Back again. I remembered they have a great BENTO BOX, so that's what I ordered again and…read morerecommended the same for my friend. We had a great time here on a Saturday afternoon. The food was as great as I remember and although the restaurant had plenty of people, we didn't feel rushed. Everything was delicious from the sashimi, tempura, fish, nishime and chicken karaage. The bento box also comes with potato salad, udon and gohan. When I'm in Gardena, this is my choice for Bento Box... You literally get a little of everything!

Kotohira was a little crowded when we got there at 5pm, Saturday for dinner but luckily we got…read moreseated right away. We haven't eaten there for a while, mostly ordered take out, so it was nice to sit inside and enjoy a good meal. We ordered the tenzaru set with soba noodles, somen salad and my father in law ordered the mini Tendon set with soba. Service was pleasant and the food delicious. Parking can be a challenge but if you get there early, you shouldn't have a problem.

Premier find for excellent Japanese cuisine. My girlfriend and I came here for an early Saturday…read moredinner after a day on the water in Long Beach. When we arrived luckily there was no wait and were sat immediately. Luckily it was only a couple moments before a party of maybe 12 arrived behind us for dinner. Our host and server were helpful and efficient. We quickly scanned through their menu and decided on their combos (pork cutlet and tempura) Our trays of paradise quickly arrived and looked beautiful! ( see attached for reference ) i loved the balanced presentation and blend of flavors. Each tray had some miso, a 4 bite California roll, some rice, soba noodles, broth, wasabi and ginger. Mine came with some dipping sauce for the tempura. Considering the amount of food I was very satisfied. The tempura was gorgeously crafted with semi thin crisped batter, and a decent amount portioned. I was mostly amazed by my girlfriends pork plate. Their crisp cutlet had beautifully made with an easy crunchy exterior and soft tender pork savory to taste. All elements complimented each other perfectly. Their soba was also good quality and a nice touch to an already balanced dinner. While I was exactly stuffed after dinner, i was still impressed with their entree presentation, quality of food, calming ambiance and great service.

Small, traditional feel, Japanese restaurant in Gardena. I wide selection of food to choose from…read moreincluding lots of sets which I love. It's like a mix and match of chicken, tempura, soba or udon, with rice, salad and miso. I love those types of options and this place does that well. We went on a Sunday for lunch. Busy! You just stand in line. No reception or list. I think that's awkward. Need something to manage the wait. It's odd. Service is friendly. The food can take awhile to come out. It's also not the type of place where they will check-in on you or refill your water. You have to yell out. Big parking lot with lots of stores to shop around too.

What a hidden gem if you like kicking it back with old school sushi.....Nothing fancy, no sauces…read moredripped all over the sushi....or sushi baked in the oven. Or a menu with a 100 different choices of speciality rolls. This place is all about going back to the basics with an extremely small menu focused on just a couple of items: Inari, California roll, mackrael, shrimp sushi and more. The sushi is authentic and yummy in the tummy! If you are deciding to stop in for some sushi- Make sure you order in advance as they do sell out. Call the shop to put your order in with pick up time. Note the shop is not open at night- best to call early in the morning before they sell out. The shop is just carry away. There are no places to sit and dine. You will find this shop within an apartment complex on the first floor around a courtyard. If nobody is at the window, ring the bell at your pick up time and a friendly person will attend to you. The ladies are so cute. And the to go boxes are so cute and perfect as well. Once you grab your box, you can enjoy it at home or take it to the park.... Don't forget to bring cash as this is a cash only place!!!!

This spot has been on my list for the longest time and I'm glad I got to try Sakae! Service is…read morequick and friendly. Hours see more limited and availability may vary if you don't order earlier. Take out and cash only! The food was very tasty and although the ingredients were simple, they paired very well. The ratio of rice is quite high although it is very high quality. The California Roll is my favorite and the most balanced piece so far. Ginger is included but not wasabi. I will definitely be back!

This is by FAR my favorite sushi spot in all of Southern California. The sushi is always incredibly…read morefresh and delicious, and the service is consistently top-notch. I also love that it's located above Tokyo Central; it's perfect for taking a break before or after a shopping trip!! Some of my go-to items are the yuzu cheesecake with vanilla ice cream (so good!) and the tuna hand roll. On this visit, my boyfriend and I ordered a variety of dishes to share, and everything was fantastic. The atmosphere really adds to the experience. The lighting is warm and cozy, and the space feels both clean and authentic. They also serve really flavorful wasabi, which is a nice touch. I keep coming back to Waka Sakura again and again bc it NEVER disappoints.

I had a really fun experience at Waka Sakura in Gardena. It's a conveyor-style sushi spot, but you…read moredon't actually grab anything off the belt. Everything is ordered from the iPad at your table, and your dishes get delivered right to you on the belt system. It's quick, smooth, and honestly pretty entertaining to watch. It is a bit on the pricey side for what you get but if you're looking for a lighter meal or want to control exactly how much you eat, it actually works really well. Service is minimal since everything is automated, but the system is easy to use and food comes out fast. The place was also clean and well organized. Overall, a fun, modern sushi experience!

