The restaurant has a very old school Japanese vibe. Has a good amount of tables for two or a bigger…read moregroup. The service is okay. A small family run restaurant so things can be timed weird but the people are very friendly. The food is good. I ordered the special tonkatsu combo plate. The cold udon is delicious. The tonkatsu is crunchy and juicy. Made very well. Overall a solid 4.7

I came here for lunch and there was no wait. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. It was nice…read morethat I can bring my dog for patio seating. I ordered the special fish combo with salmon, cold soba, soup, salad, and cali rolls. The food came out pretty quick. I was surprised how good the salmon was and everything tasted clean/healthy. This combo is enough food to share between 2 people. I would come back again to try other items on the menu. It is a bit on the pricey side but worth the try!

Last night in Gardena and found this restaurant on Yelp. Ordered the Tempura and Beef Teriyaki…read morecombo and was not disappointed! Tempura consisted of shrimp (2), onion, pumpkin, zucchini, bean, and bell pepper. The beef teriyaki was the star! Steak was so tender that you could cut it with a fork and was cooked perfectly!!! Will for sure go again next time we're in Gardena!!! Thank you!!!

Azuma in Gardena is one of those places where I already know what I'm ordering before I even sit…read moredown. The teriyaki beef dinner is my must have every time, and it has yet to disappoint. I always order the beef medium rare, and they consistently get the temperature right. That reliability honestly stands out to me because I have been to actual steak restaurants where the doneness can be hit or miss. At Azuma, I can confidently ask for medium rare and trust that it will come out exactly that way without having to order it rarer just to compensate. The teriyaki sauce is also really well balanced. It has enough sweetness to give you that classic teriyaki flavor without becoming overly sugary or masking the taste of the beef. One of my favorite parts of the meal is actually toward the end, when the white rice has soaked up both the teriyaki sauce and the savory juices from the steak. Mixing everything together makes even the remaining rice incredibly flavorful. The macaroni salad is another pleasant surprise. I'm normally not much of a macaroni salad person, but theirs is one I actually enjoy and willingly finish. Add a little of the teriyaki sauce to it and it gets even better. The shrimp fried rice is also worth ordering. They are very generous with the shrimp, and these are actually large, substantial pieces rather than the tiny shrimp you often see tossed into fried rice. The rice is mixed with egg and green onions as well, making it savory, satisfying, and substantial enough to enjoy on its own. Overall, Azuma continues to be a reliable favorite for me. The perfectly cooked teriyaki beef is easily the star, but the balanced sauce, solid sides, and generous shrimp fried rice make the whole meal satisfying. At this point, ordering the teriyaki beef dinner here is less of a decision and more of a tradition.

I love their lunch items! I go there at least once a week…read more The atmosphere is great!!!

Dear Shin-Sen-Gumi Yakitori,…read more I feel duped. I came here thinking I was going to enjoy grilled chicken skewers. Instead, I was subjected to eating some of the most epic beef and pork skewers ever. Had I known you guys were serving up a variety of delicious grilled meats, I would have been here sooner! Seriously, stop grilling meats so satisfyingly oily, juicy, and smoky. It's too damn addictive!

Love the belt sushi here but, HATE were the ordering tablet is positioned high above the belt…read more Gives me a pain in the neck looking up and to the side! Would be great if you would lower it to on the table, I can tell oth r rs dont like it cause they're holding their necks! For that I gave it 4 stars instead of 5! Other than that sushi is good! I'll be back but, I can only take so much pain...

This is the kind of spot where you walk in for "a quick bite" and suddenly you're hypnotized by a…read moreconveyor belt that feels like a tiny sushi freeway. Plates zoom by like they're late for work, and you're just sitting there deciding which one has the best life insurance policy before you snatch it. The sushi is fresh, clean, and surprisingly high‑quality for a conveyor belt setup. The salmon is buttery, the seared options hit with that smoky richness, and the rolls are balanced instead of overloaded with mayo like some spots love to do. It can be Dangerous. You'll think you're done... then a dessert rolls by like, "Hey." The staff is friendly, quick, and on top of everything. They're constantly refreshing the belt, checking in, and making sure your table doesn't turn into a plate graveyard. If you order something directly, it comes out fast, like suspiciously fast, as if they knew you were going to ask. Located on the second floor of Tokyo Central, it has that casual Japanese market‑restaurant vibe. Bright, clean, and lively without being chaotic. It's family‑friendly, date‑friendly, solo‑friendly, basically everything except "I'm trying to have a deep emotional conversation" friendly. The conveyor belt steals the spotlight anyway. Watching sushi plates circle around is unintentionally hilarious. It's like a tiny parade of sashimi floats. You lock eyes with a spicy tuna roll as it passes by, miss your chance, and suddenly you're emotionally invested in its journey. And when you finally grab it? Victory. Pure victory. This place is fun, tasty, and easy on the eye to pick delicious plates. Perfect for casual sushi cravings with a side of entertainment. If you're in Gardena or already shopping at Tokyo Central, it's a no‑brainer stop. Miguel C.

