Japanese-style Abura Soba in Torrance – 100x Better Than Menya Hanabi!

This restaurant is actually famous for its kama-meshi (claypot rice) and mentaiko cream nabe, but we were a bit short on time. The claypot rice required a 30-minute wait, and the two of us couldn’t finish the mentaiko hot pot, so we switched to ordering small dishes + ochazuke + Japanese-style abura soba. The surprise? The abura soba was way better than Irvine’s famous, always-packed Menya Hanabi! 🏆 It was less oily and less salty, and the addition of cilantro made it super refreshing—highly recommended! 🌿 Among the small dishes, the miso butter clams were fantastic—the clams were cleaned perfectly, and the butter and miso blended together magically. Couldn’t stop eating them! 🍶 The yellowtail collar was a generous portion—very fresh and tender. We also tried the fried mochi, which was just okay—a bit sticky but still tasty. For mains, we also ordered an unagi ochazuke (eel tea over rice)—decent but nothing special. Next time, I’d love to try their claypot rice and hot pot! 🤤 🍴 Izakaya Akatsuki Have you been to Izakaya Akatsuki? What’s your favorite Japanese comfort food in the South Bay area? Share your recommendations below! 👇🍙 #RestaurantRecommendation #JapaneseCuisine #ComfortFood #LAEats #IrvineLife #Torrance #AburaSoba #IzakayaVibes #HiddenGem #FoodReview #MustTry