"I highly recommend this place especially if you like noodles and udon."
(in 160 reviews)
"seriously, this place has the best soba in the country."
(in 62 reviews)
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Sanuki No Sato
Rating Details »
Neighborhoods: Harbor Gateway, Torrance
18206 S Western Ave
Gardena, CA 90248
(310) 324-9184
18206 S Western Ave
Gardena, CA 90248
(310) 324-9184
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
183 reviews for Sanuki No Sato
Review Highlights
it took me 7 years to find a true udon & soba ya since i left japan. but i am so happy to have found you, sanuki no sato. thank you for your delicious curry udon today.
the service was great- so attentive. the ambiance was like a country home-like feeling, maybe because there were dark wood boulders & white plastered walls. they served mugicha (barley tea) as a iced beverage instead of water which was nice.
price is moderate, but lunch specials start at $13ish. it's in a small plaza so parking is limited but there is plenty of side street parking.
Totally worth the 80-minute trek here from Santa Monica on a weeknight! It was hard to spot this place from the road. Look for the Union Bank on the corner of Western and 182nd. Sanuki No Sato has no visible English signage and sits in the corner of the strip mall.
Inside, there's lots of seating for small and large parties. The menu is extensive with small dishes for small appetites, big combos for big appetites and more in between.
My friend and I tried the following:
1) Sweet potato tempura with curry salt - Of course, it's almost turkey day and I'm in the mood for all things turkey day-related. This was quite yummy. The tempura batter is crisp.
2) Grilled Japanese eggplant topped with dried bonito flakes - Topped generously with the bonito flakes. The eggplant is on the mushy side.
3) Rice ball stuffed with salmon - I seriously thought this was going to be a golf-ball size side. Silly me, it's the size of a softball. Rice stuffed with salmon and wrapped in nori. Good, but I definitely over-ordered.
4) Karanabe Udon - My friend had this udon with sliced pork, fish, shrimp, tofu and vegetables in a sweet and spicy broth served in a hot iron pot. The waiter said it was going to be very spicy and my friend was up for the challenge. The broth was RED. He rated the spice as a 3-4 out of 10?! I thought it was spicier than that. Still, he loved it and said he would keep coming back just to get this.
5) Wakame Udon - I had this simpler udon. It was beautifully presented with a very generous topping of seaweed, sprouts, green onions and a thick slice of fish cake. The noodles were great. The broth was AMAZING.
The hot tea was very good and the staff kept our cups topped off while we dined for nearly two hours.
Damn you Sanuki No Sato for being so far away.
My favorite is the Sanshoku Cold Soba... this is the best!
The Tatami rooms are private and great for family or party.
Spider man on the attic is very cute too...
Our table also ordered the Chicken Katsu Set and The Nabeyaki udon.
Both are great choices. The staffs are very friendly and the place is clean.
The entry display many Japanese celebrities and sport figures visited this noodle shop. Will come again for sure!
Love this place! Whenever I drive up to South Bay Area, we definitely end up passing by to grab something to eat. You see a good number of Japanese elders eating here. Only goes to show how authentic their food line-up is. A+ for this place, wish they open one in Orange County...
This is what we got:
Nasu Dengaku - good!
Pirikara Chicken - VERY very good!!!
Nabeyaki Udon - very good.
Kamitama w/ Soba Noodles (omlette & crab) - very good.
We went to dinner right before the restaurant opened and as soon as it hit 5:30pm, the doors were flooding with people. Overall, good dining experience, a little pricey (for 2 ppl, 2 appetizers & 2 noodle dishes about $45), but good tasting food!
I will go back!
It was a chilly November Saturday evening when I booted up my trusty dusty PC and hit Yelp for some guidance on where to go for dinner. Through some convoluted series of hyperlinkages that I'd be hard-pressed to re-trace, I ended up here, at the review page for Sanuki No Sato.
"Hmmm, a steaming hot bowl of noodles and broth sure would hit the spot on this cold night," I thought to myself as I pored over the reviews of many satisfied Yelpers raving about the "soup with so much flavor," "the best Udon in America," and the "tour de force broth." I noticed they closed at 10pm, and it was already 8:45 at this point, so I hurriedly shooed the Sauerwife into the car and sped off to our destination.
Being late, the place was not too busy, and we were promptly ushered to a booth in the dining room by the hostess. The transition from the dimly lit waiting area into the blindingly bright dining room was jarring. It was like walking into a 7-11 at 3am after partying all night.
