Kotohira Restaurant

Amazing. The moment you step in you feel like you're back in Japan. The food was delicious! Prices are extremely reasonable too for Japanese food. Definitely a must if you're craving a Japanese bento, rice bowl, or udon!!

This place is fantastic. The food is great and the staff is wonderful. I had the cold udon with tempura and Spam musubi. I will be coming back.

🇯🇵 JAPAN (via Eat the World Los Angeles) - No matter how out of style udon can be, the noodle love of Kagawa Prefecture is front and center at one of Gardena's longest running favorites. The bento ($17.95) comes with so much to eat, with compartments of tuna sashimi, chicken karaage, grilled mackerel, pieces of tempura and Japanese root vegetables. A small but filling bowl of tanuki udon, rice, and tempura dipping sauce join the party. While Kotohira is not the place you come for these individual things, altogether the bento is terrific value especially with such a strong bowl of udon. This much good food for less than $20 is not something you find much around town these days.

Great customer service , the food was great , love the soup, the customer service it is excellent , absolutely love this place

My buddy and I were in the mood for some Asian food. He particularly was in the mood for some noodles and we're glad we came here. The atmosphere was relaxing and there wasn't a long wait. The food was extremely good and supersedes my expectations (see photos below). All and all the experience was great and will certainly come back again.

This restaurant is small and yet it has wooden stalls and booths which is nice. Parking is easy even on weekends if you are willing to park a little further away in the parking lot. Service is friendly, they bring you potato salad after you order. The potato salad is very smooth and creamy. The food portion is just right. Big eaters might find the portion underwhelming. This is a Japanese teishoku style restaurant, Japanese set menu with the option to substitute the udon, soba or seimen if you prefer.

Solid udon spot with great Japanese dishes. Enjoyed the appetizers as well such as the agedashi tofu and takoyaki. We had the salmon and udon set as well as the katsudon and udon set. All of it was great and prices were reasonable for the quality and amount of food. The service was very friendly and came out at great times throughout the service. Place had a good spacing for seating. We ate around 2pm so we had basically the place to ourselves. Definitely worth making it out here.

It was our first time here and I must say it was totally worth it. the service was on point and always attentive. The food was amazing. The appetizers and the main dishes were honestly some of the best udon soup I've ever had. The prices are more than reasonable for what you get. We will definitely be coming back here from now on.

This place is a japanese restaurant specializing in udon. The decor is themed around Japan and has a comfy feeling. The place is well lit, but a bit small. The service was fair and friendly, but the speed at which food comes out could use some work. I ordered an eel set which includes a bowl of their udon and an unadon (eel rice bowl). The udon texture was fantastic with just enough bite to the noodles whilst the broth had a delicious warmth to, the savory flavor and heat mingling well. Very well done and worth coming for if you never had udon. The unadon was good, but the freshness of the eel and the strength of the eel sauce were lacking. The rice was alright. Kind of Unfortunate that the eel bowl which was listed as a main wasn't outstanding but still, the udon should be the star. All in all, a great meal and a good representation of Japan in the US.

An authentic Japanese restaurant in Gardena nestled in a small plaza. Went for dinner on a Friday night and got seated quickly. Food was excellent! I love agedashi tofu and it was perfectly battered and nicely dressed. Tempura was wonderful, also nicely battered and nice and crispy. Sukiyakidon was very flavorful and I thoroughly enjoyed my udon and katsudon set. Service was great and food was reasonably priced! Will definitely add this to my Gardena favorites.

I live close to here, so Kotohira is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in this area. Food is excellent. Nothing fancy here. Just a simple Japanese food that specialize in Udon noodle dishes. Perfect portion sizes for me, where I can finish my plate, feel full, but not bloated. Service is fantastic, because they mostly stay out of your way and will come when called. I'd say this is a hidden gem. Parking is usually fine with the large shared parking lot, but if you come during peak weekend hours, you might not find a spot. This has only happened to me once out of the hundred times I've been in this parking lot.

Very cute mom and pop shop. We ordered the beef curry with udon, the sukiyakidon, and the gyoza. Gyoza was very crispy and the sukiyakidon was delicious though the miso soup was VERY salty. On the flip side, the curry was very watery and lacked flavor though the one piece of beef was tender. Staff were very nice and friendly but unfortunately, we won't be back again.

