Haiku: Inaba Restaurant Nostalgic cooking Tempura light and crispy Get bento lunch box. --- This Japanese restaurant comes highly rated by many of my Japanese-American friends--and for good reason! It's authentic Japanese comfort food and known for its soba and udon noodles, and tempura. After I learned that their one-Michelin-star sister restaurant, Sushi Inaba, is right next door, I knew I needed to try Inaba restaurant's sashimi. It's the proximity of quality fish, and maybe shares similar techniques. I enjoy trying a little bit of this and that, so I opted for the Bento Lunch Box. It's their signature bento box with thick slabs of sashimi, crispy/airy tempura, tender grilled black cod (an add-on option), pickled veggies, and sweetly boiled small bites. Service was friendly and let us stay a while, as my friend and I were catching up. The decor was traditional and comfortable. The bathroom was so clean and well-maintained. I would 100 percent order the Bento Lunch Box again, but at the same time, I'd like to try one of their soba or somen dishes next time I come. Maybe I can order both? read more

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Wow, a true hole-in-the-wall type of establishment. The outside looks a bit shabby, but once you go inside, it's sleek, minimalist, but welcoming. The chefs look incredibly professional-- they wear ties! And the staff are very attentive to the customers. I ordered the Tsubaki dinner set and my friend got the Chef's choice nigiri sushi set. My tsubaki dinner came with mini chirashi-don, chawanmushi, some duck, mini cold noodles and a bite of a seafood item I could not identify, but it was tasty! My friend's set included miso soup, and both of our sets included salad and ice-cream. Everything was perfect and fresh, the service was great, and the tea was always freshly brewed. I definitely want to come back and try other items on the menu, and I heard the tempura set was coveted too-- so I want to try it for myself! Thank you I-naba, I will be back!! read more

Inaba Restaurant - mini Chirashi - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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we loved this place! i got the tempura dinner for $43 on the menu and it included noodles, 4 pc nigiri and 3 pc sushi, as well as tempura. it was perfectly filling and delicious. their green tea is really good too. their menu is so accessible and easy to read. fast service, good food ($$$), nice ambiance! would come back again! read more

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Our meal at Inaba was lovely, and the serene interior and attentive staff made the experience that much better. Tucked away in a strip mall, you might miss it but I suggest you don't. They have plenty of sushi and sashimi offerings, and set meals. I had the Tempura Noodle Combo, selecting the tuna bowl with mine. It comes with fresh tuna sashimi atop a bowl of rice, a small plate of tempura and a large bowl of your choice of hot or cold soba (made in-house) or udon. I went with the udon and they were thin noodles, not the larger chewy variety. I enjoyed every aspect of the meal, but particularly the soup. read more

Inaba Restaurant - Tuna Bowl Tempura Noodle Combo - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

It's alright. Fresh fish. The cooked salmon in my bowl is a bit dry. The overall flavor is just ok. Very overpriced for that you get read more

Inaba Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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This is my favorite spot for zaru soba. I couldn't find anything even close to this taste in Japan. The staff is incredibly friendly, and every dish is excellent. I really wanted to try their omakase, but reservations are very difficult to get. Highly recommend! read more

Inaba Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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Yes, I do recommend Inaba for good soba & tempura combos. Their dinners have become quite pricey over the years but food quality is still good. read more

This place is a hidden gem located in an unassuming strip mall. It's the type of place you wouldn't find unless you were seeking it out. I usually get the teriyaki dinner combo. It's so consistently outstanding. The tempura and sashimi are the main stars here. Love the shrimp tempura. The hamachi sashimi is the best I've ever had. The salad dressing is tangy and delicious. The steak isn't particularly noteworthy, but it's not the reason why you would come here. I tried their nigiri sushi for the first time tonight. No surprise. They were of the highest quality. The toro melts in your mouth. I would recommend getting reservations since seating is limited. read more

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Inaba is a solid choice for a meal, as it has an expansive menu and the ambiance of the restaurant is comfortable. I love that there's parking out front and that the service was great. We ordered the veggie tempura, marinated tuna bowl, and salmon and ikura bowl. All were beautifully plated and fresh. I just wish the grilled salmon in the salmon bowl was hotter, and that the tempura held its crunch after it cooled. read more

