Kotohira Restaurant

Overview

Kotohira Restaurant, located in Gardena, CA, is a hidden gem serving up traditional and comforting Japanese cuisine. Specializing in udon and soba set meals, Kotohira has managed to keep their prices affordable while consistently delivering delicious and satisfying dishes. The menu boasts a wide variety of combination sets, a la carte options, and appetizers to suit every palate.

  • Highlights of Kotohira Restaurant:
    • Specialty Japanese dishes including misoyaki butterfish set, Okinawan soba, and more
    • Excellent tempura with a crispy batter that maintains its crunch
    • Authentic and home-cooked Japanese meals
    • Warm and comforting udon and soba noodles
    • Family-owned business with attentive and friendly service
    • Cozy and traditional ambiance with personal touches
    • Generous portion sizes accompanied by sides like rice, pickles, and salad
    • Quality ingredients and meticulous preparation evident in every dish

Customers rave about the flavorful miso marinated black cod, the satisfying Okinawan soba, and the delightful presentation of the Nabeyaki udon. With a diverse menu offering everything from mini katsudon sets to creamy tarako udon, Kotohira Restaurant is a must-visit for lovers of authentic Japanese cuisine.

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FAQ's

  • What type of cuisine does Kotohira Restaurant serve?

    Kotohira Restaurant serves Japanese cuisine.

  • What are the different utilities offered at Kotohira Restaurant?

    Kotohira Restaurant offers various utilities including takes reservations, offers delivery and takeout, has vegan options, and accepts credit cards.

  • Can you tell me more about the combination sets available at Kotohira Restaurant?

    Kotohira Restaurant offers a variety of combination sets such as the Kotohira Set, Chicken Kara-Age Set, Miso Yaki Cod Set, Saba Set, and more.

  • What are some of the popular dishes at Kotohira Restaurant according to customer reviews?

    Customers have praised dishes like misoyaki butterfish set, sukiyakidon, and the nabeyaki udon for their flavor and authenticity.

  • Can you share some details about the appetizers available at Kotohira Restaurant?

    Kotohira Restaurant offers a variety of appetizers including Teba Kara, Kara Age Chicken, Takoyaki, Gyoza, and more.

  • How is the ambiance of Kotohira Restaurant described by customers?

    Customers have described the ambiance of Kotohira Restaurant as sweet, traditional, and welcoming, with grandmother's art on the walls.

  • What sets Kotohira Restaurant apart from other Japanese restaurants in the area?

    Kotohira Restaurant stands out due to its consistently good food, affordable prices, and the variety of authentic Japanese dishes available on the menu.

