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Japanese Italian cuisine is served here and it is delicious- the pasta is perfectly al dente and the sauce is light but flavorful. It's a small restaurant and they don't take reservation but the way isn't too long. They have both counter seating and a few small tables. Service is quick and friendly-many people have been coming here for years and the kitchen consist of brothers who have been making the pasta for a long time. I enjoyed the clam pasta, and my boyfriend got the spinach bacon pasta, which he says he orders every time! They are simple but delicious.
Great spot that's on the corner of the street! My parents have been bringing me and my sister to this spot for years. This was one of the spots they went to when they first started dating many many years ago. It's definitely nostalgic every time we eat here. So glad to see that they're still here and thriving. There's a small parking lot in the back and street parking available. The restaurant is pretty small and only has 4 tables, but lots of bar style seatings. Lines can get pretty long but service is pretty quick. Crazy since they still have their $1 salad still available! It's such a good deal and the salad dressing is delicious. All of their pastas had been delicious. They have a lot of fusion pastas.
This is an old school Japanese-run Italian joint with a few dozen choices of pasta for whatever you're craving. The pasta is prepared al dente and you get a lot of volume for your buck. Not to mention free bread and their famous $1 salad. It's almost like their menu prices are frozen in time from a decade ago! Service was also friendly and FAST, and the ambience was of an old neighborhood diner, so it felt cozy for an Italian place. Not the finest cuisine of Italian establishments but it's yummy enough and earns 5 stars for its price and volume!
There's something special about their pasta that gets me to come back every time. I always order the Hot Garlic with Seasoned Mushroom pasta and add Roasted Eggplant & Shiso ($24). It's not a huge portion, but definitely filling for one person and could be shared between two light eaters. All their pastas come with a side of French bread with salted butter and it is so good! Prices here are high for what it is. I always place my order over the phone and they get it right every time.
Legit japanese pasta spot in Gardena! If you come, do not miss out of the salad! It's so good and for the price, you'd be a fool to not get it!! I got the uni squid pasta, but be warned, it's not your typical version with cream as a base. It was definitely seafood forward and tasted pure to the ingredients. I recommend coming with someone to try different plates! The location isn't super big, but it's quaint and the servers are so friendly. Very little parking in the back lot or you can park on the street.
This was such a cute find! We come to Gardena often and try a new spot each time, and this cozy little restaurant was worth it. From the outside it gives fish & chips shop vibes haha, but inside feels quaint and homey. Service was friendly. They started us off with complimentary bread and butter. We also got the "one-dollar" salad, which was simple with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and house dressing. The dressing really made it so good. We ordered the bolognese with meatball. I was rich, hearty, and comforting. We also ordered the Japanese-style cod roe and sea urchin pasta that was full of umami. Definitely a spot we'd come back to try more pasta!
This place is a neat little restaurant that specializes in spaghetti with various toppings, Japanese style. The interior opens into some countertop seating with a waitress stand to the left. Behind the waitress stand is more seating overlooking the open kitchen where you can take in the sights and smells of the employees working on their craft. The interior is decorated simply and cleanly with wall decorations but most of the focus drawn to the kitchen. I ordered the avocado cream cheese (with onion and bacon) spaghetti. The avocado and cream cheese tag teamed into a creamy coating on the noodles with a tang from the cheese and a richness from the avocado. The onion and bacon added some necessary contrast, crunch, and meatiness to the meal. The noodle texture is excellent with a nice snap. Unfortunately, it does reach a point where the cheese becomes too rich to consume and I found myself requiring breaks before resuming. All in all, a very good meal and a definite recommend in the area for the experience.
This is going to sound like a hot take, but the food I tried here today was sub par. The rolls were dry and tasted like the ones I get at the grocery store. The salad was too watery for my taste (but for a dollar, I guess I can't complain too much about that). The spaghetti with Japanese clam sauce was bland. The pasta itself was well cooked. It had the right firmness and mouth feel. However, it lacked flavor and was sitting in a pool of soup, which I didn't enjoy at all. I tried my wife's Carbonara. It wasn't that much better. It had pieces of bacon on it, but they weren't crispy like I expected them to be. They were soft, like they had been poached. I did find the service here to be quite good (the server was nice and the service was speedy), but not enough to give this place a higher rating.
had always wanted to check this place out and it was so good! i ordered number 24 and my parents ordered the uni and carbonara pastas. everything was super fresh and the one dollar salad was very yummy. complementary bread was soft and buttery. will be coming back!
