Fukagawa

Japanese Breakfast all Day!
Get your Nato On!
This place is pretty good.
they got ramen, udon, soba, you name it.
they got fish,
chicken, steak,
they even got tofu if you are feeling like the world is going to end and you don’t care what you eat anymore.
they steak is pretty good!
I never get the tofu. who the heck knows. it might be good.
ask yourself this, would Merle Haggard eat the tofu?
No?
then why are you going to eat the tofu?
don’t even think about it.
it’s a bad thought.
get it out of your mind.
anyways,
this place has a little bit of everything.
come check it out!
Enjoy!

Breakfast combination is delicious and healthy!
Curry is great and a perfect match with rice
My boyfriend loves katsu (deep fried pork cutlet) sandwich
Agedashi tofu is also good.
Tororo is great as well
Warabi mochi is a perfect ending.
Everything is perfect. Will come back :)

Breakfast was wonderful. Mackerel, miso soup, pickles, tofu, egg and rice with a packet of nori. The Japanese egg was delicious. Be careful… mackerel is good, but has small bones. The tea served was a nice green tea/​brown rice. Service was efficient even though they were busy. Well worth searching for this gem in the corner of the mall.

So close to five years since my first visit this place is STILL amazing serving up great breakfasts. I’m so impressed that their quality hasn’t changed at all and everything is just as delicious as I remembered it to be. I drive here at least once a month so that I can experience the perfection all over again.
Service is great and attentive way better than it was years ago. The food remains excellent. I still get the same thing, grilled salmon in a set D with raw egg. The free coffee is still there too! Props to the managers and owners for keeping this level of quality and love into their food. In an restaurant industry where Japanese food is under constant pressure to «fusion”-ize and generally be otherwise «hip», it’s great that there are places that still believe in the quality of their product and excellence of preparation.
This place is so slept on but I hope Fukagawa sticks around for more years to come.

My favorite place to get a real Japanese breakfast (which you can order all day, I think it costs a little extra past the breakfast hours). Very authentic (i.e. NOT Korean owned), great service, a welcoming homey feel.

We travel from Texas once a year and always make sure to eat a good Japanese breakfast at Fukagawa. Would recommend bigger tea cups as service was slow enough that cup was not refilled fast enough (a minor suggestion). There was a sign outside that indicated new ownership was forthcoming, so we didn’t see the same staff out front. We were told that the back kitchen staff was the same and we got the same quality food that we’ve come to expect, so no complaints. I would highly recommend for Japanese breakfast. As for dinner, we enjoyed the selections, but only one waiter was there which slowed the service.

Very yummy and authentic Japanese food with great price! My husband and I had a Ramen and Curry set and they are soooooo good! I especially love the noodle’s texture and home made Cha-​shu (pork). They have great Japanese breakfast sets too. Definitely recommend anyone and we will be back soon!

Came here before a Christmas Concert. We were in a hurry, and asked the waitress to bring the food quickly. It was not crowded when we came but it took quite some time to get our food.
The udon was okay, not great. The chicken katsu had three huge pieces on a mountain of shredded cabbage, with rice, miso soup and tsukemono (pickled cabbage). It was super hot but delicious.

Fukagawa’s inside the same shopping center as Carrow’s and Tokyo Central. I had breakfast here with my ex husband and our daughter on a Wednesday morning. My ex husband and I had the A set for $ 7.50 each. My daughter had the D with steak for $ 13.99.
I really enjoyed having breakfast here. It wasn’t busy. The service was attentive. We weren’t rushed out as in other breakfast places.

