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    Pasta Stories

    4.4 (80 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Pasta Stories Photos

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    PASTA STORIES ATMOSPHERE

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    Recommended Reviews - Pasta Stories

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    Avocado, yam, and tuna
    Noba N.

    Pasta Stories is a relatively new pasta place that opened inside of Tokyo Central Specialty Market on PCH. Their pricing is super affordable! Especially their napolitan/tarako pastas are under $10! I have tried their tarako pasta and it was a solid choice. I went back a month later and tried their avocado, yam, and tuna pasta. That was AMAZING! They make a peperoncino, and in a separate bowl give you some cut up yam, tuna, avocado and mix in with your peperoncino. It was super delicious. It said they only serve like 10 plates a day. I felt lucky to be able to order it. I'm excited to try their other options in the future!

    Alice H.

    I saw this place on Yelp and it looked good but I had no idea it was a restaurant at the food court inside Tokyo central. I already forgot the names of the pastas I got... oops. The one w salmon was not very good. I didn't know it wouldn't have sauce and it tasted very bland to me. The one w the sauce was pretty good but I don't know if I just wasn't hungry, it didn't smack. I just feel like it looks better than it tastes. i don't think ill try this place again tbh :/

    "Iwate" Mushroom Spaghetti
    Melanie G.

    Came here on a weekend at lunch time and it wasn't too busy! The food does take a little bit to come out but that's because it's made fresh, so I appreciate that I got the Iwate dish, which is angel hair with 2 kinds of mushrooms and spinach in a soy and butter sauce. It might not look like a big portion but they do give a good amount (especially for $13) that can definitely be eaten over 2 meals. The sauce was simple but deliciously savory and not too heavy! The vegetables were cooked well and good additions to the dish. It's nothing extraordinary but it's not a traditional pasta and most of all, it's good and sometimes you just need that. I also really appreciate that they take food allergies seriously here!

    Pescatore
    Julia H.

    Came here on a Saturday morning. Wait did the food was than 10 minutes. Got the following pasta 1. Hokkaido cream sauce 3. Osaka wagyu beef meat spaghetti 3. Ehime seafood pasta 4. Ehime 2 pescatore The best one was probably the Ehime 2. The Osaka and seafod pasta were about the same. Don't think the wagyu part made any difference if it were just regular meat. Added some salt to the Hokkaido cream pasta which made it better but was not a favorite. Liked the side salad. Overall there was too much pasta noodle and needed more sauce. Service was great. A bit too far for me to come here again.

    "Yokohama" Napolitan Spaghtti
    Michael T.

    Went here in the afternoon on a Sunday for lunch and to also do some shopping at Tokyo Central. The staff were friendly and also very helpful especially when it came to food allergies which I appreciate a lot. I ordered the Yokohama which was very tasty! It had a nice sweet and savory tomato sauce and had a nice kick to it as well. The noodles were also cooked well and had a nice texture to them. The portion sizes that they gave were pretty good as well! I also enjoyed the mushrooms and sausages that were in the spaghetti as well!

    Matcha Cream Pasta $16
    Jeanne P.

    I was skeptical about visiting this place due to the marketing, but the reviews and appealing photos convinced me to go. I went the same day I had carbs for lunch--a double-carb day. I've been to a couple of Japanese pasta specialty stores in LA and a few in Japan prior to my visit. I ordered the matcha cream pasta for $16, and I was impressed! I received my order fresh and piping hot. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to taste the matcha. It tasted more like basil pesto, but it was still good. The price is reasonable compared to competitors in LA, and I love how it's casual and how you don't need to sit in a restaurant to eat quality food like this. Service was decent. You order on a kiosk and will receive your order within 10-15 minutes. They had some dessert items missing, but it was ok since I wasn't thinking of getting any anyway. So far, I have a great impression. Looking forward to my next visit to try the other items! Hopefully desserts will be available then as well!

    Front
    Beto R.

    Stopped by Tokyo Central food court for a quick lunch and decided to try Pasta Stories. After browsing through their menu board on the wall, I chose Kyoto Matcha Cream Pasta with Chicken (extra charge for shrimp). The order was placed through the tablet stand in front of the store and it was easy and simple. The food was ready in about 15 min. The creamy sauce, reminiscent of pesto sauce, was rich and flavorful without being excessively oily. The thin noodles were pleasantly al dente. The cheese topping added texture and flavor to the dish. The chicken pieces were soft and tender, and mushrooms complemented well with other ingredients. I just wished the presence of matcha was more noticeable since both its taste and aroma were quite subtle. The portion was good for the price. A pleasant meal overall.