Inaba Restaurant - Salmon and Ikura Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

Decent food in a small restaurant. It was a rainy day so perfect for some soupy comfort food. My friends ordered the set lunch with hot udon but I got the set lunch without the udon as the ones with the udon was with sushi- which I don't eat. Mine had sashimi so my friends ate them for me as i don't like raw fish. The udon noodles were thinner than the usual round noodles so one of my friends did not like it so much. They said the broth was good. My cod was lightly marinated & good texture. Tempura was typical & did not stand out. The set lunches were $35+ each & the black cod was extra $5. I did not think the food was exceptional to demand that kind of pricing. At least I've tried it so i know what to expect. Unless one of my friends insist on going back, I most likely will not return to this restaurant. read more

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My wife and I came by for lunch and we were immediately impressed with the more upscale yet still traditional Japanese decor and expansive menu. While her anago sea eel tempura box was finely executed (fresh ingredients and airy fry job), it was a bit pricy at $30. Much to our surprise, the sushi assortment was decent at best with the sushi rice being a bit clumpy and devoid of seasoning. Considering that sister Michelin-starred Sushi Inaba is housed inside this restaurant, this was a huge letdown. Service thankfully was friendly and attentive. We were glad to have tried the food once, but it's unlikely we'll return. read more

one of the most authentic japanese restaurants in torrance! all the staffs are fluent in japanese and you can the chef frying tempura right behind the counter. every time i come there's always japanese guests, highlighting how authentic the place is. they're known for their soba, udon, and tempura! tempura is lightly fried - just like those in japan. soba and udon are both homemade. a soba is around 18 dollars which is a great deal for such an upscale restaurant. if you're up for it they also offer different combos so you can try all their signature dishes (ex: soba plus sushi). recommend making a reservation ahead of time as they can get crowded during meal times. read more

Inaba Restaurant - Tororo Zaru - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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This review is for their omakase dinner; Wow, i have to say, I felt really lucky to have a shirako dish at Sushi Inaba at the end of the tail season. Intimate ambience for 6 guests but it felt so fun and well paced. Chef Yasu and Mina were amazing; definitely get a bottle of sake recommended by Mina to enjoy the full experience. They really know their dishes and drinks. The daikon+monkfish liver was the best monkfish liver iteration I've ever had before. Reservations are of course very difficult but I find it worth it. Best of luck and enjoy! read more

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I-naba is always so good and never disappoints. We went for dinner and everything tasted incredibly fresh. The seafood was top quality and the flavors were spot on across the board. Always a reliable and satisfying experience. Make sure to reserve since it is a small space! read more

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I have been meaning to come here for a while.., finally made it! And wow, it did not disappoint! I think I found my new Japanese restaurant that I have been on the hunt for since I moved to the South Bay Area, well at least close to PV side of South Bay. I dined only during lunch time which I think it's the best deal since dinner is only reservation and it's a bit pricy. Lunch is a great deal for the South Bay side. Very Japanese style and not westernized. Reminds me of places in Japan. Which I love. Food: * Undon soup Tempura combo w/ tuna and yam (their Udon is not your typical thick noodles but very tasty and I think I like it better). Did not care for the Yam, texture was slimy so will not be ordering this combo. Their tuna was excellent! Not fish at all, very fresh! $25 *combination plate- steak w/miso soup, rice, sashimi (super fresh and melt in your mouth, grata quality). Steak was on the tough side but still good. $28 Inside decor - was nothing special, very simple and minimalist decor, and clean. Ambiance is very lively since the establishment is very tiny inside and it was packed at 11:55AM. Service was very friendly and the servicer were very busy.., but good, (if you can get hold of their attention enough to get what you need...) I will definitely be back again during lunch time. My new go to place for lunches when I want great quality Japanese food, especially sushi on Torrance side. Tip: in a strip mall near the gas station and car dealerships. Go there early as possibly or go towards the end of lunch rush because if you go right in the middle, doubt you will get in! read more

