Twenty eight years ago, Tozai Plaza opened on the corner of Redondo Beach Blvd and Western Ave. in Gardena. The mini mall quickly became the buzz of the Japanese community because they opened new cutting edge restaurants. One of them was Kotohira and it is still operating today.
As you drive by the busy intersection, you can clearly see Kotohira’s sign. However, once you park in the lot, their presence is somewhat invisible. Their establishment resides between Sushi Day and Pho So 1. It isn’t until you walk towards Pho So 1 that you see Kotohira.
Kotohira is a Japanese noodle house. While the menu is centered around udon noodles, they also feature an assortment of donburi (rice bowl) dishes and appetizers that you are likely to find in an izakaya (Japanese gastropub). Sets are combinations that include a small portion of tanuki udon and sometimes other items that complement the entree.
Their bento is larger than average and will satisfy the hungriest eater. It contains sashimi, karaage, grilled mackerel, tempura, Japanese root vegetables, a small side of tanuki udon and rice. The tempura was packed separately so that it would retain its crispy exterior.
Nabeyaki Udon is a soup made with thick chewy udon noodles, vegetables, and a variety of toppings. Kotohira’s version was fairly typical with onions, a poached egg, shrimp tempura, and fish cake. The set version includes mixed omusubi (rice balls).
My mom makes somen salad and I had to check out their version. It was definitely served for presentation as it was unmixed with the sauce in a separate container. Unlike udon, somen noodles are extremely thin white wheat noodles combined with thinly sliced toppings such as egg omelette, ham, shredded lettuce, wakame, and candied red ginger. This dish is served chilled and is perfect for a warm day.
My daughter loves gyoza and I selected that as a side order. As she ate them, she nodded her head and said “they’re good”. These pork filled dumplings were pan fried.
I always wonder what my trunk will look like after the drive home. Fortunately, Kotohira nicely packs everything and makes special consideration to pack certain items separately so that the experience is retained. The components of the nabeyaki were individually packed and placed in a single bag. Assembling it was easy and didn’t take much time.
The total of my meal before tip was only $47 and enough food to feed three. Kotohira is open 11:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. daily and is closed on Tuesdays.
Kotohira, 1747 W. Redondo Beach Blvd, Gardena CA 90247; 310.323.3966