This restaurant is on a corner. There is a small parking lot on the side. The restaurant itself was small. But we there around 6 pm and there wasn't a wait. I got the carbonara after reading some reviews. My bf got the garlic beef spaghetti. When I got my order, it wasn't creamy, which I was confused. But figured maybe that's just how the carbonara is at this place. It was definitely too salty. Turns out they didn't give me the right order and eventually replaced it with the real carbonara. The carbonara had a strong wine flavor, which I didn't like. However, the pasta itself was cooked very well. I tried a bite of my bf's garlic beef pasta and it was good. I got the "one dollar salad". Salad wasn't amazing or anything, but it's pretty good for one dollar and I got some veggies out of it. The restaurant also provides you with bread. The outside is hard, but the inside was very soft. Service was quick and staff were very friendly and attentive. Although I didn't really like my pasta, I would come back to try a different dish. I would give this place a 3.5.
Reasonable prices, a variety of Japanese-inspired twists on spaghetti, and homestyle ambiance are all hallmarks of Spoon House. Guests are offered complimentary bread and butter, and some dishes are accompanied by a simple salad with flavorful dressing. The sea urchin/cod roe pasta dishes are definitely worth trying. Servers are attentive and polite. High chairs are available, and they automatically offer special bowls and water cups with lids for little ones. Seating at the counter provides a great view of meticulously coordinated culinary action. The cooks seem to take pride in their craft. There is easy parking across Redondo Beach Boulevard in Pacific Square.
Saw the hype of this place on social media so had to try this Japanese Italian spot in Gardena. It's a very small establishment with limited seating, I can only imagine how busy this spot gets. If you didn't know Japanese Italian is super good and is arguably better than other Italian food. Just go to Japan to find out. I thought the bolognese here was pretty good. It was a bit oily but in a good way and the portion was crazy big. I enjoyed their bread the most though, it was like a sweet bread. Take a piece of it and dip it in your pasta! Then you have to get their $1 salad to balance your meal. Very simple but a good salad!
A friend recommended stopping by here, saying they would make the 50-minute drive just to eat here (they lived in Pasadena). They told me it was some of the best and cheapest Japanese pasta they'd had anywhere, and that other places don't even come close... those places don't hold a spoon to this one. With a recommendation like that, how could I not stop by? I came with another friend who lives in the area, and they also had great things to say. They mentioned they used to eat here all the time with their family. With both of them hyping it up, my expectations were high. As I walked toward the storefront, I nearly missed it and almost walked right past the entrance, big oops on me. The place is really tiny, so I imagine you might have to wait a bit on busy days. Luckily for us, it wasn't too busy, and there were a few open seats. There are two seating sections: one near the kitchen and another in a smaller dining area. For my pasta, my friend recommended the Japanese-style cod roe, sea urchin, and seaweed pasta, so that's what I ordered. The pasta wasn't fishy at all. It was lightly creamy from the roe and uni, and the seaweed added a nice texture. The portion was much larger than I expected. To round out the meal, I also got the one-dollar salad, which was simple but surprisingly flavorful. The service here was excellent. The waitstaff was very attentive, and once you finish a dish, they ask if you'd like them to clear your plate. They also refill your water as soon as they notice it's low, so you never have to flag anyone down. Overall, I had a wonderful experience. The food was delicious, and the staff was fantastic. The only downside is that the place is super tiny, along with the limited parking.
This restaurant is well known for its Japanese-Italian fusion pasta. They seem to be popular with families and the establishment is always packed no matter what time of day! The parking lot can get full, but I've never had an issue with finding a spot. The service is fast which allows the staff to seat you quickly and get customers in and out. They provide complimentary French bread with butter with your food. I like to have veggies with my meal, but I found the salad dressing to be a bit bitter. Their entrees are made using dried pasta and they have a decently sized menu. I have tried different pasta dishes, but I think the tomato and cream bases are my favorite. When I was feeling more adventurous, I tied the mentaiko pasta which I found too fishy for my personal taste. read more
I've heard so much about Spoon House and I'm so happy to finally try it! I went with my friend on a Sunday evening and was able to be seated right away. Spoon House is known for their Japanese-style pastas, so we got the Japanese-style clam sauce with mushrooms as well as the Japanese-style cod-roe and butter sauce with squid and uni. I was really impressed with how clean the flavors of both pastas were! I ate so much and never felt overwhelmed as I usually do with pastas. The seafood also tasted really fresh and the squid was buttery soft and not chewy or tough. They also have $1 salads which had a tasty, classic Japanese dressing and fresh greens. You just can't find any food for $1 these days, so the $1 pricepoint was really surprising! I also love that they gave a huge serving of bread and butter as an appetizer. The staff was super kind and accommodating, and the restaurant is very cute and retro. They have a small parking lot in the back, as well as easy street parking. Overall, I'm already really looking forward to coming back here and trying more of their dishes. Or getting the same thing because it was just that good! read more