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Checked out Inaba in Torrance for a weeknight dinner, hoping to get some good Japanese food. From the start, it did not disappoint. You walk into a cozy, relaxing restaurant with comfortable seating while facing a tempura bar to sit in. In terms of menu items, I ordered: 1) Inabas Variety Bento Box ($40) This bento box came with sashimi, tempura, grilled salmon, with simmered vegetable and chicken. The sashimi stood out with its quality and freshness, and tempura was tasty, perfectly battered, crispy and not oily 2) Salmon and Ikura Bowl ($23) A rice bowl with filled Japanese sushi rice and fresh salmon sashimi, salmon roe that were thick cuts scattered throughout the bowl. 3) Marinated Tuna Bowl ($23) A rice bowl with filled Japanese sushi rice and fresh tuna sashimi that were thick cuts on top of the bowl. The tuna sashimi was so tasty and had no fishiness smell at all. 4) Zaru ($14) The soba noodles was handmade and tasted perfect, with good chewiness and a refreshing cold dipping sauce Overall, service was great and very attentive as they constantly poured green tea. Despite their menu being on the pricier end, it is one of the best sushi places in Torrance and should be checked out! read more

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Just came here the first time for lunch. I ordered deluxe bento and it was delicious. Everything was freshly prepared, sashimi was fresh, tempura was very crispy, chicken were very tender, black cod was my favorite. Very nicely marinated and cooked. Even the vegetables was perfectly cooked and flavored. This place was fully packed when we walked in but we were able to get our food quickly. Staffs were very friendly too. Highly recommended read more

Inaba Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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Excellent sushi restaurant! Very high quality fish and perfect tempura! Service was great.

Amazing experience and service. I ordered the dinner set that came with hot soba and nigiri + roll. We also ordered the small sashimi set. I really liked the soba noodles and the fish was super fresh. Service was amazing and they were kind and attentive. read more

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I can't believe their rating is what it is. This is a good establishment; clean, good food, good service. I get the soba lunch combo with sashimi. It's good, and reasonably priced. For soba/udon, I prefer Otafuku, but for the combo, and the price, this is great read more

Didn't think the service was great and the food was just fine. To be fair I ordered the deluxe omakase and it came out looking basically the same as my friends who ordered the regular omakase and that rubbed me the wrong way. I will also say no one told us what was on our plate it just came out as is. Also, FYI it's not free refills on soft drinks. read more

Very clean restaurant. Had the teriyaki steak and the vegetable tempura was the best I've ever had. We were in LA driving back south and decided to try this place out. Great service. read more

Wow, this unassuming Japanese restaurant tucked into a Torrance strip mall serves absolutely amazing food! I ordered a lunch sushi, cold soba, tempura combo and every detail was on point. The sushi was fresh and delicious, the soba was flavorful, and the tempura was light and crispy. Definitely want to go back! read more

I'd first like to say that I am a spoiled Angelino with access to a lot of top tier Japanese food (especially tempura and udon). So if you've never had tempura and udon before (or do not have dozens of places to compare it to), I think you'd probably rate this place 5/5. However, here is my take on Inaba's Tempura Dinner and Hot Broth Tsukimi. Tempura Dinner ($45) The tempura itself was excellent. The batter was crispy and the choice of fish and vegetables they selected were satisfactory. The 3 shrimp pieces I ate tasted like the shrimp had been freshly caught. As for the rice and miso soup, I felt very comforted when consuming these two sides (it's hard to go wrong with white rice and miso soup). I also liked that there was some tofu skin(?) in the miso soup (that's not the usual in other restaurants). I was happy that the Tempura Dinner came with salad even though I was not a huge fan of the white dressing. Hot Broth Tsukimi ($16) I skipped lunch just so my food could taste even better and yet I felt the flavors were lacking in the udon soup. When it came to our table, I could see that there was only the broth, noodles and a raw egg in it, which made me curious as to how tasty the broth would be (I thought to myself: this broth must be packed with flavor). Unfortunately, it was pretty mild even with the chili peppers I added to it. Actually, I ended up adding the leftover curry powder that was included in the tempura dinner to the broth and that improved the flavor profile a lot. Unfortunately, I would not recommend ordering Tsukimi. In terms of service, we were quick to be seated. My interactions with the staff were limited, but all of the employees I came in contact with were friendly. Once we ordered our meal, it came out like 12-15 minutes later. The service was smooth. The restaurant was small with a lot of natural materials used in their interior design. The sushi bar of the restaurant looked like a fancier area to me. However, if you come in casual clothes you should be fine read more