    Waygu beef?
    Sam R.

    Well it says it's Waygu, but how do we know for sure? Sure tastes like my ground beef meat sauce I make at home . Noodles cooked ok, not mad about size but for $16 I can make enough for two days. Also they have you use a touch screen and if you are waiting for someone ahead of you who does t know what's up it seems like days. When did we stop wanting interactions which each other. Probably won't be back Ciao!

    "Osaka" Wagyu Beef Meat Sauce  "Hokkaido" Cream Pasta
    Niks O.

    Super yummy! Craving Japanese pasta and decided to get Pasta Stories delivered. We got the Osaka Wagyu Beef Meat Sauce and new Hokkaido Cream Sauce with chicken. Both were balanced and delicious. I'm looking forward to trying it in person after some shopping.

    Menu
    Tram B.

    Super late review, but I highly recommend trying this place out. They cook fresh on order and have many different options. The prices are also very friendly and they give you a good portion. It's located inside Tokyo Central so you're able to take a nice walk for groceries after too! Matcha Cream Pasta - How do you not order something like this? It sounded too unique to pass up. The pasta was very creamy in texture and very light in taste so it was easy to just inhale it without feeling too heavy afterwards. There's mostly mushrooms for protein in here. Seafood Pasta - This one will give you that usual meat sauce flavor. It feels more ordinary since it's your typical pasta with seafood, which was very generous with the mussels and shrimp. Very worth the price as it gives you a lot of protein and can satisfy hunger.

    "Kyoto" Matcha Cream "Okinawa" Pork Ragu Sauce "Yokohama" Napolitan Spaghtti
    Kathy T.

    located in tokyo central's food court, this establishment is really worth the stop after you're done grocery shopping. service wait time is reasonable for the kitchen size, around 10-15 minutes since we were one of the first few orders of the day, but would definitely more depending on how many parties are ahead of you. i ordered the hokkaido, their new creamy menu item and it was yummy. i didn't think it was too heavy and it was flavorful. their portions were filling. the other flavors are worth a try

    Osaka and Kyoto
    Nina W.

    I liked this place but my husband thought it was average. We got the Kyoto and Osaka. The Kyoto is better than the Osaka. It's creamy with good flavor, chicken was kind of dry and salty though. Osaka is a bit average red sauce pasta. Tip: there can be a wait so we placed an order and then went to the Tokyo Central drink section to pick our beverage :) took about 10 mins for our food to come out. Worth a try, reasonably priced. They use angel hair pasta.

    "Nagoya" Ankake Spaghetti
    Barbara A.

    Pasta was okay . Little on the dry side . Wish they would give a little bread to eat with the Pasta. Service was a little wait since they make it to order. On the expensive side . Place was clean . I would try something else next time.

    "Yokohama" Napolitan Spaghetti, "Osaka" Wagyu Beef Meat Sauce, & Combo with Salad, Panna Cotta, & Coffee     08-21-2025

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    4 months ago

    Very convenient location inside Tokyo central. I got the pepperoncino spaghetti with salmon with was good. May need to come back to try more

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Pasta Stories

    Do they have gluten free pasta?

    Will they be open on Christmas Day?

    I phoned them today 11/15 and they were not yet sure about their Thanksgiving or Xmas hours but said yes they will be open with a short day.

    Are there vegan options?

    Yes!!!

    View All 4 Questions

    Gaetano's Restaurant

    Gaetano's Restaurant

    4.4
    (1.6k reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$
    Established in 1993
    Family-owned & operated

    Was meeting a friend in the area who wanted Italian and this was a happy accident to come upon. We…read morewent on a Thursday night and it is graduation season, but there were celebrations going on all around us. Somebody was celebrating graduations, there was birthdays there was a baseball team overall just a really busy restaurant. Nothing notable about the ambience overall just comfortable place for a very, just like family, friendly Restaurant vibe. I have the burrata caprese and I think it could use more balsamic I mean burrata is burrata so it was fantastic. The tiny tomatoes throw me off a little bit for but like in general everything was delicious.. My friend ordered the lasagna which I was a little bit envious of after I saw it. It's a huge portion and it's absolutely fantastic.. I had the night special, which is chicken piccata, which was overall very lovely buttery lemon and tangy could've used a little bit more pasta, and the broccoli was cooked really well in general lovely. We share the tiramisu for dessert and I really can't complain. I think it could've been a little bit more punchy when it came to the coffee in the rum, but it was still really good. And General service was great. They were really busy so it wasn't anything too frequently and the manager or the owner checked in on the tables and I'm happy that we went here..