Japanese Italian cuisine is served here and it is delicious- the pasta is perfectly al dente and the sauce is light but flavorful. It's a small restaurant and they don't take reservation but the way isn't too long. They have both counter seating and a few small tables. Service is quick and friendly-many people have been coming here for years and the kitchen consist of brothers who have been making the pasta for a long time. I enjoyed the clam pasta, and my boyfriend got the spinach bacon pasta, which he says he orders every time! They are simple but delicious. read more
Great spot that's on the corner of the street! My parents have been bringing me and my sister to this spot for years. This was one of the spots they went to when they first started dating many many years ago. It's definitely nostalgic every time we eat here. So glad to see that they're still here and thriving. There's a small parking lot in the back and street parking available. The restaurant is pretty small and only has 4 tables, but lots of bar style seatings. Lines can get pretty long but service is pretty quick. Crazy since they still have their $1 salad still available! It's such a good deal and the salad dressing is delicious. All of their pastas had been delicious. They have a lot of fusion pastas. read more
This is an old school Japanese-run Italian joint with a few dozen choices of pasta for whatever you're craving. The pasta is prepared al dente and you get a lot of volume for your buck. Not to mention free bread and their famous $1 salad. It's almost like their menu prices are frozen in time from a decade ago! Service was also friendly and FAST, and the ambience was of an old neighborhood diner, so it felt cozy for an Italian place. Not the finest cuisine of Italian establishments but it's yummy enough and earns 5 stars for its price and volume! read more
There's something special about their pasta that gets me to come back every time. I always order the Hot Garlic with Seasoned Mushroom pasta and add Roasted Eggplant & Shiso ($24). It's not a huge portion, but definitely filling for one person and could be shared between two light eaters. All their pastas come with a side of French bread with salted butter and it is so good! Prices here are high for what it is. I always place my order over the phone and they get it right every time. read more
Legit japanese pasta spot in Gardena! If you come, do not miss out of the salad! It's so good and for the price, you'd be a fool to not get it!! I got the uni squid pasta, but be warned, it's not your typical version with cream as a base. It was definitely seafood forward and tasted pure to the ingredients. I recommend coming with someone to try different plates! The location isn't super big, but it's quaint and the servers are so friendly. Very little parking in the back lot or you can park on the street. read more
This was such a cute find! We come to Gardena often and try a new spot each time, and this cozy little restaurant was worth it. From the outside it gives fish & chips shop vibes haha, but inside feels quaint and homey. Service was friendly. They started us off with complimentary bread and butter. We also got the "one-dollar" salad, which was simple with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and house dressing. The dressing really made it so good. We ordered the bolognese with meatball. I was rich, hearty, and comforting. We also ordered the Japanese-style cod roe and sea urchin pasta that was full of umami. Definitely a spot we'd come back to try more pasta! read more
5 months ago
This place is a neat little restaurant that specializes in spaghetti with various toppings, Japanese style. The interior opens into some countertop seating with a waitress stand to the left. Behind the waitress stand is more seating overlooking the open kitchen where you can take in the sights and smells of the employees working on their craft. The interior is decorated simply and cleanly with wall decorations but most of the focus drawn to the kitchen. I ordered the avocado cream cheese (with onion and bacon) spaghetti. The avocado and cream cheese tag teamed into a creamy coating on the noodles with a tang from the cheese and a richness from the avocado. The onion and bacon added some necessary contrast, crunch, and meatiness to the meal. The noodle texture is excellent with a nice snap. Unfortunately, it does reach a point where the cheese becomes too rich to consume and I found myself requiring breaks before resuming. All in all, a very good meal and a definite recommend in the area for the experience. read more
This is going to sound like a hot take, but the food I tried here today was sub par. The rolls were dry and tasted like the ones I get at the grocery store. The salad was too watery for my taste (but for a dollar, I guess I can't complain too much about that). The spaghetti with Japanese clam sauce was bland. The pasta itself was well cooked. It had the right firmness and mouth feel. However, it lacked flavor and was sitting in a pool of soup, which I didn't enjoy at all. I tried my wife's Carbonara. It wasn't that much better. It had pieces of bacon on it, but they weren't crispy like I expected them to be. They were soft, like they had been poached. I did find the service here to be quite good (the server was nice and the service was speedy), but not enough to give this place a higher rating. read more