Ambience-5 Food Taste-5…read moreFood Cost-5 Cleanliness-5 Menu Choices-5 Parking-5 Planning to eat there again real soon.

We called ahead to confirm they had the 50% off tuna since it was listed as limited quantity. They…read moreassured us it would be available all day, which is the main reason we decided to come in. When we arrived, we ended up waiting about 30 minutes for a table for just two people, even though there were clearly open tables inside. During that entire time, none of the staff acknowledged us or gave any updates. We were also the only ones waiting, which made it even more frustrating. After finally being seated, I asked for the 50% off menu, and that's when they told us they were already out of stock. This completely defeated the purpose of us coming in, especially since we had called ahead to confirm. This isn't the first time I've had issues here either. On a previous visit, we weren't seated despite there being open tables. Overall, the lack of communication and organization is really disappointing. Unfortunately, I won't be coming back.

This place is a neat little restaurant that specializes in spaghetti with various toppings,…read moreJapanese style. The interior opens into some countertop seating with a waitress stand to the left. Behind the waitress stand is more seating overlooking the open kitchen where you can take in the sights and smells of the employees working on their craft. The interior is decorated simply and cleanly with wall decorations but most of the focus drawn to the kitchen. I ordered the avocado cream cheese (with onion and bacon) spaghetti. The avocado and cream cheese tag teamed into a creamy coating on the noodles with a tang from the cheese and a richness from the avocado. The onion and bacon added some necessary contrast, crunch, and meatiness to the meal. The noodle texture is excellent with a nice snap. Unfortunately, it does reach a point where the cheese becomes too rich to consume and I found myself requiring breaks before resuming. All in all, a very good meal and a definite recommend in the area for the experience.

Legit japanese pasta spot in Gardena! If you come, do not miss out of the salad! It's so good and…read morefor the price, you'd be a fool to not get it!! I got the uni squid pasta, but be warned, it's not your typical version with cream as a base. It was definitely seafood forward and tasted pure to the ingredients. I recommend coming with someone to try different plates! The location isn't super big, but it's quaint and the servers are so friendly. Very little parking in the back lot or you can park on the street.

Same great food and service from all the staff members. The chicken combo is still an amazing deal…read more Please note the hours recently changed, according to the sticker on the menu.

Checked out this restaurant yesterday morning with my wife. My experience was a mix of good and…read morebad. Mostly good. Here are some pros and cons of this place. Pros: -Plenty of parking in the back of the restaurant. -Very reasonable prices. -Spacious and quaint interior. Comfortable and chill atmosphere. -Friendly staff. -Fast service. -Great food (except with one minor exception noted below). The French Toast and Portuguese sausages were outstanding. Cons: -Poor attention to details. The wife got a fork with a piece of food stuck to it, which means it wasn't washed properly. We also only got one knife between the two of us. We ended up sharing the knife rather than asking for a second one. -Once the food was served to us, the server did not come around to check up on us. -Maybe it was meant to be served this way, but the scrambled eggs were overcooked. Despite some flaws, I would still recommend this place. Not going to penalize a place for mistakes that most customers probably wouldn't even notice or experience themselves. For the price point and quality of the food, this place is damn good.

I literally picked this place as it was in the middle of who I was meeting. We've all never been…read morethere. Saw some pics via yelp and figured there was a lot to choose from. Parking: you can either park on the street, if there is parking; or park in the lot where h can enter from the back of the restaurant. Get there before 5 to grab a seat because the place fills up QUICK. Inside is small and narrow. If you're not a big eater, share a dish. Their portions are HUGE!! Biggest plates I've seen for a Japanese restaurant. The servers there work hard and try to be quick as possible. I would definitely come back here.

There is so much to choose from on their menu. I had the sashimi and croquette combo which was so…read moregood. Service was good too. I'm assuming they were busy prior to us arriving as the floor was still dirty with chopsticks and napkin still on the floor and there was rice on the chair.

I love Kagura! Their chicken katsu set is delicious and my favorite item on the manu: perfectly…read morecrispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with juicy meat. It's also a great deal for a quick lunch (around $13.25), especially considering the quality. The service is fast and efficient, making it an ideal go-to when you want something tasty and you are in a hurry. Consistently good food, great value, and quick service, Kagura is definitely a place I keep coming back to!

Delicious tonkatsu that you can tell is the real deal. Came here with a friend who lives in the…read moreneighborhood-- when we were deciding on a place to eat she instantly suggested this spot. Walking in on a weekday, it wasn't too busy but there were still a couple of tables of Japanese businessmen, which is always a good sign (and my friend said regardless of when you come, that's usually the case). We got the mille feuille tonkatsu, agedashi tofu, and karaage to share plus two beers. The agedashi tofu and karaage were good, nothing that stood out but a solid accompaniment. Meanwhile, the tonkatsu was definitely the star of the show. The fry on it was light but still crispy. I also really liked the miso soup came with some carrots and daikon in it. Overall a great meal at a reasonable price. Street parking was relatively easy and we parked 2 blocks away for free.

Absolutely delicious service is amazing will definitely be checking out the new locationread more

Great service. Food came out really fast and fresh. Jesley was really nice serving us.read more