The menu was quite expansive, with many diverse and tantalizing offerings. Although I had come for Udon, I could not resist the urge to sample a few other things as well. I ordered the Mixed Green Salad, described as "fresh greens with house dressing," to start. It arrived exactly as advertised and it was plenty for two. The dressing was a very tasty sweet vinaigrette. Nestled amongst the greens I found two halves of a cherry tomato. This was a bittersweet discovery, as I am very fond of tomatoes and you'd think for $7.50 they could afford to throw in more than just one.
Next we tried the Wakadori Tatstaage, described as "marinated Japanese fried chicken." A basket containing about 6 good-sized pieces of boneless fried chicken arrived to the table, freshly cooked and piping hot, accompanied by a wedge of lemon. Although Sauerwife liked it, I found it dry and flavorless. It was a bit overcooked, and the chicken did not taste like it had been marinated at all. Adding to my disappointment, no dipping sauce was offered.
Our next sampling was of the Pirikara Chicken, described as "fried chicken glazed in teriyaki sauce and topped with spicy mayo." But what we received looked quite different from the description and picture provided by the menu. It was a plate of 6 chicken wings which were coated in a thick, reddish, jelly-like sauce, and topped with sesame seeds, but no lattice of spicy mayo as shown in the menu photo. The menu said nothing about wings - and in the photo they actually looked like boneless chunks.
Confused, and thinking I had received the wrong order, I motioned the waiter over. I pointed to the picture in the menu and then to the plate on the table and asked him if this was what I had ordered. First he said "yes," but then he quickly said "oh, no mayo," and he rushed the plate back to the kitchen. He returned shortly thereafter with the same plate, completely unchanged, which he set back down on our table along with a small dish of mayo on the side while offering his apologies.
I was still unconvinced that I had received the correct order, but I didn't feel like arguing about it, and the wings did look pretty darn good. So I graciously accepted them along with the waiter's apology and commenced to munching. Ironically, this turned out to be one of the best things I would taste all night. The wings were perfectly cooked, slightly crisped on the outside, and tender and succulent on the inside. The glaze was bold with flavor, sweet and slightly spicy to me, but it was too spicy for Sauerwife and she said it left her lips burning.
Finally, we each ordered the Tempura Udon. We were both nearly stuffed from the appetizers, but this is what we came for, so we pressed on.
The tempura was very well prepared; light, crispy and not at all greasy. The Udon noodles were also just as touted here on Yelp - fresh, thick and springy, soft but not soggy, chewy but not tough, offering just enough bite to sink your teeth into. But the broth, it pains me to say, was very weak, with no real discernable flavor. I feel like a hypocrite for saying this after chiding those who gave the same critique of Torihei's broth, but I have to be honest - I was underwhelmed by it.
The difference here though is that there were no condiments on the table. I had to ask the waiter for some soy sauce, and I was embarrassed to do so, as if I was tampering with something sacred. Nevertheless, adding just a touch of soy sauce to the broth did the trick. The flavors popped, and all of a sudden I knew what the fuss was about.
Yet I had this lingering feeling that I was missing something, and that by adding soy sauce that I had somehow cheated. I don't know if I caught this place on a bad night, or if I would have benefited from a palate cleanser between the chicken wings and the Udon, or if my western palate is to blame. But I shall endeavor to solve this mystery during what I predict will be many more future visits to Sanuki No Sato.
I have to say, the udon here is just mediocre. I really did not find a single feature about that udon that was unique or unusual or so irresistible. I had the Nabeyaki Udon, because my fellow Yelpers suggested it, and found that it was too salty, bland (yes, you can have a salty but bland soup), and unimpressive. The food there was overpriced as well. I cannot justify a 10-15$ bowl of mediocre udon. I would definitely not come back to eat here again unless I have to.
How can you question the authenticity of a spot whose website is pretty much all in Japanese?
This was a place I first came to when I was still a little kid. Had green tea ice cream... that's what I remembered it for. Now that I come to check up on it, looks like it's still quite the popular spot for great Japanese food, even amongst what look to be a good chunk of Japanese celebrities, and the business men crowded in the little rooms.
Food was pretty good. We ended up ordering a couple of combos, and some sashimi on the side. A bit on the pricey side, but definitely left us satisfied. Oh yeah, the green tea ice cream is still pretty good!