had always wanted to check this place out and it was so good! i ordered number 24 and my parents ordered the uni and carbonara pastas. everything was super fresh and the one dollar salad was very yummy. complementary bread was soft and buttery. will be coming back! read more
This restaurant is on a corner. There is a small parking lot on the side. The restaurant itself was small. But we there around 6 pm and there wasn't a wait. I got the carbonara after reading some reviews. My bf got the garlic beef spaghetti. When I got my order, it wasn't creamy, which I was confused. But figured maybe that's just how the carbonara is at this place. It was definitely too salty. Turns out they didn't give me the right order and eventually replaced it with the real carbonara. The carbonara had a strong wine flavor, which I didn't like. However, the pasta itself was cooked very well. I tried a bite of my bf's garlic beef pasta and it was good. I got the "one dollar salad". Salad wasn't amazing or anything, but it's pretty good for one dollar and I got some veggies out of it. The restaurant also provides you with bread. The outside is hard, but the inside was very soft. Service was quick and staff were very friendly and attentive. Although I didn't really like my pasta, I would come back to try a different dish. I would give this place a 3.5. read more
3 months ago
Reasonable prices, a variety of Japanese-inspired twists on spaghetti, and homestyle ambiance are all hallmarks of Spoon House. Guests are offered complimentary bread and butter, and some dishes are accompanied by a simple salad with flavorful dressing. The sea urchin/cod roe pasta dishes are definitely worth trying. Servers are attentive and polite. High chairs are available, and they automatically offer special bowls and water cups with lids for little ones. Seating at the counter provides a great view of meticulously coordinated culinary action. The cooks seem to take pride in their craft. There is easy parking across Redondo Beach Boulevard in Pacific Square. read more
Saw the hype of this place on social media so had to try this Japanese Italian spot in Gardena. It's a very small establishment with limited seating, I can only imagine how busy this spot gets. If you didn't know Japanese Italian is super good and is arguably better than other Italian food. Just go to Japan to find out. I thought the bolognese here was pretty good. It was a bit oily but in a good way and the portion was crazy big. I enjoyed their bread the most though, it was like a sweet bread. Take a piece of it and dip it in your pasta! Then you have to get their $1 salad to balance your meal. Very simple but a good salad! read more
8 months ago
A friend recommended stopping by here, saying they would make the 50-minute drive just to eat here (they lived in Pasadena). They told me it was some of the best and cheapest Japanese pasta they'd had anywhere, and that other places don't even come close... those places don't hold a spoon to this one. With a recommendation like that, how could I not stop by? I came with another friend who lives in the area, and they also had great things to say. They mentioned they used to eat here all the time with their family. With both of them hyping it up, my expectations were high. As I walked toward the storefront, I nearly missed it and almost walked right past the entrance, big oops on me. The place is really tiny, so I imagine you might have to wait a bit on busy days. Luckily for us, it wasn't too busy, and there were a few open seats. There are two seating sections: one near the kitchen and another in a smaller dining area. For my pasta, my friend recommended the Japanese-style cod roe, sea urchin, and seaweed pasta, so that's what I ordered. The pasta wasn't fishy at all. It was lightly creamy from the roe and uni, and the seaweed added a nice texture. The portion was much larger than I expected. To round out the meal, I also got the one-dollar salad, which was simple but surprisingly flavorful. The service here was excellent. The waitstaff was very attentive, and once you finish a dish, they ask if you'd like them to clear your plate. They also refill your water as soon as they notice it's low, so you never have to flag anyone down. Overall, I had a wonderful experience. The food was delicious, and the staff was fantastic. The only downside is that the place is super tiny, along with the limited parking. read more
I don't live in Torrance anymore but when I did we were coming here for YEARS. I'm so glad this spot is still here. For as long as I can remember the go-to order has been: carbonara and $1 salad; and yes, the salad is still $1. I don't even know what it is about the salad - that miso-slightly salty topping they put on top just makes me crave it more. I almost denied getting one; but almost 30 years (to my knowledge at least) of it being $1? I just had to do a quality check. carbonara. 30 years later and it tastes exactly how I remember. My family, myself, and my boyfriend are all not-small-eaters, but this was almost 2 bites too much food. and call me crazy but it was too much bacon for us. we all had one spoonful of bacon ONLY left in each plate - the servers didn't know when to take our plates away even when the check arrived. and mind you, their spoon is at least twice the size of a regular table spoon. is that supposed to be a pun? anyways just be warned the taste hasn't changed but the salt content was slightly more noticeable. In that way whete my mouth was raisin-y and we all needed a few glasses of water throughout the meal. that might just be because I'm not in high school anymore (honestly might be the last time I ate here) which is also when worrying about my sodium content didn't matter just yet. I think smaller eaters could share one of these - if I remember correctly that's what my family used to do when my sister and I were little. definitely check this place out! parking lot is in the back and very small, otherwise I've been successful with street parking as well. I don't know when I'll be back (in the bay area now), but it's comforting knowing this place still stands tall. read more
