Otafuku

This tiny, family-owned South Bay restaurant offers three different kinds of soba noodles, all of which are made in-house daily. Made with Japanese specialty flour, they're all equally delicious, but Otafuku's all-white seiro noodles are the house signature—and a definite must-try for first-timers. Other than soba, the restaurant also offers plenty of homey Japanese classics, including Spanish mackerel-topped rice bowls (a beloved everyday cut), tempura plates, chicken and pork katsu and bowls of steaming hot udon soup. In the evenings, the menu expands to include sashimi and yakitori, including an excellent plate of mackerel with pea shoots.