GET THE UDON! I never really appreciated Udon before this. All the other places I had Udon before seemed like a slight step up to instant noodle. Always too salty.
But this Udon is amazing. The noodles are heavenly. Soft, chewy, doesn't break apart. The soup has so much flavor without the over-MSGed, salty feel afterwards. Will come back for the Udon.
We also had a bunch of the appetizers. They were decent but overly priced with small portions. Though I must say the Tempura here is made just right. Crispy, not too oily. And try the Red Bean ice cream. Delicious!
$10 for a plain Udon, a bit pricy, but I still recommend this place !!
Good service !
expensive for what it is.
the food was just average but it was expensive. The kanitama udon (egg w crab), $11.50, looked different from the picture. It wasn't like a bed of steamed egg custardy goodness with crab, but just regular egg and crab. It was kind of disappointing.
The mentaiko onigiri ($2) was not bad. The Takujo bento (premium) came in a wooden box with lid. For $25, it was mediocre. The salmon was cold and dry, the sashimi was not that great, the tempura was nothing special. The egg custard was also standard, and seemed kinda old.
The Hiyayakko ($4.50) is chilled tofu, and it was nothing special. The soy sauce was good though. 3 onigiri, bento, kanitama, and hiyayakko for $51.58.
Very unsatisfying indeed.
Been here a few times. I also stopped by here a few times to grab a Japan Up magazine. The food here is a bit pricey and they mainly have udon dishes. The dishes were different and were of a wide range than your norm.
I ordered a combo, but I forgot what it was called. It had some grilled beef and it came with a bowl of udon. They first gave us a savory egg white custard, again I do not know what is was called. It tasted a bit plain for my palette; perhaps I was supposed to add a little soy to it, I do not know.
When the meat and udon came it was still sizzling. Each item (i.e., the grilled meat and udon) tasted good individually, but I think they tasted better when eaten together because they complimented each other pretty well.
I do not think there was an English sign for this place. It is located in the middle corner of the plaza. Although it looked small on the outside, going in, it appears to be quite large and sit quite a few people.
i went this place with my friends.
we ordered quite a lot.
none of them was good, but EXPENSIVE!!
looks like this place is hyped up by a lot of japanese celeb visits by having good connections with cordinaters.
and thats pretty much it.
sooooo not worth it.
so many other japanese restaurants are better than this for lot cheaper.
For those of you who don't know the story, the owner of the Sanuki went to Japan to all of the famous Udon places. He snagged the best chef, put him in a bag, and carried him to the US. This place has got the best Udon in America... hands down.
I used to go here all the time when I was working in Gardena, but now that I've been away, I haven't been back in a while. Over the years, I found out that one of my friend's is actually the son of the owner. Who would've thunk it!
Try the Nabeyaki, Tempura Udon, and if you are really in the mood, get the bento box with everything you could want from the place. Yum Yum.
So some of the heavy hittin' asian sensation crew and I decided to grab some udon. We got into our suped up Integras and Civis and Tokyo Drifted ourselves out to Gardena. Apparently, our rice rockets are too fast and furious that we got there an hour before opening. Thanks Reid and Smitcha for not doing any research! So we had to squat in the lot and wait... and wait some more. We got tired of squatting so we started to crip walk http://www.youtube.com...
The feeling of this place is that of legitness. They have pictures of Japanese celebrities and athletes that have been to Sanuki greeting you when you walk in. If that doesn't smack in you in the face with "obviousness", I don't know what does. The servers even wear kimonos. Word up! I noticed they had tradtional seating areas where you sit on the ground. But since I was with some OTJ's (Other Than Japanese) they sat us in the regular dining area. A pretty extensive menu. I was not to be distracted, I was here for udon so that's what I requested. And a Sake Onigiri (rice ball with salmon), cuz this boy can eat.
I was trying to get my friend to order up the Kanitama Udon, but telling him it's pronounced kintama. Kintama is slang for testicles. Hey, who doesn't want t a cheap laugh at the expense of their friends?
For the most part the entire table went with the Nabeyaki Udon (shrimp tempura, chicken, kamaboko [fishcake], and veggies). As soon as the broth hit my tasebuds, I instantly knew what Kurt Cobain felt like when he had his first syringe of heroin running through his veins. I'm ruined. Imagine me in some dark back alley or abandoned house with a bowl of broth. Trying to hide all my shame. All other udon will tasted like chicken noodle soup....blegh. You will see me on A&E's Intervention show. "You need to stop sucking down noodles, son!'
