No, Spoon House is Japanese pasta. They’ve been around for at least 15 years?
Spoon by H is Korean home cooking and desserts
Not the same owners.
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For what it is worth it gets great reviews and multiple posts on next door. Great list ty!
To make a long story short, I’m meeting a friend in Redondo tomorrow evening but will be heading that direction early. Any new/further recommendations for South Bay solo light lunches and/or coffee and/or afternoon snacks?
I’ve been clicking back through archives and this thread is awesome, but I figured I’d bump it to see if there were any updates in the last few months. Thank you!
Fukagawa can be light if you can order their breakfast set at lunch. Nearby is Nagomi Cake House where you can have coffee and an excellent pastry. Chantilly is also in the area, but about 10-15 minutes southwest of Fukugawa.
If you want more a variety, there’s the big Tokyo Central on Artesia where the food court choices are vast in addition to the onigiri and karaage available in the store.
And of course, Modo doughnuts are available at Mitsuwa but you have to buy a half dozen at a time.
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I think you could do a light solo lunch at either Sanuki No Sato or Wadatsumi. I ate lunch solo at Wadatsumi at the counter. You can order sashimi plates or sashimi bowls at either place and not eat too much rice. They both give you tofu, miso soup and chawanmushi. ~$20 with tax and tip out the door.
I definitely second Chantilly Patisserie for their cream puffs. Amazing stuff. Their cakes are excellent too. Can’t go wrong here.
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My favorite coffee in South Bay is at The Boy & The Bear in Redondo Beach. They only roast and serve Colombian beans.
Josui Ramen is very good. If you want light, get their namesake ramen: Josui or Josui Kosoba.
The hype around Tempura Carlos Jr. is real. Their tendon is the most affordable.
Sidecar Doughnuts is now open in South Torrance.
Can’t go wrong with anything at Otafuku in Gardena.
Head to Gindaco in Gardena to taste Japan’s most ubiquitous–but not traditional Osaka-style–takoyaki.
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Ume and Vegetable Seiro Soba at Otafuku. Incredibly light and refreshing!
If you haven’t been to Chantilly yet, I highly recommend the Black Sesame Cream Puff. Biting into it you get some texture than the whole thing become like a black sesame cloud of flavor, so light and airy.
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@attran99 @JeetKuneBao @Starchtrade @js76wisco this is awesome, thanks a ton y’all!! I’m heading down there now, will follow the calling of my stomach and see where I end up for lunch. Then definitely on to chantilly!
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Great to know! They are opening a spot near my office right off the freeway in Westchester on La Tijera!
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+1 though I’ve only been to the Culver City location. Great shop for coffee purists and they have excellent baristas. Only problem is the seating, or lack thereof due to aspiring screenwriters taking up every one.
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Lol i thought they were all at the downtown Culver city starbucks!
Oh yeah, thanks so much for the reminder! Meant to post this yesterday.
Thanks for all of the recommendations! Had a pretty excellent day.
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Tendon Tempura Carlos Jr. - special lunch plate
This was pretty awesome, as many others have noted. Tempura was perfectly fried and super light, and the tendon sauce was excellent. Loved the eggy rice at the end for sure. -
Chantilly - cream puff
They were out of black sesame, but this regular cream puff was really good too. Light flaky pastry crust + rich cold cream. An obvious winner and I definitely want to go back to try some of their other pastries. -
The Boy & The Bear - cortado
Nice drink, and a cool spot to spend a bit of time - comfy couches, stylish interior, hip kids on laptops at most of the tables. Also picked up a bottle of cold brew to go which I am looking forward to trying. -
Hudson House - taco Tuesday
This was the real reason for the visit. A friend who used to work in the area insisted these were the best tacos in town. He’s a little off on that point, but they were good - carnitas and chicken, mostly indistinguishable because they were slow-cooked in the same marinade. Salsa was nice, and prices were more than reasonable, $1.50 per taco, with decent $3 beers and $7 cocktails. It’s a fun spot and the tacos were good. If I worked in the area like he did, I could see myself developing an affection for the spot. -
Smog City - flight
There was still a bunch of traffic when we were ready to head back north, so ducked into Smog City to wait it out. Their IPAs are fine, but the sours and the stouts are where they really shine. In particular this sour with cedar was great. Wanted to hit Monkish too, but they were closed for their staff holiday party. Oh well, I’m mostly over the hazy thing anyway.
Thanks everyone for the recommendations! I need to make about a dozen more trips down that way to hit everything else, and get some Japanese food education. Planning another visit soon!
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You did well there. Bravo.
Anyone like Curryfornia?
Hey Attran, did u see the article in today’s LA Times food section about traditional Japanese breakfasts; and which specifically detailed Fukugawa? I saw that, immediately thought of you. 
Cousteau
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Hi Jeet! A quirk led me to a recent interest in Bruce Lee, so I’ve only newly learned of Jeet Kune Do. Till now, I wouldn’t have known the basis of your stage name, nor that your pic is Bruce! 
I’ve read a favorite dish of his, along with black bean shrimp, was oyster sauce beef with rice. I immediately was compelled to find the best, which I’d like to now hep you to: that at Mandarin Garden Rest., 1001 S. Vermont St. in LA Koreatown. It’s $19.50 altogether, but the portion is quite large, with kalbi-quality tender beef mixed with some green peas pods and sliced water chestnuts. A winner! Bruce would have loved it. I guess this really should be a whole separate thread, but I got excited and couldn’t resist.
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What a terrific and helpful list! Thank u, TheChez5!
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