Soba Sojibo in Torrance - Anyone been lately?

I looked it up on CH, but the last mention of it was 2 years ago. @Chowseeker1999, apparently you found it awful. Have you, or anyone else, been there lately, and has it improved at all? A friend wants to go to dinner there tomorrow and I was just wondering what to expect. Thanks! :smile:

Why not go for the win with I-naba?

Sit at the tempura bar. You won’t find better tempura any where else. Served fresh immediately after being fried. It would be like the difference of getting sushi at the bar and sushi at the tables.

Get the fried fresh anago if they have it. Ask for the fried bones. Also ask for the 3 types of flavored salt if they don’t give it to you.

Their kitchen menu is also top notch and so is their sushi.

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For a short while, Sojibo had an outlet on Sawtelle. The soba there was surprisingly good, I thought. I was a bit disappointed to see it go.

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[quote=“Porthos, post:2, topic:746”]
Why not go for the win with I-naba
[/quote]well, cuz i-naba (IIRC) no longer makes their own soba…

Even if that is true, it’s still much better than the Sojibo. They make their soba but don’t know to how to cook it. :stuck_out_tongue:

–Dommy!

that’s why everyone still goes to Kotohira and Ichimi Ann

I’m not vouching for soba sojibo.

Kotohira for soba? I’ve only gone for Udon. I now prefer Monjiro or Oumi Sasaya in the South Bay for Udon though.

For Soba, I’m an Otafuku guy, although I’ve never gone to Sojibo. I went to Ichimi-An recently. It’s fine, but not exceptional.

For Tenpura, Komatsu in Torrance is the place to go, IMHO. It’s significantly better than Inaba, and less expensive.

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How about Oumi Sasaya in Lomita for soba?
Heard it is great and they make their own.

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GDAMNIT, obviously I meant Otafuku for soba.

Also, since we’re talking about torrance: has ANYONE been to try that “chorizo” ramen?

I had not heard that. In recent visits, I felt the soba continues to be excellent.

Ichimi Ann is wonderful, but isn’t it affiliated with I-naba? Perhaps I-naba “outsources” its soba but only from Ichimi Ann?

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I’m sad to report that the new incarnation of Komatsu is much less satisfying. I would have agreed with you about the old location, which was exceptional. After its closure and the opening of the new location (a year or so later) the menu is a shadow of the original.

I-naba’s tempura has always been good. Not quite as good as the old Komatsu, but much better than the new Komatsu.

I also thought I-naba just gets their soba from Ichimi-An and that they were affiliated.

They’re part of the same restaurant group.

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Curious to know how many times you’ve been.

I’ve had Tenpura at Komatsu at least 5 times, and each time it was better than the last few times I went to Inaba where the Tenpura batter was a little thick, slightly undercooked and gummy. The Tenpura at Komatsu was light and thin, and to the point of just crispy. The only mediocre meal I had at Komatsu was the Tonkatsu, which was still better than most places in LA.

has ANYONE been to try that “chorizo” ramen2?

Since I’ve been on Tan Tan lookout mode, I have. It was completely unmemorable and salty. :stuck_out_tongue:

–Dommy!

Been to I-Naba close to a dozen times. It’s always light and airy and crispy. Can’t imagine gummy or undercooked being attached to the descriptor. Last visit a year ago. Quality was consistent across 2 different tempura chefs.

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Good to know. I guess I’ve been really unlucky.

That sounds “omoshiroi”.

Once, at the direction of the legendary Rameniac, I had the pleasure of having Jamon Iberico Ramen (!!!) in Monzen-nakacho, Tokyo. Still salivating from that memory…

I agree.

Re Komatsu: Hiroshi is a master at tempura and I have enjoyed his omakase on many occasions (at the old location). Times change, and he had to close. When he opened the new location, I rushed there, but the new format and more limited menu have sadly disappointed. That said, I’m sure that if a party booked Komatsu for a special occasion, Hiroshi would provide an exceptional experience.

Thanks for all the info, everyone! I’m not a noodle expert so this has all been very helpful. I do live in Torrance though, so I have been to I-Naba, Ichimi Ann, Kotohira, Oumi Sasaya, etc. Thought we’d try somewhere new, but @Porthos’ post made me crave the tempura at I-naba, which I love, so that’s where we shall be going tonight. :yum:
Thanks, again!

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