I will tell you this though, the udon is takai (expensive). $13-$17 for a bowl is pretty unheard of, but this one is well worth the okane (scrill). So stop being a cheap@ss and crack open your piggy bank, take a loan against your home, or your 401k which probably isn't worth all that much at the moment. Whatever you do, get some! Next time I will just order the basic udon and broth only. It's that life changing!
After my spiritual experience with my udon, I got in my Civic, flipped the NOS switch and sped off a happy man.
After you come here and eat their udon, you will go home and touch your no-no area just thinking about their broth. Word is bond, no lie.
Good call, Smitcha.
Very good lunch specials (fried chicken cutlet my fave!) the udon soup is good but a bit on the salty side (too much miso?) my greatest disappointment with this place is they do NOT have sushi rolls :( i like during dinner time the servers all wear traditional jap kimonos.
This has to be some of the best udon, outside of Japan.
The service and decor, both remind me of traditional Japanese places.
Everyone is very friendly, and has horrible English. Doesn't get more foreign than that.
This isn't your average udon. This is udon made for royalty. It's a must have, and it's one of the best ones around. I've been here so many times, and have tried many different ones. I'm never let down. They even have a "bukkake udon". No, I haven't tried that one. I'll pass.
We came here last night, and we shared the mochi dessert. It comes fried, and has a candied bottom! There was a scoop of ice cream, and kinako powder. VERY yummy! I wanted to order my own, but I didn't want to be too much of a pig.
It's a big pricier than most places, but it's worth it. Some people might also complain of the distance. You people should stay home. More udon for us!
My friend tells me that Sanuki is a town from a region in Japan known for its udon. Sanuki is a few bucks more than the usual noodle joint, but the quality makes up for it. Most dishes and combos are $10-20. I had the lobster tempura and cold udon combination($22), and Anna had the tempura udon set ($15). I've never really understood why great tempura doesn't get the same respect as great sushi, but I think it should. In Japan it takes years to become a termpura chef. I actually preferred the regular tempura, shrimp seems to fat-fry better than lobster as it turns out. The udon lived up to the hype, soft and springy, made for slurping in the usual rude asian way. The tempura was the best I've had in a while, the light batter clinging to seafood and vegetables with the heat of the fryer still fresh in each bite. Portions were large for a Japanese joint, no room for dessert. Check it out if you are in the South Bay.
Sanuki No Sato is truly a gem. Tucked away in a small and not so visible plaza, it can be easily over looked.
The restaurant interior is clean and comfortable, and not shi shi in anyway. No fanfare needed. The food speaks for itself! The servers are polite and to the point, which is a plus when you're eager for the food to materialize.
Start with some chawanmushi, or steamed egg, decorated with bits of mushroom, chicken, and if you're lucky, lotus. I usually share the tokujo bento with my mom, a delightful creation of fresh sashimi, root and mountain vegetables, broiled salmon, fish eggs, egg sushi, shrimp and vegetable tempura, and rice. It comes with chawanmushi and a small bowl of udon in soup. I absolutely love the flakes of tempura batter that they sprinkle in the udon soup. Mmm and fresh green onion. I think it's the simplicity of the food that amazes me.
The texture of the udon is absolutely mind blowing! It's chewy, even in the soup, and not too soft nor too hard. The rice is likewise just as wonderful, moist and also chewy, with some nori sprinkled on top.
If it's your first time at Sanuki No Sato, I would definitely recommend the udon salad. The dish is ham, cucumber, tomato, mountain vegetable, seaweed, and bean sprouts a top cold udon noodle and dressed with your choice of either the sesame seed or soy sauce. (I always opt for the soy sauce. It's slightly sweet, and not the soy sauce that normally comes to mind.)
After your meal, saunter over to Bonjour, a French, Japanese patisserie for a petite dessert.
If that doesn't make your day, I don't know what will!
Overpriced but generally pretty good. I liked the celeb pictures on the way in (Ken Watanabe among others... very cool... didn't know that Japanese celebs go to Gardena when they come to LA... lol).