4 months ago
Got the "One-dollar" Salad and the Bolognese. The salad was topped with slices of tomatoes and cucumbers. The salad dressing was most likely a soy ginger - good acidity and tanginess. The pasta was cooked al dente. The Bolognese sauce was a little too sweet for my taste. If I had to guess, I think they also used Worcestershire sauce. The meal comes with a slice of French Bread. The inside part of the bread was nice and soft. If I was smart, I should have popped the bread in my air fryer to get the bread crust crunchy. Service was very friendly. read more
Lunch 5.11.26 I haven't been at Spoonhouse in quite a long time, and started since 1995 when I workes in the South Bay and the ingredients are so consistent! If you love fusion food, this is like having Japanese Italian. The best kept secret place in Gardena. I had the Hot Garlic with daikon and my favorite, but I have eaten oyster mushroom plates and offers such a beautiful taste of their creamed sauce. I love garlic, so if you like a little spicy. Plus, all the spaghetti pasta is cooked al dente, never soggy! Yay! My friend had her favorite Tuna dish with Soy sauce. Yum, and i miss watching them make my food which no restaurant at that time in the late 90s had something like this. And the ladies who served us were very nice and accommodating things like asking for hot water and they are also good if you're stuck and need help with the menu. Small, quaint joint and buzzling with smaller tables, but worth every time I eat here. And the dollar salad so so so delicious. Parking out back and best to come out during 11am so you can relatively get parking and seats. This time, I was so hungry I ate my entire plate! Haha definitely coming back a bit more frequently and prices decent compared to other places that serve plain cuisines. read more
This pasta place has been a local favorite for more than 3 decades I remember being in my teens living out in the valley and my family would sometimes make the drive out to South Bay to hit up the Tokyo central (marukai at the time lol) and go to spoon house after. It was a whole ordeal lol Now being an adult it's nice to see this place is still thriving. I still love all the same things plus more as I had decades to try their various dishes. My favorite of theirs have always been their tarako ika pasta But recent fave has also been their corned beef and cabbage pasta or their pasta omelette with bacon. My son loves their carbonara especially because the bacon is so crispy. Not on the picture but they also have amazing gratin and doria. I believe they take a minimum of 30 min to make so you have get it when you have time. The doria you can ask for half meat sauce and half white sauce and personally I think that's the best combo. My personal fave is their steak combo! It's actually a really good deal! You get a pasta, steak, coffee and ice cream. It's good when you have like 3-4 ppl and share to get a variety of food. My most favorite item at that restaurant however is their bread they serve. It's so moist on the inside crunchy on the outside. Only the owner knows how to make it!!!! When they are gone you get this mediocre dinner roll it actually ruins my experience lol I go there almost entirely for that bread sometimes so when I go for it and find their dinner roll I get so sad. I really really hope the recipe is shared to the staff someday because it really is a downer when you go and they don't have that French bread. It's been a local favorite and true gem of South Bay. read more
The food at spoon House is delicious. You get your Japanese Italian pasta fix here. The pasta is made fresh and al dente. If you sit at the bar, you can see the chefs making the pasta for you. The French bread is delicious as well as the $1 side salad. I've had spoon house bookmark for a while now finally came in for some lunch. The service is amazing and the restaurant has a no-frills vibe parking in the back or street parking. There are many other pasta dishes on their menu and my friend even suggested the $50 steak (which I didn't order). I'm definitely coming back for more pasta. read more
This house has UMAMI!!! The subtle Japanese fusion pasta is fantastic! Their pastas are delicious, light, and has a lot of seafood flavor (not fishy though) I am going to say that the $1 salad was th star of the show. To get a basic salad for $1 in this economy?! Mind blowing! Would recommend the gratin, but it does take 20 min to make (warnings on the menu)! Tight spaces but would be great to come and meet the locals! read more