    Great food and service,as well as the area. I am from Lakewood area and finding a new Italian place…read morewas really cool. We started off with a pizza and had a variety of plates and they all had great responses from my table. We never got a chance to take any pictures of the food

    Photos
    Eggplant Parmigiana
    Eggplant Parmigiana
    Penne Asparagi
    Penne Asparagi
    Gaetano Sandwich

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    Gaetano Sandwich
    Aliotta's Via Firenze

    Aliotta's Via Firenze

    4.2
    (502 reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$

    From start to finish every guest feels attended and welcomed. The menu is extensive with numerous…read morekey ingredients. Excellent!

    UPDATE! We came…read moreback about a month later to celebrate Hubbers' birthday, but the experience wasn't the same. I'm guessing since they're coming to a permanent closure, it only makes sense that the quality of the experience (food and service) had began to going down. We were seated immediately, so we were off to a good start. It took a bit of time for Daniel (yep! We got the same server from the last time) to come around and get our orders. It wasn't too bad since the wait gave us the opp to decide on apps and mains, so we got to put all our orders in at once. CALAMARI: Battered thin and crispy. Dash of lemon juice made it better. Quality? Yes. Quantity? Not so much. I thought it was pricey for the amount we got. PEPPERCORN POLPETTINE: Meatballs in cream sauce. Even with the whole peppercorns, the sauce was good. The meatballs, however, didn't taste or look homemade at all. (I recently made frozen meatball soup at home and the meatball's flavor was pretty much similar.) So.. meh... BRUSCHETTA ALLA CHECCA: This was the best app out of the three. Crostini was perfect and the toppings were all perfectly balanced. SPAGHETTI AI NERO DI SEPPIA: Looked great, but lacked flavor. Asked for fresh grated cheese and added black pepper which helped a little, but still missing something... Hubbers got the linguine pesca mare which he loved (he emptied his plate!) So I guess that says a lot. And I'm really glad he liked it, being his birthday and all. He also chose crème brûlée to finish off his birthday treat. (No, they didn't comp it - which is fine, and I don't expect them - or any business - to, even more since they are shutting down. I understand they need all the profit they can get.) Overall a little less stellar than the first visit. I'll admit I was a teenee bit disappointed since we had an amazing experience the first time. All the same, I'm still glad of the experience and wish them well on their future endeavors!

    Photos
    Portobello Mushrooms with shrimp and mozarella Cheese appetizer
    Portobello Mushrooms with shrimp and mozarella Cheese appetizer
    Pollo Toscana (People's Favorite)
    Pollo Toscana (People's Favorite)
    Aliotta's Via Firenze

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    Unico Tokyo Pasta - Redondo Beach

    Unico Tokyo Pasta - Redondo Beach

    4.4
    (683 reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$
    Family-owned & operated
    Free parking

    At first, you'd be confused since you're not sure what type of food they have to offer. I ordered…read moremyself the Yasai Bolognese and my lady got herself the Unicorn Bolognese. They were both made with Wagyu beef, which has lots of flavor in the sauce. The pasta as very well prepared!! The service is great, very respectful and responsive, although we arrived at 2:30p on a Friday which was a holiday (not so busy). Loved what they did with the space. They have multiple tables indoor and a cute little outdoor seating area with heaters if need be. They have a few parking spots, but they're in the back of the building. They only have one restroom which was very well maintained as well. Overall highly recommend this place. Ivan was very helpful!!

