Yamabuki

There are not enough authentic restaurants in Torrance, and I have been to almost all of them. Upon observing the first impression of Yamabuki, rather a small restaurant with tacky lights, one might underestimate the taste and the service that comes with the restaurant. Looks can be deceiving. When i visited this place, i ordered a beef teriyaki combo and a seafood bowl. First off, a beef teriyaki comes with a variety of side dishes. The tempura pieces are moderately crunchy and most importantly NOT GREASY AT ALL. It seems that they have used very fresh oil for frying the tempura, and one can taste the difference. In addition, the beef in this combo is just phenomenal. It literally melts in your mouth like a piece of chocolate but BETTER. It is tender and freshly cooked. Another thing I loved about this restaurant is the miso soup. It is the best of its kind so far, and it warms up my stomach for the main intake of the main course. Complimenting the miso soup perfectly is the salad, which contains the traditional japanese sauce ( the one that is a little thick and sweet and a little bitter). Those were great appetizers, and my sister and I did not get bored just by eating them. When I first tasted the seafood bowl, I could not believe that I was eating a meal that was only 10 bucks. You get a lot of Sushi pieces, and these carefully cut sushi pieces melt in your mouth. All the ingredients in this bowl compliment well of each other. Another thing I feel compelled to further elaborate on is the warmth emanating from the waitress. Just conversing with her raises one's appetite and creates a great, comfortable, and for me personally an ideal environment to dine on a exhausting weekday night. For those of you who are big savers, the prices are very cheap as well for a gourmet japanese restaurant like this. The teriyaki bowl was only 13.99 and the seafood bowl 9.50 to be exactly. Pros: Food quality, price range, friendliness Cons: not easy to find unless you know the place more

Yamabuki rocks! Excellent sushi, at affordable prices. They have the best tuna and yellowtail I've ever had. The ingredients are carefully ordered by the sushi chef, who allegedly is a fanatic when it comes to ordering the best parts. His high standards, craftsmanship and attention to detail shows. If you get to know him well, he may even serve you yellowtail belly (the toro of yellowtail). I never knew yellowtail could be so good! It's really beautiful to look at, and the stuff just melts in your mouth! The menu encompasses a wide variety of Japanese foods, from hot pots and sukiyaki to izakaya dishes (Japanese bar style tapas). The presentation is so artful and amazing. Every plate of food is beautifully arranged in exquisite ceramic dishes and lacquer ware. They have a full bar, too, stocked with the best sake, tequila, shochu, whiskey...you name it, they've got it. The Karaoke (after 10PM) is a blast, too. They arguably have the best sound system and acoustics in the South Bay, complete with plasma TV screens. I love this place! Highly recommended. Pros: Quality, Parking, Service, Price Cons: Hard to find, as sign is obscured by their neighbor's sign. more

While I am not very experienced with Japanese food at all, the wonderful staff at Yamabuchi's answered all of my stupid questions with a sincere smile on their face and a great attitude. The food was great (I tried some new things that I liked and a few I didn't), and the atmosphere was very quaint. I will definitely go back again! more