Over 5 years ago, I made an update to my first. Spoon House review and said back then that I would back soon! Hmm I'm not sure why 5 years passed and I didn't go back until now. This spot is really the go-to for Japanese spaghetti and I have yet to find any place that surpasses it in terms of quality or taste. I chose to get their Spaghetti Omelette for this recent visit. I was so amazed when it came out because it comes with lots of spaghetti, grilled chicken and large egg omelette on top. It was freshly cooked and deliciously hot. The spaghetti had a subtle sweet tomato flavor that was just right. This spaghetti paired with the tender pieces of chicken and scrambled egg was a true delight for the tastebuds! The portion size was pretty big too and I had enough for left overs and second meal. I know in my last review I would be back soon but this time I really mean it. I was very impressed with my Spaghetti Omelette and I am excited to try more pasta dishes here. This restaurant has been in Gardena for years and for good reason. Every time I come here I am in awe of their tasty dishes. read more
What an unforgettable experience! Spoon House introduced me to a style of cuisine I'd never tried before, a fusion of Italian and Japanese flavors, and I'm so grateful my sister‑in‑law brought us here. We're visiting from St. Louis, MO, so this type of restaurant is completely new to us, and choosing it for lunch turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. We arrived right as the restaurant opened, and someone immediately greeted us and held the door, which set a welcoming tone from the start. Since we were the first ones in, we were seated right away. Within minutes, though, the entire place filled up. Watching the dining room go from empty to packed so quickly was a clear sign of how beloved this spot is among locals. The ambiance struck a perfect balance, warm Italian charm blended seamlessly with subtle Japanese touches. It felt cozy, inviting, and unique without trying too hard. Shortly after sitting down, we were served bread. It was on the cooler side, but still delicious, and we finished it almost instantly. While waiting for our meals, we had a great view of the chef working, and it was genuinely entertaining to watch him create each dish with such precision and confidence. When my order arrived, #4 with mushrooms and added spice, I could immediately tell how fresh everything was. The clams were cooked perfectly, tender and flavorful without being chewy. The heat came naturally from thin slices of jalapeño, which added just the right kick without overpowering the dish. The portions were generous, and by the time we finished, we were absolutely full and completely satisfied. Every element of the meal, from the service to the flavors to the atmosphere, made this visit memorable. What an experience, truly! Spoon House is the kind of place that leaves you already thinking about your next visit. read more
1 year ago
UPDATE 1: Review #33 2025-069 While I haven't been dining at Spoon House Bakery & Restaurant as much as my initial move to the South Bay (because I lived walking distance), they are still our go-to for pasta. The restaurant sits in the Rannai Bldg. on the corner of Redondo Beach Blvd. & Denker Ave. with a bright blue painted entrance (you can't miss it) with limited parking around the corner. There's free street parking, or you can park across the street at the Pacific Square Plaza. Opened in 1984, Spoon House offers a fusion of Italian & Japanese cuisine, & I've been coming here since the mid-1990s. What remains stable for the last 2+ decades is their head chef, signature French baguette, & irresistible $1 Salad (a simple iceberg lettuce salad with cucumbers & tomatoes topped with a savory garlic miso dressing). Yeah, I still love this dressing so much that I could pour a shot & drink it. ;-) Now that the kiddos are older, I still attempt to sit at the bar by the pasta pot to watch how my order is prepared. Once seated, you're served a basket of their signature French baguette with pats of butter. Their menu is pretty extensive for such a small restaurant. I haven't noticed any menu changes (new pastas) because I usually order/rotate my preferred pastas with an occasional deviation. Current price points are almost 50% more than my initial visit except for the $1 Salad, but still reasonable & a good value. During lunch/dinner rush, there might be a 15-20 minute wait. Service is still quick & efficient, water glasses are refilled without prompt, a couple of check-ins on your meal/experience. I typically skip dessert (it's pretty basic here), & walk across to Pacific Square Plaza for dessert: Oko Cafe, Cafe Pruvia, Beard Papa's, -8°C Ice Cream, Sweet Rice. For foodies that seek creative Italian-Japanese pastas, Spoon House Bakery & Restaurant is still a must visit. Bon appétit! Recommended: Spinach & Bacon with Butter (1 of my favs), Spaghetti Omelette with Bacon (my other fav), Carbonara, Spicy Tomato, Hot Garlic, Fresh Tomato & Shiso, Plum & Shiso, Garlic & Basil, Seasoned Mushrooms with Daikon, Spaghetti with Bolognese & Meatball. read more
5 months ago
Japanese Pasta? Yes! Ate here with my high school friend while in town for a basketball tournament. The service was quick and friendly. The food is a wow. From classic Italian to Japanese and the fusion surprises. Yummy! Get the $1 salad too! Ambiance is cute and they make the most seating out of small area. For a super yummy twist eat here! read more