Kotohira is a small Japanese restaurant located in the corner of Tozai plaza. I ordered a tempura set with tanuki udon. My main complaint is that nothing came out hot. The tempura was warm and the udon was warm. The service was also so slow! There weren't many parties when we were eating, but the waitress only checked on us once at the end of the meal. We actually wanted to ask for hot tea but never got the chance to ask her. We were also waiting a while after being done eating for her to bring the check to us. Overall, I don't think I'd be back because of the service. The food was good, but I've had better udon in Torrance/Gardena.

I ordered their mini katsudon set for lunch today. The katsudon bowl is pretty small but a perfect size to go with the udon. I personally didn't love the katsudon (5/10) because it had a bit of a smell- very pig meat smell if u know what i mean. The udon (7/10) was really good tho and came out piping hot! I would definitely come again tho to try their other combo/sets because the place looked really authentic and had a lot of variety to offer. The space was very cozy and I felt like I was in Japan! The waitress was also really kind and the food came out really quickly.

This is one of those Japanese restaurants that feels like I've been transported to Japan, even though I've never been there, haha. The place itself feels traditional and like it's been around for a while. They specialize in a lot of Japanese comfort classics with an emphasis on combos of lots of different things. The service was very friendly and attentive. Lots of things to like about this place. I came in and was greeted right away and I was able to sit anywhere because I came in at an odd hour. I ordered the kara age chicken and a combo with zora soba noodles. I thought everything was done really well and I really enjoyed my meal here. The price point was very reasonable as well. I definitely would love to come back and try some more items on the menu, which is quite extensive. It was crowded in the parking lot because there are a lot of businesses in the strip mall, but it felt like plenty of parking. Maybe I also came here at a good time of day - around 4pm on a weekday.

Our usual spot for Japanese bento style dinner. This place has been here for long time. Friendly staff. expect to wait to be seated. Food is consistent.

I haven't been to this restaurant in a while, but it's one of my favorite places because I like that they have meal sets. This way, it's not one big bowl of udon noodles and I can try other things with the udon.. in the past, I like their miso cod set. they cooked it perfectly and the sauce was delicious. This time I wanted to try something different. I tried their pork udon with rice balls and my father tried their cold soba noodles. He said their dipping soup for the noodle tasted good. It was a good meal that wasnt heavy but left us well satisfied for dinner. The serving ladies were great always polite and did come to check on us once. It was a bit slow as more guests got seated. This place was doing fairly well for a sunday night. I definitely recommend coming here, I know we will be back again. It's a different udon style compared to marugame udon.

We don't visit Gardena that often, but we were looking for some authentic Japanese food in the area. I found this place on Yelp and we decided to go! The parking lot is filled with many good eateries that the parking lot is really packed! The parking lot is also tight, so there's not a lot of space to back out and maneuver around. Kotohira is located right at the corner, it's a small shop so it may be hard to miss! We walked in for lunch on a Sunday afternoon, and it was really quiet in there. The restaurant is small with a few tables here and there so we were the only other party besides another at that time. Based from their menu, there was so many good items to choose from! It seems like the most popular choices were one of their udon sets or the bento set that comes with everything. We ended up trying both since we wanted try a little bit of everything. After we ordered, they offered us these potato salads, it was a great start! The potato salad was sooo smooth. Then it didn't take too long for our sets to come in. I got the udon unagi set and my bf got the bento set. Trying my udon first, this was honestly really good! I'm really used to having marugame udon and sometimes marugame is too salty for me, but the udon here was really nice! The noodle textures were nice and chewy and the broth was really good! I really drank a lot of the broth. Even finishing the bowl, I already felt so full to have the unagidon. Although, the unagi was also really good!! The unagi was really soft and smooth, I really enjoyed the eel sauce they had too. I didn't get to finish more of the rice with the unagi, but I wish I could have since it tasted so good with it! Trying some of my bf's bento, he gave me his shrimp tempura since he's allergic to shrimp, but that was really good! The batter was really nice and crispy, and the shrimp was surprisingly really juicy. I also tried his tuna which was really smooth as well. The chicken was pretty decent as well. We really enjoyed this place! Such a small cozy and authentic Japanese joint, it honestly feels very reminiscent to our Japan travels. There's mainly two waitresses in store and they were both very kind.