— Locale Destination —
It’s on W Redondo Beach Blvd and S Western Ave in Gardena.
It’s in the same shopping center as «Tokyo Central» (formerly «Marukai»), but the far end corner on the same aisle as «Tokyo Central». A little red ramp is the sign for this place.
Ambiance: Very old school, outdated yet eclectic, cozy, lots of «manga» (comic books) but nothing interested, very big and roomy with a semi private area. Bathroom is huge and kinda cool with the sliding door with a bit fancy Japanese toilet known for some cool functions. Japanese TV show was on the TV. Full of Japanese people. You can even drink beers in the morning.
Service: Very friendly.
Hours: Very weird/​random hours and day off (Wed). They open for breakfast and have a break (close) before dinner. Check before you go.
Menu: Breakfast is a traditional Japanese one. Noodles are their specialty, but the menu is all over — sukiyaki (AYCE), tempra, curry, you name it. You can enjoy Japanese food all day long with varieties.
Parking: Plenty
— Gluttony Expedition —
Breakfast menu, I mean all the menus (lunch and dinner) should be rewritten. Very outdated and confusing. Unless you brought Japanese who’re familiar with those food, it would be difficult to comprehend the menu. Around $ 9 – 11, they give you plenty of food.
I think Combo A has no fish. Toward D, you’ll get more stuff.
Breakfast combo D: Pick one fish (mackerel, salmon etc.) and egg (raw, dashimaki, sunny side etc.) first. It comes with natto (fermented soy beans. It comes with uzura (quail egg) and mustard), a pack of ajituke nori (seasoned sweet seaweed), rice (big portion), miso soup and pickles (tsukemono). The mackerel was a bit overcooked but tasty nonetheless. I wasn’t sure the natto comes with egg (I prefer to put tons of garnish like green onions, egg, bonito flakes in my natto), so I picked the raw egg for it. It came with a quail egg surprisingly, but I put my egg (good quality) in my natto. Very old school breakfast. Very enjoyable and rare — no one serves this type of traditional Japanese breakfast like this. This makes me think it’s nice to be born as Japanese to enjoy this. Good.
I also tried my buddy’s salmon. It was a bit overcooked and ok.
— Conqueror’s Deduction —
Very old school/​traditional Japanese breakfast. We Japanese eat American breakfast (toast and eggs — often. Cereal — very little) as well, but I prefer this type of breakfast. It’s rare to find a place that offers this type of breakfast in CA. Not so wow, but it’s a complete «old school» Japanese breakfast I can enjoy. I’ve tried to come here so many times but this place was closed every time I was gonna try. They got weird hours and day off (Wed). So I could finally try this place. They got a huge menu, so I might try something else next time.
Now I know where I go when I craved for the traditional Japanese breakfast.

This place is great! Not too crowded and nice digs. This cannot be said about all my refrigeration clients. These guys really know their stuff. Did I mention I work for a refrigeration maintenance outfit? My tech said it was clean before he got there… smells good and tastes even better!

Came for traditional Japanese breakfast. Wonderful service and good simple food. Free hot tea is a good addition to your breakfast. Ordered combination breakfast: fish, hot miso soup, cold tofu, rice, egg, dry seaweed, and pickle cabbage (around $ 10 per person). Cute décor and relax atmosphere. Plenty of parking.

The SERVICE is good and the free BLACK TEA is surprisingly good (for being free).
I had a COMBO PLATE of California rolls, tonkatsu (pork), white rice, miso soup, pickled veggie and salad. All were above average and pretty tasty. The pork may not have been «The Moistest in the West» but it was tender, not chewy, tasty and nowhere near dry.
The sliced EEL and EGG was a great appetizer. The egg was perfectly cooked for the way this was served. It was a slightly odd dish given the appearance and concept but it worked very well. Some pieces were a tad shy on eel for my palate.
It has that older style interior Japanese restaurant which I actually like. Next door is a very cool Japanese grocery/​retail store with a WIDE variety of merchandise.

Great traditional Japanese food spot. Came here for dinner, but I’ve heard many good things about the breakfast as well (which is available all day), so I’ll definitely have to give that a try sometime.
It’s literally tucked away in the corner of the shopping center, so it’s not really obvious where it’s located from the parking lot. Tons of parking, so no worries there.
Inside there is plenty of seating for groups of all sizes. It has a very simple/​minimal layout and design to it. It’s one of those places that you kind of know what to expect from the food/​service when you walk in based on what you see. On a Saturday night, there was no line or wait. The restaurant was full, but not overly crowded or anything.
The service is good overall. It was a little on the slower side, but I don’t think they have a lot of staff and the restaurant was fairly full, so can’t really complain.
The food is high quality. Very authentic. The udon in particular is really good. The soup base was kind of thick, and very tasty! We had several other appetizers as well, all of which were delicious. One person in our group ordered the breakfast, and it looked really good as well.
Overall, if you’re looking for solid Japanese food, or want a traditional Japanese breakfast, give this place a try!