    This was our first experience dining here. We had a reserved table for 6:45 on a Friday evening…read more Parking was available in their parking lot next to the restaurant. When we walked in the first words out of the hostess's lips were "Do you have a reservation?" Hardly welcoming. Fortunately, our waiter, Dennis, was very gracious and attentive. I honestly didn't get a Japanese vibe, maybe because I rarely go to dine on pasta. I ordered the Unico Bolognese which was very flavorful and a good size portion. Our waiter asked if we'd like some garlic bread and we got two pieces for $6 which we felt should have been complimentary. But the garlic bread had a nice flavor and went well with the meal. My guest had the Uni Truffle and loved it. He said he'd love to dine here again and I feel the same way. The menu was large so we need to explore other items next time. All in all they're doing a very good job managing the establishment.

    Photos
    Patio
    Patio
    Unico Tokyo Pasta - Redondo Beach
    Napolitan

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    Napolitan
    Fritto Misto

    Fritto Misto

    4.3
    (1.2k reviews)
    4.9 mi
    $$

    Very very good establishment! Good service, good food. I'd recommend a lot of things there, but…read moretheir mushroom fusilli is fantastic!! So, I have a new rating system......I will write what I feel honestly about an establishment. The only ratings I will give are 5 stars, which is enjoyable, or 3 stars which is "needs work."

    Honestly everyone giving this place a 5 star review - I TRUSTED YOU, HOW DARE YOU!!!…read more I knew pulling up to this place it would be a miss. Florescent lights, shabby wood tables and chairs, plastic menus. This could either be really good or really bad. The bread feels stale and was hard. The butter is individually wrapped. Smashed dirty straws were served with drinks. Huge portions of decent food. The more you eat the more you realize it's not great. Definitely needs salt and pepper but the pepper shakers barely let anything out. I asked for parm (they do not offer!) and they gave it in plastic individual containers which was honestly offensive. Dessert was a huge miss, the creme brûlée was super eggy???? The tiramisu had like a sour milk after taste. My stomach immediately hurt before even leaving the restaurant. The vibes are overall not great and neither is the food. $160 for 3 people to eat. 2 stars are for the server who made a huge effort to accommodate us.

    Photos
    Fritto Misto
    Lemon pepper linguine with Alfredo sauce and chicken.
    Lemon pepper linguine with Alfredo sauce and chicken.
    Soup and Salad combo it was minestrone and Cesar with anchovy add on they did not skimp on the anchovy!

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    Soup and Salad combo it was minestrone and Cesar with anchovy add on they did not skimp on the anchovy!
    Fatto a Mano The Pasta Shop

    Fatto a Mano The Pasta Shop

    4.8
    (1.6k reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$
    Casual dining
    Established in 2019

    This spot is great. It's run by an Italian couple and everything is made authentically and fresh to…read moreorder. Very reasonable prices, tasty pizza and pasta (we got the pesto pasta, cacio e pepe, and Estiva pizza), and we were treated to a complimentary sample of the vanilla coffee bean gelato, which was made in-house too. They were very kind, checked on us throughout the meal, asked how we liked the food, and were genuinely sweet. I honestly found the timing of the meal very reasonable as well--not too long at all. We had plenty of time to catch up, and they didn't mind that we sat there chatting together for a while. The Estiva pizza was one of the best bites of pizza I've had in a long time, and I was honestly so happy there was a slice to take home because I enjoyed it that much. Kind couple serving delicious home-style Italian food that, for me, was better than anything I've had at an elevated Italian spot in this city thus far. They're primarily a takeaway operation and less than half a mile from the beach, so the possibilities for a beachside picnic are endless. Big thank you to them for bringing this experience to the community. I hope to return with more friends and family soon.

    I had the opportunity to visit this awesome business while doing some work in the city. I…read morespecifically went for the Pesto Pasta, however they were sold out. I ended up getting Ricotta Ravioli with Pesto sauce. AMAZING!!! AMAZING!!! AMAZING!!! The flavors were everything my taste buds needed. Ohhhhh and the customer service....Priceless!!!! I cannot remember the lady's name that assisted me, but she was such a jewel. The man working in there and his energy....EVERYTHING!!!! This duo is much needed. They were so kind, and their genuineness for their customers to feel welcomed was top tier. I will definitely be back.

    Photos
    Spaghetti with Bottarga
    Spaghetti with Bottarga
    Lasagna Radicchio and Stracchino Cheese
    Lasagna Radicchio and Stracchino Cheese
    Porcini Mushroom and Venison Tagliolini

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    Porcini Mushroom and Venison Tagliolini

    Pasta Stories - japanese - Updated June 2026

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