The lady working here is the SWEETEST and so hardworking - she offered potato salad on the house even despite it being a busy night. The food is prepared with detail and tastes so comforting and nourishing. There's a dish for everyone - from udon, fish, katsu to chirashi bowls. Definitely a homey spot for quality Japanese food.

5+ stars Great and courteous service - very serene experience I had the miso marinated black cod combo with udon - simple green salad with very light pleasant dressing. I could of drank the dressing by itself Parking in strip center Even better draft Asahi in a cold mug I will definitely be back

Amazing. The moment you step in, you feel like you're back in Japan. The ambiance and decorations make this place feel special. The food was also very delicious! Prices are extremely reasonable too for Japanese food. Service was as expected, very friendly and kind! It's definitely a must if you're craving a Japanese bento, rice bowl, or udon.

Great Japanese food with the nicest server! Was in the area for some nurseries and stumbled upon this hole in the wall GEM!!! The authentic Japanese menu was so delicious and I wanted to order everything. It is located inside a huge strip mall, tucked away in the corner. The inside is filled with the owner's mother's paintings on the walls which adds a funky touch with the oldies music playing along. We were so pleased to have gotten some of the most delicious and warm home-cooked Japanese meals on such a gloomy day. We started with some mixed tempura and tofu agedashi. Followed by miso yaki cod set and saba set. Both came with a big portion of delicious udon soup, rice, pickles and salad. Will definitely come back for more!

Kotohira is one of those Japanese restaurants that has been in the tozai plaza for decades. If you're looking for a traditional Japanese meal this is the spot. I got the udon and tempura set and they do the tempura batter SO well!!! It's super crispy and no matter how much time passes the crunch doesn't change. They have so much on the menu but these sets are perfect for someone who wants it all

I came upon this restaurant by chance, and I'm so glad that I did. The food was very tasty and authentic. It's not a big restaurant. It has both booths and tables which could perhaps be pushed together for bigger groups. The restaurant is tucked away in a corner of an extremely busy restaurant filled plaza. So definitely come during non peak times, or be prepared to drive around a lot looking for a parking spot. We started with mixed tempura. It was light, crunchy, and not as greasy as it is in other restaurants. They serve it with a dipping sauce and shaved daikon - which is a unique (to me) touch that works. We also tried the sukiyakidon, one of the popular dishes, and pork belly udon. The sukiyakidon was so delicious - that sweet broth yum. The udon was good but I've never had noodle soup with pork belly that wasn't grilled. While the meat was good, I'm not a fan of the soft fat. I prefer it charred. I really wanted to try the soba with pork belly but they were out. Next time for sure!!

First time here and definitely worth it , the food was amazing , soup it was really good, very good prices , nice staff , great service , love the way they decorate the restaurant

I'm so happy we discovered this place over the weekend after shopping at Tokyo Central. It definitely has a Japanese vibe with Japanese speaking workers and customers. The staff was friendly and polite. The Nikuyasai Soba was an Okinawa style noodle dish with a generous portion of pork belly...delicious! The Unagi Don Set was very filling and perfect on a rainy cold day. I'd love to dine at Kotohira again soon!

Came in on a Sunday evening and there wasn't a wait. AMBIANCE - Very small, traditional Japanese restaurant - Felt warm and homey FOOD - Bento ($17.95) : included bowl of udon (very filling), tuna sashimi, mixed tempura, chicken karaage, root mix, grilled mackerel, and bowl of rice. This is a lot of food! I ate the udon first and was too full to eat the rest of the bento. Tempura batter was so delicious and fresh. Tuna sashimi was the only thing that was aight/not the most fresh, but this isn't a sushi spot so I get it. Grilled mackerel was cooked perfectly. DRINKS - Aside from usual soft drinks, they do serve limited selection of Japanese BEER and SAKE. SERVICE - No wait - Only 2 servers working a full house, they were attentive and friendly - Food came out in ~15 minutes PRICE Amazing value - udons were $11-14 and combo sets were less than $17 I would definitely come back for a cheap, warm bowl of udon.

Ate dinner here and I have to say this place is delicious. Authentic tasting Japanese food. The dashi they use is amazing and reminds of the flavors from Japan. You can tell the ingredients are all high-quality, such as the rice, tempura batter, and the katsu breading. If you know you know. Friendly service and reasonably priced. Go here if you want an excellent Japanese meal consisting of rice, noodles (udon and soba), miso soup, etc.

