Otafuku Restaurant
Japanese restaurant · Gardena
16525 S Western Ave, Gardena, CA 90247
Highlights
Homemade soba noodles, tempura, and Japanese entrees.
Homemade soba noodles, tempura, and Japanese entrees.
"Otafuku is a family-run Japanese restaurant that treats soba noodles with near scientific precision. The three kinds of soba here vary in texture, size, and taste, but all are made in-house every day with flour imported from Japan. In other words, you don’t see them elsewhere around LA. The all-white seiro is our favorite, but whatever you choose will be served cold on a bamboo plate with a tiny dish of garlic soy sauce for dipping on the side. It’s simple, fresh, and exactly what we want during a heatwave." - garrett snyder, sylvio martins, cathy park
"We like to think of Otafuku as a daytime spa, one that calms you with incredible housemade soba instead of hot stones on your back. Everything about this family-run spot in Gardena is soothing, from the handsome wood interior to the pleasant murmur of conversation in the dining room. If you come for lunch, order the set that combines hot or cold noodles with a side of their excellent tempura. At the meal's end, you’re given a pot of nutty, nutrient-rich tea that’s essentially the soba equivalent of pasta water, and a good excuse to linger a while longer." - brant cox, sylvio martins, cathy park, garrett snyder
"Otafuku is a quaint, family-run Japanese restaurant that treats soba noodles like science. The three kinds of soba here vary in texture, size, and taste, but all are made in-house daily with special flour imported from Japan. We prefer the all-white seiro, best ordered chilled on a bamboo mat with dipping sauce and a choice of crispy tempura. It’s simple, fresh, and exactly what we want during a heat wave. The lunch menu includes Otafuku's greatest hits (order the spanish mackerel bowl), but during dinner, the kitchen serves excellent yakitori and sashimi, too." - garrett snyder, sylvio martins
"“One of those places where everything is delicious and I have a tough time deciding what to get. I try to go with as many people as possible just so I can try things. They’re one of the only places that sells gingko nuts—it’s like you’re biting into a hard piece of bubblegum. And of course, I love their soba noodles.”" - brant cox
"Otafuku is a family-run Japanese restaurant in Gardena that treats soba noodles like a science. The three kinds of soba served here vary in size, texture, and taste, but all are made in-house daily, from imported Japanese flour. Our favorite noodles are the all-white seiro, but whatever you choose will be served cold on a bamboo plate with a tiny dish of garlic soy sauce for side-dipping. It’s light, refreshing, and exactly what your strep throat remnants need right now." - brant cox
