Kotohira Restaurant — Restaurant in Gardena

My all around favorite for downhome Japanese food in Gardena. Most of the dishes are priced under $10 so don't expect "tres haute cuisine", but they do an incredible job of creating good food for a pittance.

The most expensive item is the Kotohira Bento- which listed for $11.95 the last time I had it in 2011. The bento- consists of a compartmentalized box with Tempura, Nimono (braised vegetables) Saba (broiled Mackeral), small piece of Tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet), Maguro Sashimi (Tuna).

It also comes with a bowl of white rice, and a small bowl of Tanuki Udon (Udon soup with a garnish of green onion and Tempura sprinkles) since Kotohira prides itself in making Te Uchi Udon (handmade Udon).

There is also a small selection of foods from the southernmost part of Japan, Okinawa which is really into dishes made from pork. My favorite there is Niku Yasai Soba.

It is a bowl of flavourful pork broth in which lie pieces of pork belly which have been slow simmered for hours so that the meat is super tender with a fattiness to add richness. (much like foods of the Phillipines).

A variety of vegetables are sauteed and placed on top of the Soba (noodles). Along with this comes two Onigiri or Musubi which are rice pressed together into round or triangular shapes.

For those who are cognoscenti: Udon is made from wheat flour, Ramen from wheat and Kansui (lye water), Soba from Buckwheat. However, the meaning of the word Soba has been expanded to sometimes mean "pasta" in general. For example, Yakisoba is not made from buckwheat, but from a Ramen style noodle. So it goes with the Yaki Niku Soba which is actually made from wheat.

BTW, at the beginning of the meal, the establishment automatically gives the guests a complimentary creamy Japanese style potato salad which is quite pleasant to the palate, and Takuan, sweet pickled Daikon radish. Also want to add that the waitresses there are very friendly and accomodating. They are sweethearts.

One thing that has mystified me is why there are so many paintings of Princess Di strewn on the walls in this restaurant which has rather traditional Japanese decor. I just haven't got the...

For 3 years I have visited this complex and ignored Kotohira Restaurant because of how overwhelmingly famous boiling point is, this is a CRIME! I should have noticed this restaurant long ago. 😥

I love Kotohira because their udon is really good! 🍜🤤 It's definitely on par with some of the best udon I have ever tasted (Marugame Udon included). Customer service was top notch, food were served quickly and I like the way the restaurant is set up. It feels like you are in Japan and each table feels private (because of how the section each table) which is a bonus!

Anyhow, let's discuss the food. I ordered the spicy beef udon and fried squid legs and they were both delicious! Starting off with the squid legs, I like how the "seafood smell" wasn't there. Even though it is fried, I didn't feel like they were oily, the portion was also just right, give more than that and I would have started feeling full. Moving on to the main dish, I chose the spicy beef udon with ham sushi combo 🍣 (yes, I thought this was a very good deal and surely enough it didn't disappoint). The sushi was great, rice texture was chewy and fragrant. The ham was alright, I thought it was a little salty for my taste. As for the spicy beef udon, the broth was delightful and I thought the portion was huge (not complaining, because I eat a lot when it comes to the main dish 😁). The beef were tender and juicy!

Overall, I really enjoyed my lunch here and will be coming back again.

P.S., If you came to this complex to eat boiling point but the waitlist gets too long, please give this restaurant a chance to...

If you ask Google Maps for the best Tempura in Gardena, Kotohira is at the top of the list and for good reason. This restaurant sits hidden in the corner of Tozai Plaza and it is a gem worth looking for. It is small inside and very tranquil, a good place for conversation. The servers are patient and attentive and the food is delicious. We ordered Gyoza as an appetizer (pan fried) that was filled with pork and veggies and was crispy on the fried surfaces and delicately chewy on the remaining surfaces. Together with some dipping sauce it was a great way to start the meal. In fact I could have eaten nothing but Gyoza and been perfectly happy, but we were here for Tempura. The tempura was lite, fluffy and not the slightest bit greasy and one could taste all the subtle flavors of the shrimp and veggies that were battered and fried. The meal also came with a small serving of Japanese potato salad that was smooth, velvety, not greasy and flavored with green onion. Again I could have eaten a lot more, but I wanted to sample the rest of my plate which also included a bowl of Miso soup. The Miso was delicate, not too salty and it was warming to the soul. A ball of white rice was also included and was excellent by its self and was also useful delicious with the Miso. The price of this adventure was reasonable and the quality of food and service were top rate. Will I be back to sample more? You can...