Fresh, Crispy Tempura - Tempura Specialist Inaba [Thoughts + Pics]

Ichimian is one of the more known soba specialists in the South Bay - they are part of the same.group that runs Inaba. It’s been a long while since I’ve had soba at either of the Ichimian locations, but I personally felt the soba at Inaba was more to my liking. What ever the case, I think you can’t go wrong at any of these locations for soba, but you’ll probably find the other food choices more broad and more focused at Inaba.

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Hi @T3t,

I hear you; we usually get so full before we remember about the Soba, too. :slight_smile: As @bulavinaka said, one interesting note is that Inaba’s sister restaurant, Ichimian is a Handmade Soba specialist (and nearby). They make their Soba Noodles fresh and deliver it to Inaba daily.

So you get the pleasure of enjoying the best of Tempura at Inaba with fresh Handmade Soba, instead of traveling over to Ichimian or Otafuku. But there’s nothing wrong if you’d rather do a bang-bang and go to both places! :slight_smile:

Update:

We were overdue for a return visit to Inaba. One of my good friends and her husband was joining us - They were craving some great Japanese Tempura that reminded them of Japan.

Trio of Dipping Salts (Curry Salt, Sea Salt, Green Tea Salt):

Housemade Tempura Dipping Sauce:

I love the attention to detail that this Tempura Bar / Specialist has, and their condiments are always excellent. The trio of Dipping Salts really enhance and alter the flavor profile of each piece of Tempura that comes out.

Shishito - Shishito Peppers Tempura:

Their Shishito Tempura was light and crispy. Not oily at all. :slight_smile:

Shiitake - Shiitake Mushroom Tempura:

It’s tender, yet almost meaty in its texture. The Shiitake Mushrooms were so fragrant and crave-worthy! This was my friend’s favorite of the meal! Delicious. :blush:

Nasu - Eggplant Tempura:

This was one of my favorites from our previous visits, and it didn’t disappoint. It’s cooked down a creamy, silky interior, piping hot, and a light crispy exterior. Fantastic! :heart:

Battera - Marinated Mackerel Box Sushi:

We finally remembered to order this, thanks to @PorkyBelly. :slight_smile: Inaba’s Battera (or Pressed Marinated Mackerel Sushi) was tasty, with a noticeable, but not overpowering Vinegar accent. The Mackerel was oily, briny and had a tart-sweet flavor.

Now that we’ve tried it, I think my favorite for the South Bay is Fukuno’s version, with Hachi’s light searing making it more interesting, but Inaba’s is solid and held together better than Hachi’s (which fell apart).

Ebi - Shrimp Tempura:

Outstanding! :heart:

The classic Shrimp Tempura at Inaba is always fried so well: Not oily, crispy, light, with a clean, tempting brininess (in a good way) coming through! :blush: My friend wanted to immediately order another round, but we cautioned that we had a lot more food on the way. :wink:

Anago - Sea Eel (Kyushu, Japan) Tempura:

Tender, buttery (but no actual butter), this was another highlight of the meal! :blush:

Kisu - Whiting (Kyushu, Japan):

A very delicate Fish: There’s barely any noticeable flavor at first, but if you accent it with the Tempura Dipping Sauce (or the Matcha Salt), the flavors start coming through.

Asparagus Tempura:

Mizu Tako - Octopus (Hokkaido, Japan):

It looked a little oily, but taking a bite, I understand why: The Mizu Tako was bordering on juicy(!), tender, with a light chew, but SO GOOD! It was barely cooked, creating an almost “Sashimi / Tempura” hybrid taste in a way. Definitely a highlight! :heart:

Hotate - Scallop Tempura:

The Scallop Tempura was excellent as usual. Still one of my favorites, plump, meaty delicate Scallops, with a crisped exterior batter.

Zaru Soba - Handmade Buckwheat Noodles:

Their Zaru Soba (Chilled Handmade Buckwheat Noodles) arrived perfectly cooked, a nice al dente toothsome quality. :slight_smile: Made fresh daily by its sister restaurant (nearby) - Ichimian - it was perfect for the slightly warm weather we’ve been having. So refreshing and cool. :blush:

Our friends felt this was the best Soba they’ve had in L.A. so far.

Inaba remains an enjoyable place to stop by if you’re in the mood for various Box Set Combinations or Small Plates. It also just so happens to be an outstanding Tempura Bar / Specialist, that makes some of the best Tempura in L.A., and you can get fantastic Handmade Soba Noodles as well. :wink: I can see why @bulavinaka likes this place so much, and it’s quite family friendly as well with it’s casual atmosphere and dining room. We can’t wait to go back.

Inaba
20920 Hawthorne Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90503
Tel: (310) 371-6675

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Great report @Chowseeker1999 ill be heading there too in a few days. Have you tried the squid tempura and squid and shiso roll tempura, those are outstanding too. Did they have any specials, are they still doing the unagi zucchini tempura?