I visited this cute spot yesterday with a friend off a recommendation, and I'm so happy I visited. I heard that kotohira was known for their delicious solid sets, and I ordered the bento to get a ton of variety. All the food came out warm and hot, like it was just taken out of the fryer. All the flavors were solid, and was just nice hearty japanese food. My friend ordered an udon, and she loved the noodles and broth. Its super filling for the price (mine was around $18), and the interior is gorgeous as well. If I'm ever back in the area I'd love to visit again!

This review is only for the calling experience. I called to plan for a dinner later tonight for larger group, but what I did get out of the phone conversation was: - They are open today (Memorial Day Monday), regular hours. - They have no wait right now, but the person on the other end does not have time to wait for me to finish my sentences. Admittedly the first thing I said was not every intuitive but I didn't feel very comfortable after the call. "are you guys open today?" "yeah" "okay--" "regular hours" "okay um, do you--" "we don't have any wait right now" "okay th--" "thank you bye bye" Foods probably good and we will eventually try this place out.

Cozy old-styled Japanese restaurant with all the reminder of Japan. The restaurant is small and it gets filled up fast, especially on a weekend. So, I would suggest coming as early as when they open up. Now first the foods ... they are not too bad. Portion sizes are good for the price. But note ... the food would take a while in coming. It was just ladies serving and they are friendly enough. One lady would keep on asking to fill our glasses of water without being ashed

The food here is pretty good for homemade Japanese food. It's a very small restaurant so expect a wait for service. There's only 1 waitress and a helper/server. Appetizers: Agedashi tofu- delicious fried silken tofu in a sauce Fried Chicken karage- it's delicious but felt like 5 pieces of popcorn chicken. It was SO tiny in portion My favorite here is the katsu curry with rice. The curry sauce comes with a few chunks of slow cooked beef and carrots. It's a comfort meal. Meal set- tempura with soba (preferred the cold option!) What bothered me most about eating here were the flies during my last visit. Since people go in and out of the door, flies seem to fly in. There were so many the last time I was here and we had to keep shooting them away and they landed on some of our finished plates too.

Cute little home style Japanese restaurant in Gardena! This restaurant had all your classic Japanese foods. The menu had a lot of options with pictures which was really nice to see how it will come out. We had the bento box and the unagi don and udon combo. Portion size was a bit on the smaller side but the food tasted okay/decent. None of the foods really stood out or tasted anything special.

A great value restaurant that can't be beat! I got the bento while the bf got the unagi set. My bento consisted of sashimi, karaage, grilled mackerel, tempura, Japanese root vegetables, and a side of udon and rice. For all this, it was only $14.95! What a steal. The highlights of the bento were the karaage (may be one of the best I've had), and the mackerel (yum!) The unagi set included unagi and a side of udon, rice, and salad. He loved the unagi! Honestly, you can't find that much food for that price nowadays (thanks inflation). Not only was it affordable, the food was delicious!

Came mid afternoon and already good number of people eating. Short staffed so service can be slow. Ordered udon set with miso cod. Appetizer takoyaki. And also another set with tempura. Overall felt the food was quite tasty. Udon nicely cooked. Tempura flavor was nicely fried. Best of the day was the miso cod. Really good flavor. Overall good option for homey Japanese food. Walked out and felt satisfied.

First time here and definitely want to go back in the future. It's a small place so when it's busy you write your name and party size down and they'll call you when a table is available. They give you a nice little complimentary potato salad to wet your appetite. I got the katsudon set and my boyfriend got the Kara-age set. Both were good! The waitresses were very quick and efficient. Arigatou Gozaimasu!

First time here, and I had - Nabeyaki udon: yummy with a lovely presentation! and Geso Age (fried squid legs) with a lovely ginger sauce. (Next time I think I will get it lightly fried, so there's not quite so much breading, but it was REALLY good!) Ambiance: Sweet and Traditional, and Grandmother painted the art on the walls! Service: Helpful, knowledgeable, caring service by Tom; his Mother is the owner. Family business! I will be back!

The food was delicious and the service was excellent. The restaurant is still family owned and run.