Don't get ramen. I went with Carrie and the ramen she had was pseudoramen. It's all about the udon here. I really liked that they gave enormous amounts of green onion and other veg. Being Viet, I like a lot of fresh veggies in my soup.
I'll have to come back here again to give a more extensive review and try some of their other stuff. Other people's dishes looked absolutely delicious!
Very fresh udon! A must try! And there are lots of varieties.
They also has an extensive menu of other items besides udon if you're not in the mood for noodles.
This restaurant is a Japanese celeb destination as per the numerous pictures on the wall. Baseball players, actors, etc.
Great great udon. In the most recent visit, it tasted a little more flour-y than usual, perhaps an off-day for the noodle maker? But in general the best udon noodles to be found in LA. Generally I go with the zaru udon, so that I can enjoy the purity of the noodles without the extraneous window dressing. But their hot udons are quite solid also.
Can't vouch for their soba (or rice dishes), but why order such things at a place known for udon?
But caveat emptor in terms of the other dishes, which can be a bit of a hit or miss. For instance we had always enjoyed the hirame carpaccio, but noticed a significant decrease in the amount of fish over the 2+ years of going to the restaurant. Ice crystals in ankimo another time... grrr.... But you can find various izakaya dishes that you probably won't find in too many other places in LA.
Bill can add up quickly if having a beer or two, etc.
Still the best udon anywhere hands down, just had somemore udon silky white and firm with a tasty broth. Like it's suppose to be. Not like kotohira which is offwhite and mushy. Why people go there I don't know.
U ltimate
D delicious
O ustanding
N oodles
That says it all. Done!
But for those of you who want more of a review, this place screams authentic Japanese udon. I recently came here again with the anticipation of eating two of my favorite things in the world: udon and mochi (a.k.a. chikara udon $10). Udon texture, mochi firmness, broth flavor hit the bulls eye. Obviously, my friend who took me here has discriminating taste just like me. Trust me, if my first generation Japanese parents love this place, then you should too!
I saw Sanuki No Sato ad so many times on Japan Up! magazine. Japanese food is my first love so Sanuki No Sato was the perfect choice before my one week Hong Kong adventure. There was no wait but the place was crowded; that's a good sign for a good restaurant. We ordered Nabeyaki Udon and Sanshoku Wariko Soba. Nabeyaki udon has a nice flavor; it's good but not great. The shrimp tempura was the best part. Sanshoku Wariko Soba is a trio of mini soba with salmon roe, mushrooms, seasoned herring, quail egg, grated yam and daikon radish. The presentation of wariko soba is beautiful and the concept of 3 different kind of soba is fun..but not so much on the taste. It tasted fine but I got tired eating the soba, even with 3 different toppings. I looked at other tables and most of them ordered tempura zaru soba. The price was a little overpriced compared to other Japanese soba/udon place but not too bad. I would probably go back there to try other stuff on the menu but as of righ now 3 stars for Sanuki No Sato.
This is my spot. It's on the pricier side, but I will make the trek out for their delicious udon combos. You wouldn't think udon would be something you could mess up (like breakfast food) but after our terrible Zenshima experience I've learned my lesson. We usually come for lunch to get the "lunch prices" but dinner is still satisfying. The waitresses are nice and the noodles come out fast and fresh. Definitely the type of joint where you get one old faithful dish and stick by it, though there are tons of specials and combos to choose from.
Still love this place. Tanuki udon, Filet Katsu, Mini Shirasu-don, and Kaki-age make for a great lunch.
Beware that you can't order the dinner items on the back of the menu during lunch. So if you want to dine izakaya-style (and get the seasonal menu as well), come for dinner.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/21/2007
The best udon you can get outside of Japan. Yes, I've been to Japan. Yes, I've had excellent udon in… Read more »
The best udon you will ever have in LA. I had the Kanitama udon hot, which is filled with crab meat, fulffy omelette, tons of onions, in a delicious broth and perfectly chewy udon. The udons range from $12-$15 so it's not cheap but definitely worth it.
Also ordered fried soft shell crab which is fabulous. I love anything fried, especially seafood.
This place is tucked in the right in the middle of a L shaped plaza. If you don't look carefully, you can totally miss this place. It's not because I have chinky eyes either, it's seriously hidden in that corner. There were no issues with parking, plentiful.
The place was busy but not packed (Monday night). Even though it wasn't busy, the service seemed a bit slow. It took them a while to to come take our orders. The restaurant is nice decorated typical Japanese style and the waitresses are dressed up in kimonos which is pretty cool. They were overall pretty nice though.
