Recently stopped by here about a year after trying it for the first time. I have to say, Pasta Stories really stepped up their game in terms of serving time! The first time I ate here, it took maybe 20-25 minutes for me to get my food. This time, I had my food in around 10 minutes. I was very impressed with this big decrease in wait time. This time I tried the new Hokkaido cream pasta, which tasted super fresh and made to order. The cream was warm and rich without feeling over the top like some other cream-based pasta sauces from Italian/American places. I liked the addition of spinach and mushrooms as well. The restaurant is in a food court with a few other options, and a decent amount of seating. It's also inside of a grocery store, so if you're with a picky group, everyone could theoretically order something different and eat together. I remember I was a little put off by the anime branding of the restaurant at first (it seemed a little childish to me) but Pasta Stories is really a solid wafu pasta place, and I love that they focus on different regional flavors of Japan. Prices are very affordable as well, with most pastas being around $15 and under. read more

For a cost friendly meal, the expectation in quality generally tends to be low but Pasta Stories is the exception. With meals ranging from $10-$17, there is something for everyone. I personally have tried the following: Hokkaido Cream Pasta (newest addition as of late) Fukuoka Mentaiko Butter Pasta Kyoto Matcha Cream Pasta (one of my favorite dishes here - pair with salmon for a strong, umami flavor profile) Iwate Triple Mushroom Pasta Okinawa Pork Ragu Spaghetti (THE number 1 pick, however was not on the menu when I visited last) Osaka American Wagyu Meat Sauce There is a strong attention to Japanese flavors fusing with traditional Italian pasta dishes and are all made with love and care. I always recommend this place to friends and family, I can't get enough of it! read more

located inside tokyo central. there's ample parking and also ample seating but it's a shared food plaza area. the order is only through a kiosk. the food came out in a cute takeout box. the pasta was okay. i had the mentaiko and it was decent. i think i'd rather pay a little extra and go to pasta e pasta which is within the same plaza. read more

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! read more

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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 :/ read more

Pasta Stories - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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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! read more

Pasta Stories - "Iwate" Mushroom Spaghetti - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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. read more

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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! read more

Pasta Stories - "Yokohama" Napolitan Spaghtti - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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! read more

Pasta Stories - Matcha Cream Pasta $16 - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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. read more

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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. read more

Pasta Stories - Menu - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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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. read more

Pasta Stories - Osaka and Kyoto - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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. read more

Pasta Stories - "Nagoya" Ankake Spaghetti - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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Soo Soo Soo Good. In the realm of Japanese Spaghetti spots like Spoon house in Gardena and the newly opened Pasta E Pasta in the same plaza.. This little pasta shop stands on it's own 2 feet and I wouldn't be surprised if they moved into a brick and mortar shop soon cause they should. They have so many different Japanese spaghettis from the Creme to the Ragu sauce which is differentiated by their regional names. Yokohama - So nostalgic especially if you like take out Hokkaido Creme - Love it Hiroshima- Solid Definitely be back to try the other pastas. It's in the food court of the Tokyo Central. Arigato read more

Tried this new place the other night. It's located in the Food Court inside Tokyo Central. They serve Japanese-style Pastas based on cities in Japan. Some of them are unique, especially the one with Matcha Cream Sauce! After taking a quick look at the menu, we placed our order on the screen sitting on their counter. You have the option to make your pasta dish a complete meal. It adds a house salad, panna cotta dessert, and a drink. It cost $6.80 as of this review. There was a guy who was handing out a keepsake poster who guided us through the process. We chose to try the "Osaka" Wagyu Beef Meat Sauce & the "Yokohama" Nostalgic Napolitan Spaghetti. Both were so good! The sauces were very flavorful! The wait was not terribly long, but long enough that you knew they were cooking it up à la minute! Food came out piping hot, which I appreciate! The Osaka was quite tasty! It is one of the pricier dishes most likely because it has Wagyu Beef in the tomato sauce. I really loved my Yokohama pasta because it included onions, green pepper, and sausage! Hubby was even amazed that it had such a robust flavor since they use a sweet ketchup sauce! Next time I may try the intriguing Kyoto or the Okinawa. If they have the Tokyo one, that might be interesting as well. It has tuna, yam, avocado marinated with special soy sauce. It's so good to have a quick & easy yet super scrumptious & affordable dinner! We'll be back!! read more

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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. read more

Pasta Stories - "Osaka" Wagyu Beef Meat Sauce "Hokkaido" Cream Pasta - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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! read more