Haven't been here in YEARS. Solid 3.5 Felt like a nostalgic place with consistent food. Ordered the "dollar" salad. Simple iceberg lettuce, couple tomato slices, house made ginger, onion dressing. It's a good salad. Straight forward nothing fancy. Good ingredients. Yes! It's still one dollar. Felt like a creamy something so we chatted while waiting for the Spoon House Original Seafood Gratin. Elbow macaroni with a scallop, shrimp, & white fish (?) béchamel sauce. Topped with mozzarella, broiled & nicely golden. SUPER rich with the béchamel & mozz. I wanted creamy & this was CREAMY. Could've had a bit more seafood, however, at $19 I'm not going to complain. My friend had the Japanese style clam sauce with shiitake & shimeji mushrooms & shiso. Lightly seasoned. Al dente pasta. She was disappointed the shiitake was dried reconstituted & not fresh. However, we all know it's a dance keeping fresh items in hand. The bread basket served with butter is still great. Soft & fluffy inside. Crunchy French bread crust. Service was swift & attentive. The place honestly looks like I remembered it (15? 20? yrs ago). If you're feeling nostalgic, give it a try. Because honestly, where can you order an entree for less than $20? read more
I've had this place several times bc it's so close to my house! It's been a while since I came here but me and my friend got the tuna and onion pasta and the hot garlic pasta with the bonito flakes and I forgot what else is in there honestly sorry LOL We also got the 1$ salad. It's just iceberg lettuce, tomato, and their dressing but the dressing is sooooo good!! They also give you complimentary bread which was kinda hard but it wasn't dry so it was pretty good. I didn't really like my pasta, even though it was delicious, I kinda wish I tried something else. I think the tuna was too much for me. Service was fast, we just sat at the bar. Usually this place is packed and there's a wait. It's quite a small restaurant but the vibes are intimate and very homey Also I think they are known for their fresh bread they make on the daily. I saw some people just come to buy the bread and leave. Parking in the back! Or on the streets. read more
10 months ago
Had a wonderful experience dining at Spoon House! I ordered the hot garlic pasta with mushroom, grated daikon and dried fish flakes along with the one dollar salad. Each meal comes with complimentary bread. The hot garlic pasta was delicious! The pasta was al dente and although this dish looks plain, it was very flavorful! The garlic taste was strong and the pepper it came with was very spicy. Would highly recommend ordering this! The one dollar salad was also fresh and the dressing was sweet, tangy and garlicky. The bread on the other hand was cold and hard, but not a big deal to me since the main focus here is the pasta. Service was excellent and we received our food quickly. If you sit at the counter you can see them making your order! The restaurant is medium sized and has some room, with a parking lot in the back. I'm sure it gets packed during prime lunch and dinner hours. Would highly recommend! read more
21 days ago
1 year ago
Second location with the original in Tokyo, Japan. The restaurant is on the corner of Rannai building complex. They have a small shared parking lot. Spoon House has 2 areas for dining - one, with the kitchen, seats at the bar that faces the kitchen, a few small 2-tops that are veryclosetogether. Those sitting on the booth have to move the neighboring table in order to shimmy out. Neighboring love. Menu is printed in Japanese on one side and English on the other side. They offers mainly spaghetti but also a seafood gratin that takes 20 mins per person. 40 items on the menu but 5 of them offered with variations. One line descriptions. Substitutions are not allowed. Offerings are red sauce, cream sauce or Japanese style. We ordered #3 Japanese-Style Cod Roe with Squid $ Seaweed and #34 Hot Garlic with seasoned Mushroom, Grated Daikon & Dried Fish Flakes, both non-spicy. Once our order was placed, a basket of fresh baguette was presented. Not sliced very well, but it was soft and delicious. We saw other spaghetti plates being delivered and you could see the steam coming off of them. When our Japanese spaghetti arrived, they were lukewarm. Interesting flavors. By the time we left, both dining areas were full and people were waiting for tables. Ok, bye. read more
Swell Japanese-Italian restaurant in Gardena. Spaghetti dishes are awesome, every time the pasta is cooked perfectly al dente. The Japanese-style cod roe and sea urchin is excellent. Not a ton of uni but plenty to flavor the creamy dish. The Japanese-style clam sauce with shiitake and shimeji mushrooms was similarly excellent. The carbonara with bacon, black pepper, fresh cream, wine and egg was fine. A very pleasant surprise was the spaghetti omelet with bacon. They have a $1 house salad that you should always order. It's a smallish place with two counters and a handful of tables. Usually a wait during peak meal hours, but easy to walk into mid-afternoon. Usually plenty of parking in back. This isn't a high end Italian or Japanese restaurant. It's a good, homey Japanese-Italian spot that's reasonably priced, with excellent service. Definitely give this place a try. read more