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Thanks @PorkyBelly. :slight_smile: I’ve tried the Squid once, but I barely remember it. Worth getting right? :wink: I will definitely have to try the Squid and Shiso Roll Tempura!

The specials? On this visit it was the Mizu Tako Tempura from Hokkaido. But nothing else. We didn’t see the Unagi Zucchini Tempura (darn)! :cry:

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Definitely, i always end up getting at least two orders of the squid every time i’m there.

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Thanks, I’ll definitely order the squid tempura next time. :slight_smile:

One of my favorite unsung Japanese restaurants in the South Bay.

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Glad you like it as well @matthewkang. :slight_smile: What are your favorites at Inaba?

Update 2:

We were craving great Tempura, so off we went for a return visit to Inaba. Make sure you make a reservation for the Tempura Bar if you’re craving Inaba’s specialty. Chef Hiro Kikuchi greeted us warmly as we sat down and he remembered us from our last visit. :slight_smile:

Trio of Dipping Salts (Curry Salt, Sea Salt, Green Tea Salt):

As before, a trio of Dipping Salts are offered to pair with the freshly fried Tempura throughout the evening. Each one imparts a dramatically different flavor, and our favorite remains either the Green Tea Salt (vegetal notes with the Salt), or their…

Housemade Tempura Dipping Sauce:

It’s just really pleasing, not overly salty, nor too watery either. It adds a real umami taste to every bite. :slight_smile:

Okra Tempura:

Nicely cooked, just soft enough to absorb the Tempura Dipping Sauce and with enough snap to make it interesting.

Nasu - Eggplant Tempura:

Still one of the best offerings from Inaba’s Tempura menu! Even if you don’t like Eggplant, Chef Kikuchi cooks these to the point where the Eggplant becomes like eating clouds. And as before, Inaba switches out their Tempura fryer oil daily, so every bite is always so fresh tasting and light. It’s like the opposite of the vast majority of Tempura being offered around L.A. Don’t miss their Nasu! :heart:

Ebi - Shrimp Tempura:

Perfect batter, crispy, slightly crunchy, moist, tender Shrimp within. Excellent! :blush: I loved this with their Green Tea Salt as well as the Tempura Dipping Sauce.

Shiitake - Shiitake Mushroom Tempura:

If you ever want to enjoy the greatness of Shiitake Mushrooms, look no further than Chef Kikuchi’s Shiitake Mushroom Tempura. You get this glorious meaty, but tender, succulent bite of pure umami flavor. It is so aromatic in a way that only good Shiitake Mushrooms can be, surrounded by a slightly crisp batter.

Definitely loved it the most with the Tempura Dipping Sauce! :heart: Tied for Best Bite of the Evening! :blush:

Battera (Marinated Mackerel Box Sushi):

We remembered to order Inaba’s Battera (Marinated Mackerel Box Sushi) (thanks @PorkyBelly). :slight_smile: Inaba’s Battera is delicious: An inherently stronger, oily fish nicely offset with a bit of the Vinegared Kelp. I think I still like Fukuno’s Battera the most, but this one is still very good and great when you want a break from the Tempura. :slight_smile:

Asparagus Tempura:

Perfectly cooked Asparagus.

Anago - Sea Eel (Kyushu, Japan) Tempura:

I really like their Anago (Sea Eel) Tempura a lot. This is a very meaty cut, but still very light and tender, wonderfully paired with the crispy batter exterior. :slight_smile:

Namatako - Raw Giant Octopus (Hokkaido, Japan):

They had Tako (Octopus) from Hokkaido again, so we decided to order it. It’s fried so that the Octopus is still mostly raw inside, to keep it from being too chewy. The previous visit’s Octopus was better: This time, it was still tasty, but a touch too chewy.

Hotate - Scallop Tempura:

There’s an almost luscious quality to the barely cooked, yet wonderfully crispy exterior Scallop Tempura. Tied for best bite of the evening! :heart:

Pure EVIL (or, Natto, Dried Seaweed and Shiso Roll):

Why do I continually fall for my friend’s pleading when we bring him along and Natto (otherwise known as Pure Evil) somehow appears at our table?! :sob: :stuck_out_tongue:

It seems that whenever we go to a Japanese restaurant that has Evil on the menu, our Natto-loving friend just happens to also be dining with us. Coincidence? I’m not so sure. :wink:

So somehow we see this appear and I can smell it already, even though it was put in front of our friend’s setting, a few seats over from me. :cry:

I nibble on a bite.