Pasta Stories - Waygu beef? - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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Japan is one of my all time favorite travel destinations. I feel that every city and spot has a story to tell. Whether it be a trip to Tokyo or to Iwate, each town and prefecture has their own unique story. Similar to this, Pasta Stories offers a story to tell of different towns via their pastas. Each of their pastas is inspired by the different flavors of the regions in Japan. They have ten different pastas named after a different Japanese city. Their number one seller is the Osaka. It is a Wagyu Beef Meat Sauce Spaghetti. I can't help but think they chose a red based sauce because I've seen Osaka associated with a red octopus. Though I was tempted to try the Osaka, it was the Kyoto that intrigued me. The friendly employee told me this is the most popular here in America. It is Matcha Cream Pasta with Chicken. The Matcha Cream Pasta is $15.50. Though slightly on the pricey side, I felt it was well worth it. It was wonderfully creamy. The matcha flavor was subtle but enough to give it that green tea taste. I loved the long soft and silky spaghetti noodles. Every thing came together like a perfect story! My first visit to Pasta Stories definitely had a happy ending! We were treated to their Panna Cotta dessert. Topped with pineapple, this was a wonderfully sweet touch to our meal. I enjoyed my first chapter/visit to Pasta Stories! I am excited for the next chapter where I try another pasta here. The Osaka chapter maybe next ;). read more

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I'm really happy they opened up a pasta place in the Tokyo Central food court! They have different types of pasta named after different cities in Japan. We got the Okinawa and Yokohama. Both were delicious. It took about 10-15 minutes for them to prepare the two orders. The Yokohama has more of a thick tomato taste to it and the Okinawa has a red wine reduction taste. I'd get both again and I wouldn't mind trying the other options too. Since they redid this food court and brought in Pasta Stories and Ramen Ginza Onodera, this place has been much MUCH more popular. They also installed two gigantic "Food Court" signs overhead lol. Before it was hard to find people in the food court, now it's hard to find seating! I'm looking forward to the next time we come back so we can try their other pasta options! read more

Pasta Stories - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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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 read more

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This place is inside the Tokyo central market food vendor space. I got the Fukuoka hakata mentaiko spaghetti. It was very good and clean and you can get a combo with the salad and coffee. Overall decent. Some of my friend got different pastas like the matcha cream. It was said the matcha wasn't very strong and and tasted more like pesto. The order came out at a reasonable time. read more

Pasta Stories - Fukuoka hakata mentaiko spaghetti - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

It is a new place located inside Tokyo central in Torrance. They offer many selection of pasta choices. We tried the wagyu pasta and the seafood pasta. They were both made to order. It did take about 30 mins to prepare. We enjoyed both pastas. The prices are very reasonable. The portion is generous. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Definitely will come back again. Plenty of parking in the lot. read more

Pasta Stories - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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New Japanese style pasta place located in Tokyo Central on PCH. They have different kinds of spaghetti named after a city in Japan, and the pasta is the thinner style. The place kind of reminds me of Spoon by H in Gardena but just inside Tokyo Central food court and with less extensive options. They didn't yet have the tuna and Nagoya ones and said it was coming soon. Overall, very tasty & the staff were very friendly. Looks like the grand opening is on Sept 12th - go check it out! read more

Pasta Stories - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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Pasta Stories is such a great little find inside Tokyo Central in Torrance. It's in the food court, and perfect if you're shopping and want something better than fast food. Service was great - you order from a kiosk and we went around 5pm and our food came out pretty quickly. We tried the Setouchi-style seafood pasta and the Wagyu beef meat sauce spaghetti. The seafood pasta was super fresh--lots of shrimp, clams, and squid--and the sauce was light but full of flavor. The noodles were perfectly al dente, which I really appreciated. The Wagyu spaghetti was the total opposite in the best way--rich, hearty, and comforting. The meat sauce had tender bites of Wagyu which went wonderfully with the melted cheese on top. Definitely felt like an upgrade from your usual spaghetti meat sauce! They've got combo options too, so you can add soup, salad, and/or a drink to make it a full meal. We added the seasonal and matcha panna cotta, garden salad, an iced latte and iced tea. Portions are generous without being over the top, and the pricing is really fair for the quality. Both dishes were delicious, but I preferred the Wagyu meat sauce spaghetti. My daughter really enjoyed the seafood pasta and that was her favorite. I'll definitely be back to try more of their menu. read more

