There isn't even a pretense of ambience at this little hole in the wall located in this small coastal town due south of Los Angeles International Airport.
But in my mind, that's its biggest attraction: it's a place you can go wearing shorts and a T-shirt to get good, no-frills Japanese food.
The aging store front is instantly recognizable from the street by the sushi charts plastered on the front windows. Inside, the institutional green walls of the small dining room are lined with photos of nearly every dish on the menu, presumably serving as ordering cheat sheets for the uninitiated.
It's the kind of place where a TV sits on top of the beverage cooler and kitchen sounds mix with customer conversations. In other words, it isn't fancy.
Neither is the menu, which thoughtfully includes clear descriptions of every dish. It offers a good selection of quality, reasonably priced Japanese fare served with a quiet elegance by the restaurant's owner. On one recent weeknight, she patiently instructed me to dip my cold soba (buckwheat) noodles in a little cup of sauce rather than pouring the sauce on top of the noodles.
The noodles were part of the Curry Don Combination I ordered, which included a bowl of rice covered with a curry stew of bits of vegetables and deep-fried chicken. The curry had just the right amount of spice. A small salad rounded out the meal.
My husband chose the Special Sliced Short Ribs, consisting of highly seasoned flat pieces of beef on the bone, a bowl of miso soup, a bowl of rice and a small salad. Both dishes were under $10.
The menu offers a good selection of hot and cold noodle soups-your choice of udon, soba and ramen. There also are a number of donburi, tempura and teriyaki dishes; five kinds of sushi; and salmon and tuna sashimi. The Teppan Yaki is especially nice-fried vegetables, beef and chicken are served on a sizzling platter with rice and miso soup. Cost is $6.50.
Good food. Good prices. And all of it without having to dress up!