Inaba Restaurant - Tempura Dinner ($45) - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

THe absolute best Soba in SoCal, possibly the states. Soba is my favorite thing to eat whenever I visit Japan. It's simple but takes a lot of skill to make it great. Inaba is that place . Made a lunch reservation and was seated right away. The place is small, but it was completely filled with locals. Service was swift just as you'd expect from any restaurant in Japan. But lets get to the goods: Oroshi Cold Soba: The Soba noodles here are top notch. So good. Chewy and the broth was just right. I got extra soba noodles and throughout the whole meal they stayed chewy and never got soggy. The broth was so tasty I killed the whole thing. Get This! Tempura: They have a proper tempura chef here. Everything was thinly battered and perfectly fried. Get this! Teba Tatsura: Had to check out their chicken wings. Lightly battered, really nice crunch, and super juicy. Get this. Asari Sake: The clam soup here is so damn clean and full of flavor. A simple dish with maximum flavor. Get this. Overall an amazing lunch. Will be driving down to torrance whenever the cravings hit. If its a bit out of the way for you too trust me. This is worth the drive ya'll. The best! read more

Inaba Restaurant - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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Wonderful service as always!!!! We got super lucky with a last minute reservation. They make the soba and udon in house and it's so delicious! Very pretty inside with a bar you can sit at where they serve you the tempura as they are ready. We got the wonderful Miruyo San today, and another gentleman which I forgot to ask his name. Wonderful service every time! read more

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A great, authentic Japanese restaurant. Great service and Japanese ambience. Food is incredible too--probably the best Japanese restaurant in the area. It's a busy place though and it can be hard to get a reservation last minute so plan ahead. read more

I was so pleased with this restaurant. The quality of the food is the best I've had after dining at a number of sushi restaurants. The food was fresh, exquisitely presented and reasonably priced. I'm getting a gift certificate (if available) for my best friend for her birthday! read more

Inaba Restaurant - LUNCH - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

This is a cute little restaurant tucked away in the plaza. The minute you enter it feels like you're transported into a different area. The server was very welcoming in explaining their specialties to us. They were very attentive with refilling our tea whenever it was empty. I got the tempura soba sushi set. The soba noodles were delicious! They were perfectly cooked, and the dipping sauce wasn't too salt. The tempura flour was very light but not very crunchy. They were delicious when eaten piping hot, but after a few minutes it got soft. For a location that specialized in temperate this was a disappointment. Overall I would definitely come back from the soba and give the tempura another try! read more

It's mother daughter's day and we took our mom here for lunch. We drive from Orange County sight unseen based strictly off the reviews. Thank you yelpers for recommending this place. First it's well hidden in a bland non descriptive strip mall, down the street from the Del Amo mall, near a Jeep dealership. Inside is small with maybe 10 tables and counter spots. We made reservations but on a Sunday afternoon i don't think it was necessary. We splurged and got the Kaiseki lunch for $75. It was a lot of food! I'm not saying you're going to need fat pants but you won't leave starving. I was able to eat everything but my mom and sister were full. There's more food than the description lets on. I left extremely satisfied and would love to try more things. Next time, maybe a smaller lunch. read more

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If you're looking for some great tempura. I highly recommend Inaba. Make sure you make the reservations for the tempura bar. The bar only sits six people. Their tempura are fantastic, lightly battered, crispy, and not oily at all. They serve you with three different types of salt, matcha, cajun, and regular sea salt, and dipping tempura sauce. Besides tempura, they also offer a bunch of dinner set and a al carte. For starters, we started with an order of the Battera and Mozuku. We also got the beef tongue. It wasn't that great a bit chewy and lacking flavor. As for the tempura, everything that we ordered was delicious Shrimp - delicious and sweet. Squid - so tender and sweet. Kisu- delicious. Lotus root w/ Minced Shrimp and Shiso w/ Shrimp - both were fantastic. Hokkaido Scallops - so sweet and tender. Both Shrimp and Scallop Kakiage- fantastic. Anago- is a must order. Both Squid and Uni Shiso Tempura Roll- highly recommend. Service was fantastic and enjoyed our meal. Until next time. read more