I've been coming to Spoon House in Gardena for many years -- it's one of my longtime favorite restaurants. I was just there on September 20 (Saturday), and went again on October 11 (Saturday) after visiting a Korean acupuncture clinic nearby because I hadn't been feeling well and my left eye had been twitching for a while since a very long time ago. Usually, I always order their Urchin Seaweed Spaghetti, which I really like. But this time, I felt like trying something different, so I ordered the Hamburg Steak. The menu said it comes with salad, coffee or tea, and ice cream for dessert. I asked if they had decaf coffee, but they didn't -- so I had tea instead. The bread and butter were good, and the ice cream dessert was good. However, the main dish was the problem. The Hamburg steak came covered in some strange spaghetti sauce with a side of meat spaghetti, which was not mentioned anywhere on the menu. I even asked the server if that was how it's supposed to come, and she said yes. I asked to see the menu again, but there was absolutely no note about spaghetti or sauce being part of the dish. When I think of a Hamburg steak, I always have a sizzling hot patty with maybe some vegetables or salad on the side -- not one drowned in spaghetti sauce with noodles. On top of that, the meat itself had a weird taste and texture -- something off, almost like it wasn't real meat. I couldn't finish it, I just had one bite and ended up taking it home, and later threw it away because it tasted just as strange when reheated. It really felt like a waste of money. I still like this place for their Urchin Seaweed Spaghetti, and the servers were friendly as always, but that Hamburg steak was just terrible. Because of the poor food quality that day, I only left about an 18% tip instead of my usual amount. read more
I must have ordered the wrong thing when I visited Spoon House Bakery and Restaurant. I really wanted some gratin and knew ahead of time that it will take extra time. But what I didn't realize was that the seat I got was directly across from the kitchen and the place had hardly any circulation or air conditioning. It made for a very unpleasant and hot experience. What was actually the most disappointing was the actual food itself. The bread was stale and airy. Butter cane in tiny aluminum foils. Very hard to spread and definitely not enough for the amount of bread vs butter. The gratin had exactly 6 pieces of pasta, smothered in under-seasoned béchamel sauce. It was more like a shroomy combination of greasy and watery sauce that got diluted by the baked broccoli. I found precisely two pieces of seafood and that was it. The most pathetic gratin I have ever had in my life. I am in the area often and wouldn't mind trying their spaghetti meals in the future. They do take Amex and parking is free although limited in both spaces and quantities in the back of the building. read more
Japanese- Italian spaghetti cafe with about 40 kinds of fusion spaghetti dishes to choose from. I love the # 34. Hot Garlic with Seasoned Mushroom, Grated Daikon, and Dried Bonito Flakes. Add-on: Eggplant and Shiso Leaves. It totally works. Outstanding! Another favorite is the #4 Spaghetti topped with FRESH clams in light butter wine sauce laden with shiitake and shimeji mushrooms; add shiso leaves. My husband has been coming here forever and it's one of his favorite places to eat. Our children also love Spoon House. We never get bored of Spoon House! Dine-in is available. Busy in the weekend. Plenty of parking in the back of the restaurant or residential street. They accept credit cards and cash. read more
2 months ago
I left L.A. in 1992 and returned in 2018. I'm so happy and grateful that Spoon House has persisted. The menu is greatly extended as I can recall back in 1984/5. Still, I ordered the good old Bolognese Pasta with Meatballs as comfort dictates. read more
Lovely service and great dining room where you can see the open kitchen. The bread that comes with the meal and the one dollar salad are great as always. I got the uni wakame seaweed pasta and despite the premium ingredients it was a little bland. Maybe it is intentional though since they have Parmesan and condiments at the table. Overall a nice experience - but now that pasta e pasta is in the area there is some serious competition in the area along with unico. read more
What a beautiful find. I was just cruising through Gardena to get to Tokyo central and drove by this place. It doesn't look like much from the outside but had a nice charm to it. So I decided to dine here before I did my groceries. Always better to shop on a full stomach. Service was great, food was delicious and well presented. The restaurant was cute, simple, and did have the charm of a cafe in Japan. I'm hardly in this area. But I'm glad to have this memory now. Who knows, maybe I'll cruise by again in the future. read more
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More info about Spoon House Bakery & Restaurant
1601 W Redondo Beach Blvd
Gardena, CA 90247
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(310) 538-0376
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Ask the Community - Spoon House Bakery & Restaurant
How big is this place? Is there adequate for a group of 6
It's a pretty tiny place but I think they'd be able to seat a party of six if you didn't mind waiting a bit or called ahead to let them know the size of your party.
How busy are they with indoor dining?
Go early. 30 min after arriving when they opened, the place was packed!
Are they now open for dine in?
I highly doubt it, if you mean indoor dining. LA County is currently allowing restaurants to resume outdoor dining only. The restaurant never had outdoor dining arrangements even when outdoor dining was allowed, probably for lack of usable space…
Two questions: 1) Heard is gets packed for lunch during the week. How long is the normal wait? 2) Is…
It's about half hour wait when they're busy. The waiting area is quite small as well. Parking is limited but you can park along the side of the street or the parking lot in the back of the building.
Do they serve mentaiko pasta at this restaurant? I just heard about this kind of pasta, but never tried it
They have variations of Tarako pasta (plain salted cod roe) but not Mentaiko (spiced or marinated cod roe).
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