Tucked in a corner of Pacific Square Shopping Center (next to Marukai, which has closed and is now Tokyo Central & Main), Fukagawa is a terrific place for traditional Japanese breakfast (they open at 7 am). More like bento lunch, but it’s very similar to what I had when I visited Japan.
I ordered Combo C (choice of fish or beef; I had broiled saba), egg (any style you want, I like sunny side up and with a runny yolk), miso soup, cold tofu with bonito flakes, pickled cabbage, and a bowl of hot rice. There’s an option for a side of natto (fermented soy beans). I’m not a big fan of natto, so I passed.
With some hot green tea, it’s a great way to start the day.
The service was very good. The staff friendly, and the food came out promptly. They nicely refilled my teacup with ocha. Did I mention the food was delicious.
I’d love to come back and sample their lunch menu… soba and udon.

I swear that I wrote a review on Fukagawa two years ago and posted pictures of my breakfast but it seems to magically have disappeared! After returning from Japan, I really wanted an authentic Japanese-​style breakfast. Fukagawa opens at 7 am and it’s not heavy and carbohydrate-​loaded compared to Western breakfasts.
I always order breakfast combo C, which offers a choice of fish and preference of one cooked egg, a little bit of pickled cabbage, cold tofu with bonito flakes, miso soup, a little packet of seaweed, and a bowl of rice. I always order the Spanish mackerel. If you aren’t afraid of bones, try this out. It’s seasoned lightly and broiled until perfection (flaky and juicy). It’s a version of a super healthy, breakfast bento box.
Also a bonus, breakfast specials are cheaper than last year! And servers are super friendly.

I’ve been to Fukagawa quite a few times now. Each time has been a great experience. The location itself can be hard to find since their sign is a bit hidden. If you’re facing Marukai market, look to your right and it’s at the very end of the row, hidden in the corner. The décor inside is a bit dated and minimal, but I think the restaurant provides a great atmosphere for having a conversation over a meal. It rarely gets noisy and no loud music playing.
Now onto the food… the menu is quite extensive, maybe even overwhelming. However, each page is categorized so if you’re in the mood for soba/​udon, just turn to that page. I’m a creature of habit and tried a couple of their soba dishes. Totoro is one of them and the special egg was the highlight. The creamy/​stretchy texture made eating the soba noodles more fun, the soup base was light, yet flavorful. Another time, I just had hot soba with tempura on the side. Tempura was not dripping with oil and the skin was light and crunchy. I’ve also had their katsu chicken (comes with rice) and the chicken portion was large! I had 2 of the 5 pieces and was already full.
Overall, I do like eating here, but the prices are a bit high compared to other soba/​udon places in the area. The dishes I’ve tried really reminded me of «home cooking.» Lastly, the place rarely gets full and people come and go quickly, some of my meals here have been almost 2 hours, but no one has rushed me out.