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Shop is under soft opening and located inside Tokyo Central PCH. Orders are placed using the kiosk. It didn't take long for it to become ready. The price was very reasonable for the amount of food I received. I decided to take it to go instead of dine-in. There are plenty of seats inside to enjoy the food, however. The pasta tasted fresh, chewy, and light. Nothing too greasy or over seasoned. I got the cod roe pasta and Hiroshima -- a cacio e pepe w/ salmon and broccoli. I liked them both although I wish it was less oily and a bit more salty. The cod roe pasta tasted buttery. Not too fishy, which I appreciated. Hiroshima tasted light and refreshing. I wish I had some lemon to squeeze because it would have added a perfect punch / acid to tone out the flavor. I am looking forward to trying out their other pasta bowls in the future. read more

Pasta Stories - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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I grabbed some lunch from the hot plate section at Tokyo Central with my dad. When we sat down to eat I saw this new restaurant that opened in the food court. The concept was so cool. Different pastas that represented different cities in Japan. I was looking thru the different cities, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka! Hiroshima! Yokohama, Ehime! Irate, and OKINAWA?!? Now I was intrigued. I went over to look at what the differ t offerings were. So many choices. I wanted to try the two the represented my parents. Okinawa and Ehime. In the end, I still got the Okinawan pasta (Pork Ragu Sauce Spaghetti), but my dad wanted to try the Hiroshima style pasta (Salmon Peperoncino with Lemon). I also added the Salad and Dessert set (Coffee, Salad & Panna Cottage) We didn't end up eating it then, since we had our other food, we took it home to go. My dad had his later that night, I had mine for breakfast the next day. The salad had a nice citrusy dressing with Parmesan cheese. Oh man, so good. But the star was the Okinawa Pasta. It wasn't some small ground up pieces of pork, it was the traditional marinated Okinawa pork in chunks (liberally added) to this amazing red sauce. The thin angel hair noodles absorbed the richness of the sauce. Wow! So good. Now my dad is a man of very little words, but he said the Salmon was perfectly seasons and stayed tender and flakey even after he warmed it up later that night. He said the sauce complemented the salmon, but the biggest compliment was that he would go back and have it again. I thought the seasonal Panna Cottage might be lemon, but was pleasantly surprised that it was pineapple. It wasn't too sweet or too tart. Smooth and delicious. Thank you Pasta Stories! We'll be back again soon! read more

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This is a pasta counter located inside the food court at Tokyo Central. They have several different types of pastas inspired by different regions in Japan. I personally love Japanese style pastas so I was super excited to try this place. We ordered easily on the screen/kiosk at the counter and grabbed a seat at the food court. The wait wasn't too long but it wasn't super fast either. There were several people waiting but based on the wait and the steaming hot pasta, you could tell they make it fresh. I really enjoyed their Fukuoka (Hakata Mentaiko Spaghetti) and my daughter loved the Yokohama (Nostalgic Napolitan Spaghetti). The sauces were both delicious and had that Japanese flair! Prices were also very reasonable. This is a great, easy option to dine at the food court if you're planning on grocery shopping at Tokyo Central anyway. And probably the most casual and fastest way to get Japanese pasta in the South Bay compared to other sit-down restaurants like Unico Tokyo Pasta and Spoon House. Parking: easy and free in plaza lot read more

I've had this on my list to try for a while and finally did. It was delicious and such a great price for what you get! I ordered the Ehime which was a seafood pasta in tomato sauce. The noodles were Al dente, came with a lot of seafood (clams, calamari, shrimp and scallops). The clams were the best, so fresh and flavorful. I can't wait to come back to try the other pastas! read more

Pasta Stories - Ehime - Setouchi style seafood pasta in - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

Delicious Japanese pasta located in Tokyo Central! This place is honestly such a whole in the wall! Came here on a weekday night and there was no wait and plenty of seating in the food court area. My husband and I shared the Hiroshima and Okinawa. The Hiroshima is a salmon peperoncino with lemon, and the Okinawa is a pork ragu sauce pasta. The noodles are perfectly slightly al dente, and the flavors were amazing for both. Can't wait to try the other dishes! read more

Pasta Stories - "Hiroshima" Peperoncino With Lemon - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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Japanese pasta in a pretty unassuming food court inside a Japanese market. Service is koisk based. Pasta was amazingly al dente and flavorful. Was very happy with the meal. Portions are closer to Japanese amount so I was still a little hungry at the end. Luckily the market has pre made food so I was able to finish it all off with some onigiri read more

