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As a part of my continuing series exploring Japanese dining in the South Bay, next on the agenda was a visit to Otafuku in Gardena, CA. Otafuku is a soba house that is supposedly so good that fans from all over LA will make the trek to this unassuming restaurant just to experience what they consider to be soba noodle greatness. So what makes Otafuku so special? In short, its owner, Seiji Akutsu.
On the menu, there are two types of soba noodles, the seiro (sarashina soba) and the zaru (brown soba). What's unique about both noodles is that Seiji uses only bottled spring water to mix in with the flour and then kneads the dough by hand in small batches. This is no small task since you have to take into account the temperature and the air's humidity when deciding on the amount of water to be mixed with the flour to ensure the best results for the dough. While both noodles are made the same way, the difference lies in the type of flour used. The seiro uses gozen-ko (flour milled from the white buckwheat heart) while the zaru is made with ichiban-ko (second milling flour) and blended with a small amount of wheat flour.
What drew me to Otafuku for my first time soba noodle experience really had to do with how I viewed Seiji Akutsu to be a real artisan, who really took care in making his creations, which in this case were noodles. Considering all the rave reviews I read, I definitely was looking forward to my meal there.
Once we were were seated and upon perusing the menu, my party opted to share a few dishes which included the pickled vegetables, the sea eel tempura, roasted seaweed and vegetable tempura. When it came to the noodles, some of us ordered the seiro noodles and others ordered the zaru noodles. By the way, the words "seiro" and "zaru" have more to do with the type of basket the noodles are served in, not the actual name of the noodles. As noted earlier, the seiro are the sarashina soba noodles while the zaru are the brown soba noodles.
First, let me talk about our group's shared dishes where the two standouts were the sea eel and vegetable tempura items. The tempura in general is definitely the best tempura I've ever had. The batter was crunchy, light and non-greasy. When you take a look at my photos below, you'll see that a light hand was used, just enough to give you a nice crunch without you having to eat your way through a thick batter before you even taste the "filling" inside. As for the eel, the meat was delicate and moist, which isn't surprising since Seiji purchases only fresh eel for this dish. The vegetable tempura was cooked perfectly and perfect for me, is when the vegetables still retain a little bit of crispness and aren't overcooked.
Soon our noodles arrived. I had ordered a special combo which consisted of brown soba noodles, a shrimp tempura rice bowl, a small side of pickled vegetables, a dipping sauce with a small plate of green onions and wasabi. There were also leaves in my bowl of dipping sauce and I wasn't sure what they were. Maybe, shiso leaf? One thing that surprised me was that I could barely tell the difference between the seiro soba noodles and the zaru brown soba noodles. I was expecting the brown soba noodles to be…well…more bro
wn, a nutty brown. Side by side, you can definitely see a brownish tinge to the brown soba noodles, but the color difference between the two soba noodles was definitely very subtle.
Before even starting, I had to be tutored to add some of the green onions and wasabi to the sauce and then dip the noodles into the sauce before slurping them into my mouth. At first taste, I enjoyed the flavors of the sauce that coated the surface of the noodles, which were firm and definitely to my liking. I also detected a hint of nuttiness which I liked, but what I was expecting was something bolder and earthier. What I got seemed more refined and subtle.
Being a soba noodle newbie, I have to say that my soba experience at Otafuku was a bit befuddling. There's certainly nothing wrong with refined and subtle. After all, I enjoyed my noodles to the last bite, but I do wonder if there are regional differences or just preferential differences in regards to how soba noodles are made. When I have seen soba noodles ordered elsewhere, they looked thicker and were also more beige or light brown in color. Compared to the soba brown noodles at Otafuku, those noodles seem more rustic and not as elegant looking.
Although I enjoyed my zaru noodles, I wouldn't consider it a mind blowing experience. In fact, I think I was more enamored with the tempura dishes than anything else. I left thinking that I definitely need to expand my horizons. I honestly have read about people making pilgrimages to Otafuku for their soba and the only way I'm going to understand why is to try other soba noodles in comparison. If anyone has any suggestions for places that serve great soba noodles, I'd love to hear about them.
To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157602520001951/
Otafuku
16525 S Western Avenue
Gardena, CA 90247
(310) 532-9348
When on the lookout for Japanese dining, usually Little Tokyo comes to mind, but unbeknownst to many, the South Bay, primarily the city of Gardena is also home to one of LA's oldest Japanese communities. Presently, it's a city where the population is about one quarter Japanese-American.
What differentiates Gardena from Little Tokyo is that it's still a thriving community where Japanese-Americans work, live, play and eat. For example, Gardena has a Japanese cable station, numerous Japanese churches, stores and newspapers. It's really because of the high concentration of Japanese-Americans still living in cities like Gardena that they are able to maintain strong ties to tradition, especially to authentic Japanese cuisine.