Small, old school, and full of charm. We came for an early dinner on Saturday and literally walked right by it without noticing. This tucked away in the corner and barely has any light out front. I am not sure how long this place has been here, but definitely gives off old school vibes. I think the owners are an elderly couple as there was a couple eating dinner but then later helping seat guests and take orders. The food came out fast, but then they realized they missed two of our entrees when we asked how much longer for 2 orders of udon. They were very apologetic and had to put in a new order for us. We didn't complain but they still took off 10% off the bill. The Tanuki udon was definitely the best item we had. Honorable mention to to tempura and agedashi tofu as they were perfectly fried. Overall the food and service was okay, but their correction made up for the oversight. Parking can be tricky, but easier if you drive to the further end away from the restaurants.

Kotohira has amazing seafood-y broth offered with their udon/soba dishes. Their combo meals are great value, which includes udon/soba with a side of protein and other small dishes. Service was attentive and friendly, and the interior is cozy with booth seating throughout. I ordered the black miso cod, which was marinated well and had a soft, glazed texture. Agedashi mochi is also a fantastic appetizer. Chanpuru (stir-fried bitter melon) was also comforting and seasoned such that the melon wasn't too bitter but the dish wasn't too salty either. I love this place for its flavorful food and quiet ambiance.

Kotohira is perfect if you're looking for a traditional, old-school Japanese udon place. It feels like you've stepped back in time when you walk in, in a good way. All the food we tried were good, nabeyaki udon was tasty, their grilled mackerel fish was perfectly cooked, Japanese style fried rice was seasoned well, and the tempura was crispy. There was only one server the day we went so the food came out a little erratically, but it didn't take too long. They give you a little potato salad in the beginning. I'm sure I'll be craving their udon more now that the weather has gotten cooler, and if you're looking for a no-frills, authentic place, this is for you. Enjoy!

If you're looking for great authentic Japanese vibes, Kotohira is the place to go! I love that they offer a wide variety of different combo plates. I opted for the hot udon and spam musubi combo. The noodles were fresh and the spam had a great crisp to it. The service was quick and the waitress was super nice! Overall, this might have just become a regular spot for me!

Im so excited to try this! The restaurant is clean and quaint. The artwork is an interesting mix, for me it has an 80's vibe which I like since I am an 80's baby. Some portrait paintings of different personalities like princess Diana and others hanging from each booth gives a silly quirky feel. It's like dining in someone's house. You can tell this business has been around for a while for a good reason, food must be good! They seated us right away on a busy Sunday lunch time and they were ready to take our orders, I'm impressed with the service. Waiting for our food now so will update my review so far so good;) I'm still eating as I type this. I'm so glad I was so hungry coming here cause the curry set was a lot of food and it was so good! Its simple traditional comforting Japanese food. Restaurant for all ages since the variety is good and there's something for everyone. Its always problematic to take kids to a new place cause they can be picky. I got the mini katsu set and it was a hit! Try the unagi set. It was excellent! Will definitely be back.

We came for a late lunch, no wait time. The food was good and affordable $40 for 2 people. I was disappointed that the egg wasn't soft boiled for the spicy udon. The fish with miso was delicious, lots of bones but they were big bones so not too hard to pick out. Udon was light and refreshing. Service was ok, there was only 1 waitress since they are understaffed.

Our group of seven enjoyed a lovely dinner. Service was friendly and prompt. Udon, katsudon, tempura, and soba were highlights. Lovely ambience. Sukiyaki was great too! Highly recommended. You might need to park a bit out on the east side of the parking lot - that lot gets crowded!

Delicious!! My First time here !! Lovely authentic Japanese!! A definite must come back. Savory and amazingly delicious and fresh!!

I really like the interior of this restaurant because it had a traditional Japanese style with a cozy ambiance. I ordered the beef udon and mixed tempura combo for my main entree and takoyaki for my appetizer. The food was so delicious I almost ordered another combo. Udon noodles were thick, bouncy, and chewy and the broth was savory. The tempura was very crispy and had a good variety of different vegetables and shrimp. Takoyaki was amazing! I always crave takoyaki and Kotohira satisfied my cravings. Overall, this restaurant has great food and I would definitely come back!

