“ Finally went after years of having this on my list. Wish I would have come sooner. Can't wait to go back, I'm willing to drive from Claremont to the South Bay for such an authentic experience. Great food and even spotted a celebrity chef there with his wife but respected the chef's privacy. Good soba, yakitori, sashimi, and tempura. ”

“ I'm so happy to have finally tried Otafuku! They specialize in their soba noodles and they have a variety of other Japanese dishes. We ordered their soba noodle combinations and their hot appetizer pork with yuzu pepper paste and they all tasted so good and fresh! Their foods are a little on the pricier side for their portions. But overall it was a good experience ”

“ This is one of those restaurants that make Gardena one of the best places to eat in the South Bay. This small, unassuming place serves some great soba, tempura, and chirashi. There is parking in the back, accessed through a small alley. If you blink you'll miss it. When you walk in that back door, you'll be greeted with a warm Japanese welcome. The food is top notch, and though a bit pricey, you're guaranteed quality, fresh ingredients. It also feels really good to support this small restaurant who has been doing things this great for years. It's a perfect place for a lunch or dinner, and I really just feel lucky this quality of Japanese cuisine is in our backyard. ”

“ Great soba but my favorite item is actually their dashi omelet. It has a sweet and savory flavor and is served with chilled grated radish. The combination is perfect! I ordered a potato topping just to try something new and different for my soba dipping sauce and I was surprised it had a sticky texture. I obviously did not know what to expect! It wasn't bad, just a little strange. I'll get the original dipping sauce next time. Also, they were sadly out of their tuna add on. Hope to try the tuna next time. Very small parking lot behind the restaurant and usually busy on weekends. Making a reservation over the phone for weekend lunch was easy so just do that instead of waiting in line the day of! ”

“ Was looking for fresh soba and visited for lunch on a Saturday. There's a tiny parking lot behind the restaurant, but we parked in the neighborhood nearby. When we walked in, we were immediately greeted and seated at the bar. We ordered karaage , cold seiro soba, and katsudon. Seiro soba: came out quickly and was tasty! Good texture and freshly made. After eating, I was given broth to pour into my remaining dipping sauce. It was nice to end my meal with warm broth. Katsudon: the pork was tender, juicy, and flavorful! The egg yolk was a deep yellow orange color. The portion was quite large and took some to go. Karaage: came out last, but hot right out of the fryer! It's crispy while fresh and the juiciest karaage I've ever had. No dry chicken here. It's served with lemon and salt. I appreciated the simple pairing because the chicken itself was so enjoyable. Service was nice and they checked up on us. By the time we got our food, there was a substantial line waiting! I enjoyed my time and would come again to try the rest of the menu. ”