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This is a PSA for the kaiseki only. Don't come with the expectation of a true kaiseki like I did. It's a good value if you think of it as a tasting menu. But because I expected it to resemble a kaiseki like it was named, I was left feeling disappointed last weekend. Granted the price point was not as much as a true kaiseki but then again, service wasn't either. In fact, service was sorely lacking. I know I came on a weekend, and I'm very happy for them that it was busy. But calling it a kaiseki when neither the food quality nor service matched was a big disappointment for me. It was a big difference compared to our experience of a true kaiseki in Japan and I think if they called it a "tasting menu" then my expectations would have been a lot lower. Service: They just threw dry condiments on our table in the middle of our second dish and walked away without explaining to us what they were or what dish we were supposed to use it for. Food: Good, but did not resemble a kaiseki. Again, it was probably a misconception of what they meant by "kaiseki" but for me it made me expect Japanese fine dining and I was sorely let down. The food was great, I just got misled by what they called it. TLDR: Calling it a kaiseki is extremely misleading and I wouldn't have had such high expectations if it was called what it straight up was: a tasting menu. It's like calling a fish & chips dish that uses fried fish with eggs inside "flying fish caviar". Technically it's not wrong. But it's 1000% misleading. read more

Inaba Restaurant - Marinated Tuna Bowl - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

Came here for a quick dinner with my friend since she wanted me to eat healthier and we were in the Torrance area. Been to the Inaba on Oahu and also Ichimiann in Torrance so when I ordered the Soba and Tempura set I was amazed at the small portion difference here compared to the other places. Sure the food and atmosphere is supposed to be higher end but I unfortunately found no value here.... Wanted to grab a burger after here since I was still hungry but kept my mouth shut since shed get mad. 3 stars read more

Inaba Restaurant - Underwhelming Vegetable Tempura and Soba set - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

Always my first choice when it comes to tempura. The best I've had in the Southbay. Definitely would recommend

Went on Wednesday for lunch around 1:30. Not busy. Servers were polite and friendly. Very clean. From tables to floor. Soba : Flavorful thin and al dente. Udon: Al dente (if it's cold noodle then a bit harder ) Dashi soup: Kanto style which is salty. Tempura: freshly fried. Crunchy. Authentic Japanese place! read more

Came here looking for good Japanese food and we were not disappointed. The soba was delicious and tempura deluxe variety was good. The food here is definitely up to standard but is on the pricey side. Sashimi was cut thick and had zero fishiness to it. Service was great as the waitresses were all attentive. I would come back! read more

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I'd never had zaru-soba so delicious. Wow. will definitely be returning. the restaurant is always busy & it's best to make reservations, but the craziness is worth it. service is also excellent. read more

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After living in the area for decades but completely unaware of the existence of this restaurant, my family and I had the good fortune of making lunch reservations for today. What an absolute treat! I ordered the "bento lunch box," which included exquisite pieces of sashimi, tempura, grilled salmon, veggies, miso soup, rice, etc. The service was impeccable, and the vibe was proper formal without being stuffy, pretentious, or over-priced. My family and I will forever remember this experience. Thank you! read more

Inaba Restaurant - Bento box lunch. - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

I come here when I drive up from San Diego. The amount of food they give you for the tempura, soba combo is a decent amount but a bit expensive. Quality of tuna is amazing though read more

Lunch on a Friday was crowded as expected, but we were seated within 10 minutes. The server was very friendly and accommodating as my family and i looked over the menu. We ordered a beef teriyaki plate, a sashimi and tempura combo, a beef teriyaki and tempura combo, and an unagi bowl. The tempura was excellent. Everything was fried up light and crisp. It was the best item of the day. The unagi bowl was only so so and tasted like average supermarket unagi. The sashimi was not good at all. The pieces were stringy and very unpleasant to chew. However, the worst of the worst was the beef teriyaki. While the meat quality seemed fine, the teriyaki sauce was a watered down mess. The meat was drowning in this slop, but it had absolutely no flavor. It was the blandest teriyaki I've ever had. As we came with high expectations, it is needless to say that we were pretty disappointed. As mentioned earlier, the service was great, but the food was mostly a miss. On top of that, portions were very small. The bill came out to $122 (before tip) for four people. If you go, stick to the tempura dishes. This will be our last time. read more

Inaba Restaurant - Tasted like it came directly from a Japanese grocery store. - Japanese Near Me - Torrance, California

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