I absolutely love this restaurant whenever I visit the South Bay. You get so much in a bento and it will leave you full! I appreciate that every meal comes with an udon soup and one scoop of complimentary potato salad. The service is friendly and prompt. I've been here 4x already and it's our main to-go whenever we have a craving for bentos. They also serve spam musubis! I've tried the miso cod and the grilled salmon. I love the way they make their karaage and agedashi tofu.

Ate at this quaint restaurant in honor of my husband's grandma who recently passed away. She loved this place and would take him to get noodles as a kid! Wonderful, traditional and authentic noodle restaurant! The atmosphere felt comforting and relaxing, with a heart-warming feel. The server made sure our table was clean, before we sat down. Service was quick and friendly. Prices were reasonable. I ordered the Nabeyaki Udon. Noodles were served in a hot iron pot, with a smaller bowl beside it, allowing my food to be hot the entire time. The noodles were fresh and chewy. The broth was clean. My husband also enjoyed his noodles. We didn't try any appetizers, but there were plenty to choose from. Parking was pretty easy, (we may have gotten lucky) a bit busy for a Thursday night. There are some dessert options nearby.

Date: September 10, 2023 We're always in the South Bay Area on sundays to visit the in-laws and wanted to go on a lunch date without the babies. Hubs wanted soba so yelped around and found this spot close by. Right next to the Pho So 1 we frequently visit, so we parked on the street and walked in. The restaurant is small but there are still plentiful amounts of tables. It's also pretty hot inside. 1. Kotohira set - udon with shoyu and tempura. Super basic. Nothing special. In my opinion I don't believe in buying udon or soba in restaurants because we make it at home all the time. 2. Bento set- love that there's a good variety of food but nothing was special in my opinion. Sorry, it's probably just me but this is not a type of place I'd visit normally. Bland food for an expensive price is just not my style. At least customer service was great! Thank you!

Super cute restaurant with traditional vibes in decor and reasonable prices! Recently came in and got the karaage set which came with udon and some small side dishes. The udon was flavorful and delicious the karaage was nicely fried and served with rice with flavoring. The service was great and although the parking lot is a bit chaotic, it was also relatively easy to find parking. As a bonus, they were nice enough to let us use the restroom a few hours later even though we had left and got dessert.

I wish I got the kind gentleman's name who was so unbelievably hospitable and graceful in tending to all the tables with genuine warmth. Honest to goodness, I was crying happy tears when I left, just from the kindness he showed me post-surgery while we were going through a tough time medically. When life gives you a terrifying diagnosis, seemingly setback after setback, you realize that it really is the little things that count: human connection, generosity of spirit, kindness. And the extraordinary human beings who work and operate this special gem of a restaurant truly embody this philosophy, treating each patron with care and compassion. Maybe I'm being emotional but dining here left such a profound mark on me, and I just really want to say thank you, thank you, thank you. P.S. The food (both quality and quantity), atmosphere, price point, everything is incredible. It's perfect - food for the soul. Fell in love the first time we came, and I really hope to continue the tradition of generations before in bringing my little one here, making memories over comforting meals.

Came at around 6pm on a Wednesday and it got packed fast! Luckily we were able to snag a table before the dinner rush. It's a very quiet restaurant with traditional interior and was a nice and peaceful dinner. The food is a lot for $18 and tasty! We got bentos which came with sashimi, tempura, vegetables, karaage and more! The hot soba was sooo tasty although it was a small portion. I also really enjoyed the potato salad they gave as a small starting appetizer. The plaza is always buzzing with people and although there is a lot of parking it can get packed on the weekends. I would def come back for lunch sometime!

Food was delicious: I had the eel and udon combo. Service is great and ambiance is nice and cozy. Will come back again

The sweetest server; the best udon and soup; the tempura was so crispy; will come back to try their shoyu udon A+ parking lot.

A casual restaurant serving up comforting udon and soba set meals. The food is always consistently good and they have managed to keep their prices relatively affordable through the years. You can't go wrong with anything there, from the udon with tempura, to the grilled fish sets. I especially enjoyed the misoyaki butterfish set. Not many places in LA serve this fish and they do it so well. I recently tried their Okinawan soba and it was so satisfying. The pork broth is so flavorful and the noodles remind me more of thicker Chinese style noodle than Japanese udon.

Bento has variety of dishes with rice and noodle. I'd liked enjoy variable Japanese food.