Pasta Stories - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

Great lunch option! Located inside Tokyo Central on PCH. Cheap, good portions and delicious! I recently had the mentaiko pasta and was very happy. read more

Pasta Stories - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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Today we tried out Pasta Stories located inside the food court at Tokyo Central at PCH and Hawthorne Blvd. The restaurant offers several different pasta dishes that are Japanese fusion dishes with traditional pasta and sauces. I tried out a seafood pasta (Ehime), and my family had the Fukuoka (Mentaiko spaghetti) and the Hiroshima (Salmon Peperoncino with lemon). They were all spaghetti based dishes and cooked perfectly al dente. The dishes were flavorful and perfectly seasoned. The prices were very reasonable and the service was friendly and helpful. They have very limited seating at this food court. We went into the market to buy drinks and onigiri rice balls. We are happy that we tried this new place out and will be back to try out other menu items. read more

Pasta Stories - Seafood Pasta - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

This is a fairly new little gem inside Tokyo Central. The pastas are delicious, nicely portioned and reasonably priced! They also offer combo meals with desserts. read more

Pasta Stories - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

I am so happy this little gem opened up in Torrance! Located in the newer Tokyo Central food court on PCH and Hawthorne (in the Best Buy plaza), I have found my new favorite place for pasta cravings. This Japanese/Italian fusion is top-tier restaurant quality food at a reasonable price. It is in a food court so don't expect the ambiance to be anything fancy. Their menu specializes in just pastas but has a few salads and desserts as well. I got the Wagyu beef meat sauce spaghetti while my sister got the wafu mushroom pasta. The Wagyu beef is tomato sauce based and the wafu mushroom is soy sauce based. We came at 7 pm so it wasn't that busy and we were able to do some snack browsing in the grocery store before the pasta was ready. The noodles were a bit thinner than regular spaghetti but they were cooked perfectly al dente. Both pastas were so flavorful and delicious in their own way - the wagyu was in ground beef form but still tender and the sauce was a little sweet and the mushrooms from the wafu were well marinated. I was a bit surprised how simple the mushroom pasta looked but it had so much flavor. I've already started planning on when I can come back to try more items on their menu because I can't wait to have it again! read more

Pasta Stories - Wagyu beef meat sauce spaghetti - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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Located in the Tokyo Central next to Best Buy. This Japanese pasta was good. It did take some time as it is made fresh to order. I myself had the Ehime which is the seafood pasta noodles were great tasting and al dente, the sauce was good not salty in any way. The seafood was good and complemented the dish very well. My wife had the Hiroshima which was salmon with noodles in a pesto sauce. It was alright wasn't up my alley in taste. Would I go here again? Maybe. The market has seating area to sit and enjoy your meal. read more

Pasta Stories - Ehime seafood pasta - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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Simple and affordable, cooked fresh, made to order. People, this takes TIME so there's a line during the lunchtime rush , be prepared to WAIT. It's a fun menu, named for city or regional specialities. The Osaka has the best reviews so far. It's a sweet and beefy bolognese-style sauce. Fukuoka is a perfect mentaiko pasta, one only cod roe fans can appreciate. Ehime is another example of their well-balanced sauce, a thinner tomato base with an impressive selection from this tiny stall, with shrimp, calamari, mussels, and clams, all quite fresh. The Okinawa is chunks of very bland pork in unseasoned tomato sauce. I think a little salt could make all the difference. 3/4 so far, and I'm curious about the more unusual options like tuna-avocado and matcha cream. read more

Saw this place in Yelp and thought I'd give it a try. It's inside the Tokyo central market next to Best Buy. I ordered the wagyu meat sauce pasta (Osaka) and the napoletan pasta (Yokohama). The wagyu meat sauce was good. Definitely not the best meat sauce in the South Bay but ok. The Yokohama pasta tasted like enchilada sauce to me, so definitely not for me. All in all, not bad but there are many better pasta options in the South Bay Torrance area. Service was great though. Very efficient and very clean. read more

Pasta Stories - Osaka on left, Yokohama on right. Osaka was the better of the 2 - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

It was alright, we got the most popular one with mushroom and it was solid not very memorable. Love the concept and the guy inside seemed nice. read more

I ordered the Wagyu Beef Meat Sauce Spaghetti. A good flavorful sauce. Wagyu was tasty. Definitely will be back to try their other dishes. read more

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