Ratings of Kotohira Restaurant

Yelp

742

Google

313

Visitors' opinions on Kotohira Restaurant

/ 742
Jeffrey C.
Jeffrey C. 22/04/2024
stars
A casual restaurant serving up comforting udon and soba set meals. The food is always consistently good and they have managed to keep their prices relatively affordable through the years. You can't go wrong with anything there, from the udon with tempura, to the grilled fish sets. I especially enjoyed the misoyaki butterfish set. Not many places in LA serve this fish and they do it so well. I recently tried their Okinawan soba and it was so satisfying. The pork broth is so flavorful and the noodles remind me more of thicker Chinese style noodle than Japanese udon.
S W.
S W. 16/04/2024
stars
First time here, and I had - Nabeyaki udon: yummy with a lovely presentation! and Geso Age (fried squid legs) with a lovely ginger sauce. (Next time I think I will get it lightly fried, so there's not quite so much breading, but it was REALLY good!) Ambiance: Sweet and Traditional, and Grandmother painted the art on the walls! Service: Helpful, knowledgeable, caring service by Tom; his Mother is the owner. Family business! I will be back!
Tanya A.
Tanya A. 06/04/2024
stars
Great Japanese food with the nicest server! Was in the area for some nurseries and stumbled upon this hole in the wall GEM!!! The authentic Japanese menu was so delicious and I wanted to order everything. It is located inside a huge strip mall, tucked away in the corner. The inside is filled with the owner's mother's paintings on the walls which adds a funky touch with the oldies music playing along. We were so pleased to have gotten some of the most delicious and warm home-cooked Japanese meals on such a gloomy day. We started with some mixed tempura and tofu agedashi. Followed by miso yaki cod set and saba set. Both came with a big portion of delicious udon soup, rice, pickles and salad. Will definitely come back for more!
Miho M.
Miho M. 30/03/2024
stars
The sweetest server; the best udon and soup; the tempura was so crispy; will come back to try their shoyu udon A+ parking lot.
Curt H.
Curt H. 30/03/2024
stars
5+ stars Great and courteous service - very serene experience I had the miso marinated black cod combo with udon - simple green salad with very light pleasant dressing. I could of drank the dressing by itself Parking in strip center Even better draft Asahi in a cold mug I will definitely be back
Shirley W.
Shirley W. 20/03/2024
stars
We don't visit Gardena that often, but we were looking for some authentic Japanese food in the area. I found this place on Yelp and we decided to go! The parking lot is filled with many good eateries that the parking lot is really packed! The parking lot is also tight, so there's not a lot of space to back out and maneuver around. Kotohira is located right at the corner, it's a small shop so it may be hard to miss! We walked in for lunch on a Sunday afternoon, and it was really quiet in there. The restaurant is small with a few tables here and there so we were the only other party besides another at that time. Based from their menu, there was so many good items to choose from! It seems like the most popular choices were one of their udon sets or the bento set that comes with everything. We ended up trying both since we wanted try a little bit of everything. After we ordered, they offered us these potato salads, it was a great start! The potato salad was sooo smooth. Then it didn't take too long for our sets to come in. I got the udon unagi set and my bf got the bento set. Trying my udon first, this was honestly really good! I'm really used to having marugame udon and sometimes marugame is too salty for me, but the udon here was really nice! The noodle textures were nice and chewy and the broth was really good! I really drank a lot of the broth. Even finishing the bowl, I already felt so full to have the unagidon. Although, the unagi was also really good!! The unagi was really soft and smooth, I really enjoyed the eel sauce they had too. I didn't get to finish more of the rice with the unagi, but I wish I could have since it tasted so good with it! Trying some of my bf's bento, he gave me his shrimp tempura since he's allergic to shrimp, but that was really good! The batter was really nice and crispy, and the shrimp was surprisingly really juicy. I also tried his tuna which was really smooth as well. The chicken was pretty decent as well. We really enjoyed this place! Such a small cozy and authentic Japanese joint, it honestly feels very reminiscent to our Japan travels. There's mainly two waitresses in store and they were both very kind.
Japanese
Closed Opens at 11:30 AM
$$$$ Price range per person $5.95 - $22.45

Address

1747 W Redondo Beach Blvd Gardena, CA 90247
Features

Features

Takes ReservationsTakes Reservations Offers DeliveryOffers Delivery Offers TakeoutOffers Takeout Vegan OptionsVegan Options Limited Vegetarian OptionsLimited Vegetarian Options Accepts Credit CardsAccepts Credit Cards Accepts Android PayAccepts Android Pay Accepts Apple PayAccepts Apple Pay CasualCasual QuietQuiet Good for GroupsGood for Groups Good For KidsGood For Kids Good for Lunch, DinnerGood for Lunch, Dinner Street Parking, Private Lot ParkingStreet Parking, Private Lot Parking Waiter ServiceWaiter Service Happy Hour SpecialsHappy Hour Specials Beer & Wine OnlyBeer & Wine Only Wheelchair AccessibleWheelchair Accessible Asian-ownedAsian-owned Women-ownedWomen-owned Private DiningPrivate Dining Outdoor SeatingOutdoor Seating Offers CateringOffers Catering Wi-FiWi-Fi Dogs Not AllowedDogs Not Allowed TVTV Heated Outdoor SeatingHeated Outdoor Seating Covered Outdoor SeatingCovered Outdoor Seating Bike ParkingBike Parking Provides reusable tablewareProvides reusable tableware

Opening hours

Monday Sun 11:30 AM - 8:45 PM
Tuesday Sun Closed
Wednesday Sun 11:30 AM - 8:45 PM
Thursday Sun 11:30 AM - 8:45 PM
Friday Sun 11:30 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday Sun 11:30 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday Sun 11:30 AM - 9:00 PM
Verified by the owner

Tasty dishes in California

Update on: Mar 12, 2024

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