Entering Fukagawa and looking around the large room, I sense that the original owners were far more ambitious in trying to create a more traditional space with intricate wood work that is no longer found in newer Japanese eateries. Fukagawa has been a long time specialist in native Japanese pasta, namely thinner Soba made mostly from buckwheat & thicker Udon made from wheat. Ra-​men is a relative newcomer to the Japanese culinary scene making its debut sometime in the late 19^th century. Fukagawa seems to adhere more to the traditional, more restrained flavours versus Ra-​men which can be over the top in its flavour profile as well as being full of unhealthful fats to add to its richness.
Just as the major division is North vs South for the U.S. in terms of culture, food, dialects, politics, Japan is divided between the East/​Kanto– region and the West/​Kansai region. Fukagawa offers soup broth that is Kansai in style which is much lighter & clearer in color or the Kanto– style soup broth which has a good addition of Sho-​yu/​soy sauce. The broth itself seems to be an amalgam of Kombu/​kelp & Katsuo Bushi/​bonito flake.
I opted for the warm Soba in the lighter Kansai style broth with Kinoko/​mushroom which was Enoki or small straw mushrooms w/​a slice of Kamaboko/​steamed fish terrine & Ohitashi/​blanched green spinach. There was a small side dish of chopped green onion to add to the soup. I also ordered a side of Tempura which consisted of three shrimp, two Shishito– /​Japanese green peppers, one Shi-​take mushroom.
The delicate broth worked well w/​the slightly nutty flavoured Soba. Unfortunately for me, the Soba noodles were over-​cooked so that it lacked Hagotae/​al dente texture. It was slightly mushy which detracted from the dish. I added a bit of Shichimi To-​garashi/​7 flavour Chile powder to add a bit of piquancy to enliven the nuanced broth.
The Tempura may not have been exemplary, but it was executed well enough for the shrimps & Shishito-​. I believe that the Shitake mushroom was dried & was reconstituted by soaking in water. However, the revived Shi-​take mushroom was not drained properly so that when I bit into the crispy Tempura crust & into the Shi-​take, excess water spurted out. It was a surprise I was not expecting.
Service is prompt & efficient. Our waitress was helpful in figuring out how to accommodate my order since the standard menu couldn’t take into account my ordering Kinoko Soba combined w/​the Tempura. Lunch time service was quick which would make Fukagawa a good place for workers to take their lunch time break. 4– Unilocal stars for a good, fast lunch.

I saw a number of my yfs had reviewed this place, so I said I need to hit it! Fukagawa is on Redondo Beach Blvd in Gardena, just east of Western. Its hard to find, but as you are facing Marukai, its located deep in the right hand corner of the mall. BTW, Fukagawa opens at 7 am, but is closed on Wed (?). They specialize in soba & udon, but have numerous combos.
I ordered the Breakfast C combo w/​Spanish mackerel, daishi maki egg (steamed), tofu w/​bonito flakes, tsukemono, miso soup and rice ($ 12.25 — $ 1 extra at lunch). My combo was very good. What I ordered was very traditional vs the Americanized combos they offer that include CA roll. The mackerel was grilled nicely, and I was full afterwards (I didn’t eat all the rice): 4 Stars.
Regarding the ambiance, it is traditional Japanese. In fact, every one was speaking Japanese during lunch on a Fri: 4 Stars. The service was friendly and efficient. The food came out quickly, and my tea cup was refilled w/​o asking: 4 Stars.
Fukagawa is definitely on my rotation for traditional Japanese. I love working in South Bay!

Fukagawa is the quintessential Japanese restaurant I’ve ever been in.
As you enter, you’re greeted politely and escorted to your table.
You’re served hot tea.
The décor is minimalist, very Japanese.
And the place was quiet, you might even say peaceful. Definitely a plus.
I came to try out their Japanese Breakfast. It is served all day.
I chose Japanese Breakfast «C» with Spanish Mackerel.
When the food arrived, it was beautifully arranged in a tray.
The Spanish Mackerel was fried perfectly, the meat was moist and very flavorful.
It came with egg, I requested it cooked sunny side up; it was over cooked, which was the only issue of the meal. The sides of cold tofu and Japanese pickles & seaweed sheets were a good compliment to the meal. The miso soup was outstanding. It had fried tofu pieces which made this soup really good.
I am a noodle person, so I also ordered a half order of Cold Soba. I know it’s just noodle, but that was so good.
The noodles are served room temperature. It comes with a dipping sauce, some green onions and wasabi. I had some grated daikon with my meal that I added to the dipping sauce.
Nothing better than perfectly cooked noodle. The dipping sauce was also perfect. Yum!
I’m getting a full order next time. Lol
It might be hard to find Fukagawa, because it’s hiding in the corner to the right of Marukai Supermarket.
Parking is not an issue, there is plenty of spots in this plaza.
It is on the pricey side, but well worth it in my opinion.
A really nice place to have a meal, food is good, ambiance is peaceful and the service is top notch.
Try it for yourself and decide. Enjoy!