Dive Into the Supreme Satisfaction of Japanese Cooking at Ducks in San Gabriel | Eater LA

"Tucked into a sleepy San Gabriel strip mall behind an inconspicuous glass door, I find a cozy, 10-table dining room filled with the aromas of bubbling curry and fried tempura that have beckoned diners since its founding in 1995. The restaurant began when Midori and Shojiro Saeki took over an Indian restaurant called Silver Spoons and opened Ducks, and their daughter Natsumi — who grew up helping in the family business — later returned to run it. The menu reflects Japanese homestyle cooking: warm bowls of fried pork cutlet and curry, broiled unagi served over rice, soba accompanied by towering plates of tempura with a popcorn-like batter, imported Japanese spaghetti with tomato or curry sauce, and teishoku (set meals) with fried shrimp, pork, or rib-eye. Combination lunch and dinner options include cold or hot soba with tempura or a small serving of curry rice, and udon meals come with a mini katsudon; even the simple cabbage salad that accompanies every meal is something regulars look forward to. Quirky, homey decor — duck statues and rubber ducks in the windows, a bookshelf of manga, and framed photos of the family cat Chibi — underscores the place’s family-run character, and the careful preservation of Shojiro’s recipes by Natsumi has kept longtime customers returning. Community support from groups like SGV Eats helped sustain takeout orders of karaage and Japanese spaghetti during the pandemic, and today Ducks continues to thrive with loyal patrons and new faces dining together daily." - Kat Thompson