They have a nice variety on the menu so if it's your first few times, you might feel like you want to sample everything. We started off with the beef tongue marinted in miso sauce. It was pretty good but a bit over cooked on some of the slices. I also wished they gave us a nice wedge of lemon rather than a thin slice that looked like it was for decorations. I was too lazy to ask for more lemon. The appetizer was good but not great. My friend ordered some fried chicken appetizer where it was doused with some sweet terriyaki style sauce and a little bit of kewpie (japanese mayo). It was just okay.
For my main dinner entree, I ordered the Nabeyaki udon. I don't know about the other reviews, but it was the bomb! I added some red chili peppers and it was pretty magical. I barely had any soup left at the end.
After eating all our food, we were pretty full. There was no room for dessert. The tab came out to low $40s for the two of us (2 appetizers and 2 udons). I would definitely come back here for the udon. I really enjoyed it, the soup base was really delish! I have to say it was probably one of the best Udons I have ever had.
This place is pretty good! =D
All their dishes are quite pricey...
I must admit their udon is pretty good here....had the mochi cheese udon
But $15+ for noodles is too much. I would much rather go to santouka ramen or kappo honda even.
BTW I was fortunate enough to try the Grade AA uni (Lg. $120) here and it was awesome! Highlight of the day =p
My first time having GOOD udon. At first glance I thought "Hmm, this is rather expensive for udon." Well, well, well, my taste buds told my brain otherwise after we finished out meal. Talk about pulling a fast one, Sanuki! He got the Yabenaki udon and after tasting it, I've made it my staple udon bowl everywhere we go. I had the Katsu udon? I believe it was pork cutlet on the side and a bowl of simple veggies. Oh my goodness, it was amazing. I couldn't tell you how perfectly the crunchy greasiness of the cutlet melted/blended with my oh so simple veggie broth of delicioso-ness.
0o0o0o0o0o0oh yum. please visit.
Since I go out for lunch everyday, this is one of my favorite place on a cold or rainy day.
But the place is always pack.
Love their nabeyaki udon, but do expect to wait up to 30mins on top of 10 to 30 mins wait to be seated.
But it's worth it. =)
Took the journey out to Gardena just to have Tempura Udon at one of the most renown udon restaurants in LA. The place was filled with all Japanese customers except for my friend Chella who said 'they probably think I'm Fillipino'.
This place has the real deal udon soup as both the broth and noodles are of the highest quality. The stock is authentically simplistic as it's primarily made with water, dried shaved bonito flakes, and dried kelp called Kombu (Many other restaurants use powdered stock as a base). The noodles are made fresh and that alone is a rarity among Japanese restaurants. The accompanying Tempura shrimp and vegetables were light, crispy, and served in a basket on the side just how I like it.
It cost about $30 out the door for a couple bowls of Udon which is definitely on the high side but you have to consider you are getting one of the best udon soups around. This restaurant is the benchmark for udon and a destination restaurant because of it. They have many other Japanese dishes here so you can have fun for quite a while trying them all (after you have had the udon soup - don't be like Chella and order beef curry when you're semi-vegan and then say this place is blah).
My wife and her friends all say it's a 5 star. I know they are right, but I do like my broth slightly lighter so it's a preference thing. 4.75 stars.
I was craving udon so I turned to what seems to be a reliable source of information, Yelp. Seeing all those five stars Sanuki I decided to try it out.
Of course I brought my twins (my weekend with them).
We ordered two udons. One with tempura for Skylar and one with pork katsu for me. Ethan loves fish so I got him the boiled yellow tail with salt. Dining out with my four year olds at restaurants with no kids menu has its pros and cons. One of the pros, I get to try out some of their food because they just can't finish an adult meal. The con, I eat way too much.
Let's start with the udon. The noodle was awesome. Very soft but not soggy. It had a silky feel to it with little bit of chewiness at the end. The pork katsu was very moist and juicy. The tempura batter was light and held the flavor very well. The yellow tail was boiled to perfection. Not dry at all and seasoned just right.
I thought the service was little on the slow side but very very friendly. One of the biggest downside to this place is the price. Very pricey. The three dishes above with two green tea ice cream = $44 and change. I may go broke pretty soon.
