has all the flavors that are perfect for my palette. I love cilantro in my Asian food. I'm usually very selective with what goes into my dish, especially with Japanese noodles because I don't usually like the veggies that go in it. But there was nothing I didn't like in the dish! And the spice level was just right for me. I didn't think it would be spicy enough but I was pleasantly surprised. The karaage was delicious. Very big chicken pieces. They came out hot and juicy. My friend got the tempura udon which I usually don't opt for when I eat out. She didn't finish it so I'm not sure how she felt about it. I'd definitely come back for the mazedon forsure ! read more

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First time here. The place has a nice vibe and the servers were very friendly. The food is very good! I will definitely come back. read more

Izakaya Akatsuki - Noodles Near Me - Gardena, California

Excited to return for lunch! Living in OC, I jumped at the chance to meet a visiting friend for lunch here. One diner had their "Original Umami Maze Udon", which she had on a previous visit. She was again very pleased with this dish. She shared a bit with me, so I can also agree this is a solid dish. Two of us ordered Tempura Zaru Soba. Ample serving of soba. Not sure this was house made? Nice dipping sauce with the usual accoutrements (suri daikon, negi & wasabi). The tempura was also a good portion with 2 shrimp, kabocha, kakiage, shishito, & gobo. Super crispy, not greasy which means the oil temp was perfect. Gotta have yamaimo. On the side. Also shared a bottle of Otokoyama (our fav). Unsure why this appears to be a first post for me, as I've been here at least a half dozen times. Each previous visit was with someone either from Japan now a local resident or visiting from Japan. The servers are VERY kind & attentive. It's a cute little place. Ok my usual barometer for a restaurant's authenticity is the clientele. Which on this visit was 99% nihonjin. Just wish I lived closer... However, now that it's on my radar again, I will travel for great food. This place is awesome! read more

Izakaya Akatsuki - 8/25 tempura zaru soba-yamaimo on the side - Noodles Near Me - Gardena, California

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The hamachi dish was good as it comes with vegetables and sushi rice to combine all in one bite. The fish itself was not as soft as I'd prefer but still good. The udon noodle texture was great! I got the simple udon so the broth was very light. I'd like to try the curry udon next time. Service was awesome, and the ambiance is great. We came for lunch and it felt as if we were in Japan with all of the Japanese speaking going on around us. read more

Izakaya Akatsuki - Noodles Near Me - Gardena, California

The food is good. The waitstaff are very friendly and accommodating. I like the atmosphere and it's spacious/clean inside. We ordered a sashimi platter, sashimi udon bowl, fried tempura, and a curry plate. Everything was good. I was hoping that the tempura be a little crispier, but at least the batter was light. Overall the food is good and hits the spot with cozy, homey vibes. read more

Izakaya Akatsuki - Noodles Near Me - Gardena, California

Love the noodles here. The udon and soba are both great. I had the maze udon. It was full of flavor and I felt like I devoured the whole thing. It's a nice hole in the wall place. One thing to know is that any of the udon dishes could have the noodles swapped out for soba if you wish. Personally I felt like the udon was a perfect match because the thick noodles carried sauce well. Last summer I also came here and had the yuzu soba for lunch. That one was amazing so if they have that you should definitely order it read more

Izakaya Akatsuki - Noodles Near Me - Gardena, California

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As we journey to different Japanese restaurants in the area, made reservations to visit Izakaya Akatsuki. We hadn't been here since pre-COVID. The place looks the same inside, but the menu has changed. We started with a glass of Asahi beer on draft. We then each ordered the octopus sunomono salad. We shared the chicken karaage and a large tempura plate. We each ordered a bowl of rice to complete our meal. The sunomono was good, but we are so used to having sliced cucumbers, that it was different with the shredded daikon as the primary vegetable. The chicken karaage and the tempura was very good. The old carpet does have a slight musty smell which has been since our last visit. read more

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Nice little hole in the wall for good authentic Japanese food. Workers were very nice and attentive. Restaurant was clean and not too busy. The crispy tofu was so good I wish I got another order! Yellowtail sashimi was nice and buttery, a must try. read more

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Visited this restaurant as I heard so many amazing comments about their Mentai Cream Special Hot Pot, the one that fish roe blends right in while cooking in hot pot style and makes the broth extra creamy. The soup was great, the pork strips were ok... but the process of doing so done by the server wasn't all that great. The soup got all over the table and ground....Almost got to my stuff that was on the chair and ground.....He was really nice, and was very chill when all of these happened, but I guess cuz it wasn't his shoes or stuff that would have or might got soup all over.....Black pink concert was my next stop after this...... Also ordered their grilled beef tongue slice, very chewy, I had to use my fingers to pull it apart....Their mochi fried tofu was the highlight for me of the night. read more

We made a reservation and got seated as soon as we got there. We have a group of 10 so they gave us a nice little private room which we could spend some time with our friends in private. Food were delicious and flavorful. My favorite has to be the hotpot with pork and meatballs. Freshly made meat balls was so delicious. Beef intestines and tongue were also good. After all the meat we had, we order some rice and noodle dishes. I really like their rice teapot rice soup. I felt more refreshed after a heavy meal with that rice soup. Kids loved their ream corn so we ordered 3 of them. Great food, great service, highly recommended. read more

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This is a classic and reliable Japanese Izakaya spot in Gardena! They're known for their mazeudon where they make their own noodles from scratch. The flavor of the noodles and toppings were so good and umami rich, however my egg was overcooked, which definitely made a difference to the overall texture and flavor. I would still get this again and hope that the poached egg actually comes poached next time.' Besides the noodles, they have kamameshi for dinner and I got the salmon and ikura dish that was made fresh to order (which is why it takes 30 minutes to prepare). The other appetizers they have like the karaage, mackerel, and gizzard, pair well with the beer and sake that they have too. They also have katsu and hot pot entrees to order, along with sashimi and other specials, showing how this place really has it all if you're craving delicious Japanese food! Highly recommend checking it out the next time you're in Gardena! read more

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Authentic, lots of types of options to get (unusual tempura sizes), unique things on the menu which says a lot. Service is good refilled water a lot/etc, seating is cozy booths in a relaxed setting. It does feel a little tight and I'm relatively thin/fit so it felt a little cramped getting in but sitting it was ok. If you're larger you may want to pay attention to where you're seating. They were out of the beef katsu curry which had an interesting sauce so that was disappointing but everything we ordered tasted good. Japanese wings were decent 7.5/10 Tempura 7.5/10 Spicy Mazemen (Dry Udon) 8.75/10 (flavorful, at my spice limit which I consider now like a 7/10? Hot, but not crazy or anything. Too much for those who are low tolerance) read more

Izakaya Akatsuki - Noodles Near Me - Gardena, California

When I first walked in, this cute place is nicely decorated with Japanese decor abd it was tastefully done. Not busy for a wed evening but they did have some customers. We ordered all the recommended dishes from their menu. Curry was just ok. The other rice dish came out on a hot stone with salmon roe. Simple but flavorful. Pass on the karage. My alllllll time favorite was the dry homemade udon with their umami flavoring. Omg I can't stop thinking of this. I want to come back here and just have a bowl of that myself lol. Heard soba noodles were homemade here also. Def worth the drive for the udon alone. I don't think I've ever had anything like it. read more

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