As a part of a dining series that I called "South Bay's Taste of Japan", I set up outings for my dining group to explore some of the tastiest offerings to be found in cities like Gardena and Torrance. First on the list was the Spoon House, known for a style of Japanese cuisine called Yoshoku.
So what exactly is Yoshoku? Yoshoku refers to Western food, but with a Japanese twist. Over the centuries, a large number of Western dishes have been introduced to Japan. Many of them; however, became adapted to use more Japanese ingredients and these dishes are now called Yoshoku dishes. Check out a couple of examples below:
Korokke ("croquette") - breaded mashed potato and minced meat patties. When white source is added, it is called cream korokke. Other ingredients such as crab meat, shrimp, or mushrooms are also used instead of minced meat which are called kani-, ebi-, or kinoko-cream korokke, respectively.
Hamburg Steak - a ground beef patty, usually mixed with breadcrumbs and fried chopped onions, served with a side of white rice and vegetables. Popular post-war food item served at homes. Eaten with a fork.
So what does Spoon House have to do with Yoshoku cooking? Simply, Spoon House is a Japanese-Italian spaghetti house and believe me, you'll see spaghetti dishes there that you'd never expect to see coming out of any Italian Mama's kitchen. While you will see some standards like spaghetti Bolognese or spaghetti with clam sauce, there are definitely other menu items that may just surprise you. So with an adventurous palate, off we went.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, I liked the fact that there was an open kitchen. It was easy to see all the action. In a corner of the kitchen there was even an appliance that cooked the spaghetti in perfectly sized portions. Once you sat down, opening the menu was enough to set you in a tizzy of indecision.
There were 36 different types of spaghetti dishes to choose from. Our choices included spaghetti with tuna, daikon and lemon soy sauce and California style salad spaghetti which included ingredients like mayonnaise sauce, crab meat and avocado. Also available were spaghetti with sea urchin & seaweed and spaghetti that comes with natto & shiso leaf. Mama Mia!
It definitely took awhile for everyone to choose their entrée. I finally settled on the spaghetti with hot garlic, seasoned mushroom, grated daikon and dried fish flakes. As a starter, I also ordered the one dollar salad and yes, it did cost only $1.00.
Soon my spaghetti arrived and I must admit to being a bit disconcerted by its appearance. Red tomato sauce was replaced by a pile of fish flakes, dried seaweed and the rest of the ingredients, but hey, my taste buds were ready for action. So after mixing all the ingredients and noodles together, I took my first forkful.
Simply, I loved it. The sweet-hot-pungency of the garlic added a nice kick to the dish. Then you have the taste of the salty sea coming from the seaweed and fish flakes combined with the subtle earthiness from the 
mushrooms. As for the daikon, I honestly don't even remember tasting it, but it wasn't missed.
This was definitely a spaghetti dish unlike anything I've ever tried before. Most of my dining partners gave their spaghetti dishes thumbs up with a couple of exceptions. There's one thing to note. When you order spaghetti with sea urchin, don't expect your spaghetti to be topped with the uni. Instead, it's mixed into the sauce. The strong flavors that make uni so popular may be too subdued for your liking.
Also, someone in else in our party ordered the spaghetti with tomato sauce, eggplant and bacon and found it less than satisfactory. Perhaps, the Italian-style spaghetti dishes are still better left for your Italian Mama or a good Italian restaurant.
The real fun in eating at a restaurant like Spoon House is in introducing your palate to true fusion food. In this case, you get an Italian staple like spaghetti melded with Japanese ingredients like uni, fish flakes and even natto. Now that's something you definitely won't find at your local Olive Garden. So when you're in Gardena, stop by for a taste of Yoshoku cooking at the Spoon House. You may just find your new favorite cuisine!
To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157603316456804/
Spoon House
1601 W Redondo Beach Blvd
Gardena, CA 90247(310) 538-037
As a part of my continuing series exploring Japanese dining in the South Bay, next on the agenda was a visit to Otafuku in Gardena, CA. Otafuku is a soba house that is supposedly so good that fans from all over LA will make the trek to this unassuming restaurant just to experience what they consider to be soba noodle greatness. So what makes Otafuku so special? In short, its owner, Seiji Akutsu.
First, let me talk about our group's shared dishes where the two standouts were the sea eel and vegetable tempura items. The tempura in general is definitely the best tempura I've ever had. The batter was crunchy, light and non-greasy. When you take a look at my photos below, you'll see that a light hand was used, just enough to give you a nice crunch without you having to eat your way through a thick batter before you even taste the "filling" inside. As for the eel, the meat was delicate and moist, which isn't surprising since Seiji purchases only fresh eel for this dish. The vegetable tempura was cooked perfectly and perfect for me, is when the vegetables still retain a little bit of crispness and aren't overcooked.
wn, a nutty brown. Side by side, you can definitely see a brownish tinge to the brown soba noodles, but the color difference between the two soba noodles was definitely very subtle.