Nope. Nope. Nope. :nauseated_face: :face_vomiting: :grimacing:

We happily let both of our friends just finish the rest of it. :laughing: :sweat:

Zaru Soba - Handmade Buckwheat Noodles:

Thankfully we finished off the savory courses in style: Inaba’s sister restaurant is one of L.A.'s best Soba Noodle specialists: Ichimian. Ichimian makes their Handmade Soba Noodles every morning and delivers some over to Inaba, and it is glorious! :blush:

The cooling, firm, earthy Buckwheat flavor comes through in each bite. The Soba Dipping Sauce is also just right, not overly salty. It is so refreshing and makes most mass-produced Soba you get around L.A. seem sad in comparison. Outstanding Soba and a must order at the end of the meal. :heart:

Parfait:

I love a good Japanese Parfait, so we had to give Inaba’s Parfait a try. :slight_smile: Inaba’s Parfait is a tasty blend of Custard, Black Sesame Ice Cream (@paranoidgarliclover it’s nutty and fragrant, but not as good as Shunji’s Black Sesame (but still a nice way to finish the evening here)), :wink: and Puffed Rice for some crunchiness, along with fresh Seasonal Fruit.

Inaba continues to be such a pleasure to visit: An inviting, simple restaurant with one of L.A.'s last remaining Tempura Bars. With a dedicated Tempura Chef like Kikuchi-san, who makes sure every piece of Tempura is cooked just right, with fresh oil at the right temperature (so it’s never oily / greasy tasting), and with the added bonus of getting fresh Handmade Soba Noodles to finish off your meal, Inaba remains one of our favorite places to relax and enjoy a great meal. (Thanks again @bulavinaka!)

Inaba
20920 Hawthorne Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90503
Tel: (310) 371-6675

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Oh! @bulavinaka @PorkyBelly and all,

Have any of you tried Inaba’s new Citrus Sudachi Sansho Pepper Udon? :slight_smile: I noticed this new menu item, but didn’t get a chance to order it. Does it pass @bulavinaka’s “good Udon test”? :wink:

i didn’t know about the udon, was it a special? Have you tried the tempura smelts yet? those were excellent on my last visit, i still have to post that.

Has anybody tried the fresh unagi from japan?

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Hi @PorkyBelly,

What?! They have fresh Unagi from Japan right now? :open_mouth: (then again, I’m kind of sad as it’s pretty overfished right now, unless they’ve managed to start to right the ship?)

That was from a couple weeks ago, not sure if they still have it.

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Enjoyed our lunch at I-Naba yesterday for the most part-delicious soba and rice. The tempura was not as impressive, unfortunately. The pieces seemed a little under fried and there was an unpleasant bit of tempura-ed fuzz in a piece of my lotus root. Scallops, which I was greatly looking forward to, were just Ok.

Favorite flavor combo for soba, oroshi ume shiso

Rice on the side was wonderful, with sweet potato and sesame

So-so tempura. Pumpkin was my favorite of the bunch. Lotus, scallops, and a kind of fish (Flathead? Broadhead? I forgot…)

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Those tempura look pretty third-string line cook performed. As is your online personality, politely address them (i.e., call them out in a nice way) on the results. You’ll be doing them a favor as well. I-Naba’s reputation is built on variety AND quality. They didn’t show this here.

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Hi @chinchi,

Thanks for the report back. Glad to hear the handmade Soba was great, but bummer about the Tempura! :frowning: One thing that might help next time is to order the tempura piecemeal if you’re at a table (and not at the Tempura Bar itself (which it looks like from the photo)). If you order a bunch at once for the table, the kitchen cooks them up but by the time the last few pieces are done, the first few have been unfortunately sitting on a plate, getting cold.

That’s one flaw with Inaba at the table: For Tempura, order it in waves (just a couple at a time), like an Izakaya / Yakitori joint, and that way it comes out when ready.

Still, like @bulavinaka said, you might bring up the problematic dish next time. If you’re able to / want to, try and get seats at the Tempura Bar next time during dinner. Chef Hiro Kikuchi is the specialist at dinner that’s been making awesome tempura for us over the years.

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Thanks for the feedback and suggestions @bulavinaka and @Chowseeker1999.

I tend to feel uncomfortable pointing out issues at restaurants, particularly when I’m not a frequent customer to the establishment. But the perspective of how a polite comment works in their favor might make me a little more confident to say something.

We check marked our tempura selections from the printed sheet, thinking a la carte vs. tempura lunch set would be the way to go. We were only provided one sheet, so I didn’t think of ordering bit by bit. Even so, I think it’s fair to expect a certain level of quality and finesse at a tempura specialist.

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Hi @chinchi,

Yah for sure. Disappointed to hear the lunch at the table didn’t turn out so well with the tempura. :frowning:

Ehh should have read the thread more…more on that

Okay the tempura…got the mushroom, eggplant, scallop, squid-shiso roll.

If you are not at the tempura bar, order it one at a time!!!

The result was half the tempura was good and the other half was okay. The actual ingredients were fine but the fry was not the best on some pieces. I imagine it sat on the bar waiting to be expo out while the other pieces were cooking.

Battera…good. As well as the potato salad and pickles.

I thought i could walked in at opening and get a seat at the tempura bar. I was wrong!

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