Otafuku Noodle House - Gardena

I used to love my mornings in Gardena. Whenever I had a random weekday free, I would start at Meiji Tofu right before everything sold out and follow at almost-adjacent Chikara Mochi during the rare times they were open. I would use all my discipline not to eat anything I bought right away and find a little local something to slurp down a set lunch or noodle soup.

At Otafuku, I get one of the best noodle set lunches LA has to offer. Even Little Tokyo can only compete with Otafuku. 

A bustling background of the lunchtime rush creates a quiet repose at the small and crowded counter as I ponder their extensive menu. I can only get one thing when I’m dining alone, and the choice of the new-to-me seiro or kakoichi vs a tried-and-true udon or soba is agony. I start with Zaru Udon, as house-made udon is a LA unicorn. I’ll try the seiro or the soba next time and I’ll kee coming back until I’ve tried every noodle they make. No regrets. Their udon is ropy rolls with a perfect spring to the texture. The noodles are medium-thick in diameter and they carry the al dente all the way through. I dare say their udon is even better than South Bay legend Ichimi An.  

I select a basket of tempura to complete the set. They give you one of every good thing, a light shiso leaf for maximum fragrance and crunch, eggplant that chooses softness without the goop or slime. The shrimp is fresh, the onion sweet, the shiitake full of juice. I love the sweet potato and gooey kabocha squash the most.

It’s a filling lunch but the cold noodles keep it light. I leave refreshed instead of comatose and move onto the last part of my day: the narrow wooden bench outside Kansha Creamery.

I miss those Gardena days, and if I had known it would be months, if ever, before I could return to Otafuku, I would have tried all the noodles at once. Now I wait and cling to the hope that they stay strong in this lockdown and survive to later thrive.  Their noodles are just too precious to lose, and when they dining room opens again, you can bet I’ll be first in line.