Will come back because the food was so good. Just not every day.
Man. This udon was good.
I kind of ran into the reviews of some of my favorite yelpers. Some of my favorite yelpers have reviews on this place and they don't even live in this area. So I figured this place must be good. I came here for lunch today, and yes, the udon was good.
I came around 11:20ish and they were just getting ready to open. I felt kind of funny being here because I am not Japanese and I certainly don't speak Japanese, and most of the people coming here were all pretty much Japanese. Well, a lot of Japanese people at a Japanese joint, that is a good sign, especially as soon as it opens the people came rushing in.
I ordered the Nabeyaki Udon that comes in a hot pot, with shitake mushrooms and shrimp tempura. The tempura was excellent, and I was hoping it was not on the top of the udon, cuz I was positive it would've been even crispier if it wasn't soaking up the broth. The vegetables were... kinda weird. Some I liked and some I didn't like. I love seaweed, so having lots of seaweed on my udon was a plus. What I really liked, was the broth. It was clear but the flavor was very refreshing, definitely.
I had no cash in my hand, tho. When I gave my card to the waitress she was like... umm, we don't allow charges below $20. I had to tell her I had no cash. (Lazy me, haven't been to an ATM in a while) Then the waitress took my card. grrr
This is definitely not a place you want to come alone, tho. I am thinking of bringing my hubby to taste this udon. A bowl of goodness. Next time I think I am gonna try their tonkatsu.
I am ashamed that I have never been here before. Their udon is some of the best I've had. I've had their tempura udon and nabeyaki udon. I've tried some of the mochi cheese udon too, and that was pretty tasty (what doesn't go well with cheese?).
Noodles: perfect combination of firmness and chewiness, without being too much of either, at least for my taste. They don't skimp on the amount, either.
Broth: so tasty, and yet, not too heavy. If you actually look at the broth, you don't see a lot of the big oily bubbles on the surface of the broth. I didn't feel too guilty finishing off all the broth. Whatever they're doing to make the broth so good, keep doing it!
vegetables: the vegetables in the nabeyaki udon are cooked perfectly. The shitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots seem to be marinated or cooked in something before it's added to the udon which gives it great flavor.
tempura: Not too big and greasy, although I wish they would serve it on the side like the tempura udon so it wouldn't get soggy.
I would highly recommend this place if you want to eat some udon done right.
Excellent udon. Don't order ramen here -- i saw some reviewers talking about ramen and be disappointed -- look, no respectable diner should eat ramen in udon joint. That's like eating fried chicken at a Angus burger joint. Order some weird sounding udon -- which are more of favorite of Japanese living in Japan. Buta Kukuni - marinated roast pork -- is very good, too. Good enough to last in Tokyo -- but not good enough to last in Osaka -- but most people wouldn't know or care. Soup sauce is very Tokyo for Japanese food otaku.
One drawback. Little expensive than it should be.
Best udon soup I've had at a restaurant. I like the chicken or tempura here - something simple. The ice tea they give you is awesome too. Might have to wait at lunch - come early. Expensive.
Updated review on 6/03/09
We still go there but I had to realize that Sanuki is quite expensive now.
Well for dinner that is.
We ( 3 adults and 2 children) ordered Kamo (duck) namban soba, assorted sashimi dinner ( 3 slices of each, tuna, salmon and octopus), kalbi dinner, chicken katsu dinner, edamame and 3 mochi desserts.
The bill? It was a little over $100, no we didn't have beer or sake just dinner only.
Now that many restaurants in the area offer dinner much lowerer than $20, yet their chicken katsu was $22!!
As much as we love Sanuki but I can't take my family to Sanuki like we used to.......
Try their lunch hours guys! Same type/amount available around $12~14.
Really good deal!!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/16/2007
One of the best traditional Japanese restaurant in the area!!! Sanuki offers udon, soba, other… Read more »
I am not a fan of the udon flavored ramen. Yeah, you read right. I ordered the ramen with udon broth. Like a fool.
In hindsight, that was probably the one thing I should not have ordered from their menu.
I am just not a fan of udon. You can take my word on it that I probably know nothing about the nuances between types of udon. I thought the now defunct Super Udon in Gardena was good.
Props to the authenticity of this place. I enjoyed looking around. The overpricing of items also added to the experience. Since ramen runs around $8 a bowl, I was surprised at the over $10 pricing on most things.