Everything you want from yakitori. Would especially recommend every option with chicken skin on it,…read moreincluding the pure chicken skin skewer. Crunchy, chewy, salty, deeply chicken-y. The meatball is tender and flavorful, full of ginger and green onion. The custard was perfect for anyone who enjoys a rich dessert. The caramel was perfectly dark to balance out the overall sweetness. Staff are great and the atmosphere is cozy. It is very popular, so expect it to be pretty packed. Would recommend a reservation, but there is a waitlist if you have a little patience.

Otafuku is gass. Everything I had was insanely delicious. There were 5 of us and the appetizers all…read morehad 5 pieces which was perfect. The first thing I tried was the Sizzling Mushroom Gravy over Crispy Rice; The dish was to die for and my personal favorite thing I tried. I don't even know how to describe how flavorful and well put together the gravy was with mushroom pieces that were perfectly soft and easy to eat. Next was the salad which was so fresh, citrusy, and tasty; It was salty and all the flavors complemented each other so well forming a perfect citrusy salad. After that was the shrimp tempura. It was not too fried/flaky. It was kind of like a taquito. The shrimps flavor was very fresh with a complementary umami flavor. The Sardine Sashimi was super high quality. It was super soft and fatty and ended with a heavy pleasant fishy flavor. The miso grilled cod was great. Not much to say about it was almost creamy and the miso was good. I ate the skin too and it tasted great. The main part of this place is the soba. The kikouchi soba are thicker 100% buckwheat noodles that were very well cooked and pleasant to eat. The Plum "Ume" broth was so refreshing and nice. I ate it cold; I probably would have preferred it hot but the is just a personal preference. The Ginger Pork was great. The pork itself was super gingery without being too pungent. The shredded cabbage was super easy to pick up and eat and the side of noodle salad and miso soup were great complements to the meal. I can tell no corners were cut anywhere and that Otafuku puts a little of effort into every meal they prepare. There is great care for all of the preparations and it was a very special meal. I felt like I was in Japan for a second as the feel of the restaurant is very "homey" and the ambiance is a nice cheerful atmosphere.

One of my favorite Japanese/Italian pasta shops to go to in the South Bay. They have a large amount…read moreof selections for pastas. The most popular and recommended is the #34. I liked the following pastas: #34 hot garlic with seasoned mushrooms Mushroom & sea urchin/uni Japanese style clam sauce with shiitake & shimeji mushrooms Japanese cod roe with sea urchin/uni, squid & seaweed I also love their $1 salad which can't be beat in pricing. Their overall pricing for the pastas are great. The staff is very friendly and this place can get very busy during peak meal times. So when it's busy, sometimes the orders will come out a bit slower. The vibe is just casual/busy dining where if you have a seat at the bar section, you can see the chefs making the pastas or other dishes.

I've heard so much about Spoon House and I'm so happy to finally try it! I went with my friend on a…read moreSunday 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!

We reserved a table for two online the same day, it was seamless. Service was attentive and…read morefriendly! The food was absolutely amazing, the tartare and carpaccio are a must try. The hand rolls were good as well, not too much rice and good amount of fish. Parking is in a shared plaza lot, no charge.

Came for lunch. I got the 5 hand roll lunch special comes with soup and small salad. Handrolls are…read morehuge just the flavor is interesting. I think they have quality sushi. Beautiful new trendy feel. Friendly service. Plenty items to choose from on their menu.

One of my friends has been coming here since they were little and has been recommending it forever…read more I had been once a couple years ago, but was happy to come back with family! It was pretty busy on a Sunday evening, but after about a 5-minute wait for a table to be cleaned, we were seated. The space had a lively, casual vibe -- definitely a popular spot for dinner. I love seafood, but I also really wanted to try the katsu, so even though I'm not a big eater, I went with Combo D... which was huge. Honestly, I think it could easily feed two people. The side soup and bread came out almost immediately. The soup was simple but nice with a bit of pepper, and the bread was so good -- warm, soft, and buttery (I had to pace myself knowing what was coming). The pasta was delicious -- the clams weren't overly "clammy" (lol), and the cream sauce was light and not too heavy. The katsu was crispy and satisfying, and the salad added a nice, refreshing balance. Everything worked really well together. I ended up taking a good portion home, and even reheated, it was still just as good! Overall, a great spot with generous portions and solid food. I'd definitely come back and would recommend it to others!

WHY AKANE CHAYA? - Ever since 1991 a staple in Gardena…read more - Budget friendly pricing and portions - Craving Japanese-Italian besides Spoon House FOOD 4/5 Hamburger Steak & Pork Cutlet with Demi-Glace Sauce 4/5 - h.steak was soft and went well with the sauce - cutlet wasn't fatty Shrimp Spicy Tomato Sauce - Sauce isn't as thick as Spoon House, so it depends on what you like better SERVICE 4/5 Both staff members were extremely kind and friendly. No issues PARKING 5/5 Pacific Square Shopping Center has tons of ample parking