Oumi Sasaya

2 PM on a Sunday, and the line stretches 30 minutes out the door. That tells you something about the quality of the food.
It’s simple, it’s so minimalist, but damn, it’s good!
The Tororo Udon is like the Japanese version of meat ‘n potatoes. The the yam makes the noodles super slippery, but the flavor is great.
No way these portions are Japanese-​inspired. The Curry Udon bowl is HUGE, and the curry is so thick it could be poured over katsu.
The noodles are good when they’re steaming hot in the middle of winter, but the cold plates let you slurp through the summer sun. The regular Shrimp & Mochi Tempura Udon is amazing. The udon is the perfect texture, and I’ve never had savory mochi before, but now I can’t imagine it any other way.
If all Japanese food tastes this good, I may just move to Japan. Oumi Sasaya has me salivating for Tokyo, but it should hold me over just fine until I get there.

Amazing Curry Udon!
Went there right before closing (~1pm) with a group of 13. Mind you the store seats about 20. They were very accommodating.
But most importantly, the food was good!

I just love Oumi Sasaya. It’s a very authentic Japanese restaurant that serves one of the best udon in LA.
They give you a complimentary warm tofu.
It’s located in a small shopping center, parking could be hard.

The family and I came here because of the high ratings. Why not? The child loves udon.
Oumi Sasaya is located in a small dimly lit plaza in Lomita. As soon as we arrived, we could see people waiting outside. After finding a parking space, it took us about 20 minutes to get a table. The place was crowded with my Chinese brothers and sisters who were conversing loudly in Chinese.
They start everyone off with a free tofu appetizer. Free appetizers are good, especially when it we get to 吃豆腐. Well, maybe not with the child around.
We ordered a regular udon for the child, a curry udon for the wife, and a combination of a beef bowl and a mini udon for me.
The child loved her bowl of udon and finished it all. I thought my wife’s curry udon was decent, but, my wife liked it. My combination beef bowl and mini udon were okay. Why go to Yoshinoya to get a beef bowl for $ 4 when you can come here for a beef bowl and a mini udon for about $ 10. The beef bowl was sweeter than the one from Yoshinoya. The mini udon looked like a smaller portion of my child’s noodles. The noodles were in a plain shoyu base and tasted plain to me. Nothing really stood out about noodles to me.
It’s alright. It’s child approved. I might be back when in the area because of the child. But, no eating tofu in front of the child.

The original owner/​chef retired! The food just isn’t the same anymore. It’s just a ok now, not amazing AF like it was before :(

I’m not the biggest fan of udon noodles, just because it’s too slippery to grab with your chopsticks and it’s chewy. No doubt you’ll have some soup splatter on your face. Plus, I prefer thin noodles.
But if I’m going to have some udon, it will be at Oumi Sasaya. Not only were the dishes as authentic as it could be, but it was the story about Oumi Sasaya that grabbed me. Take your time to read it if you can.
Very discreet location, can easily be missed. But it’s just on the corner of a small plaza. Let Google Maps guide you, but look out for the corner restuarant that has Japanese writing with small English writing indicating «Noodle House.»
The Man had the Beef udon with shrimp and mochi tempura bowl. Quite the generous size. Thick curry base, full of delicious curry flavor, beef was nice and tender. Mochi tempura? Yeah, but it works so well! Boyfriend decided to take the remaining curry home for a rice dish later.
I had the Shrimp Tempura and Egg Bowl & Mini Udon. The soup was yummy. I enjoyed the rice bowl, but thought the sauce was too salty for me. Loved the large sized shrimps though.
Great service. I love how authentic it is here. Even the servers speak and write in Japanese. So polite. Which is why I admire the Japanese culture so much.
This will be a place I share with friends visiting. And now, I share it with my Unilocal friends. Enjoy!

CURRY UDONNNNN. Enough said. Haha but really though, their signature dish is absolutely outstanding! Who knew that these two dishes would compliment each other so well in one beautiful dish? This place got me craving for some bomb ass curry udon haha :)
My friend was the one to first introduce me to this place and because of that, I thank her for that! In the beginning, they give you complimentary tofu with some soy sauce, which is really nice! On my visits, I typically order the the curry udon with tempura shrimp and tempura Mochi. Yes, you heard it… tempura Mochi. OMG YAASSSSS. It’s a lot to handle in one huge bowl and it’s not that cheap but I can assure you that it’s hella worth. The tempura Mochi is very chewy/​stringy and to die for! The curry udon itself is thick in consistency and so rich in flavor that you will devouring the entire bowl itself in one sitting. If you don’t have a big stomach, then maybe this isn’t the dish to order for you. However if you are a heavy water like me, then go for it LOL. Either way, you are bound to get a food coma in the end haha
Customer service is good and parking lot is kinda L-​shaped. Worth going for! Will be back~

This place is super legit!!! The restaurant is clean, the food is great, and the staff is super nice!
First of all, the sign is in Japanese, so make sure you know how to find it :-) There is a sign up list for a table as soon as you walk in on the right.
Pro tip:
Make sure to arrive at least an hour before the closing time. They stop taking names if it gets too busy before closing and you will be SOL.
The food here is fantastic! The bowls are huge and they don’t short you on ingredients. You will first get a small tofu dish for an appetizer and its free. For my dish I ordered the flowered egg udon bowl. The noodle were cooked very well and they used so much egg in the dish. I love egg, It was delicious!!! My friends got the beef bowl and mini udon combo, and the large tempura shrimp and mini udon combo. Check out the pictures below. The tempura looked a little small, but my friends were super happy.
Bottom line: The udon here is DOPE! It tastes great, you gotta check it out!

If you want udon in the South Bay area, this is the place to be! Their mochi and shrimp tempura are amazing! Curry soup base is also divine. Prices are reasonable too! If you do try the udon with mochi and shrimp tempura, do ask for them on the side. So they won’t become too soggy.

Rating system:
5 stars — Must try. You’re really missing out if you don’t. I’m either a regular here, repeat patron, or would be if it wasn’t cost or distance prohibitive
4 stars — Highly recommended, but may have minor things that keep me from being a regular or from giving a higher rating
3 stars — Good most of the time but not great. Will only eat here if I have a particular craving, or am unable to eat at my 4 or 5 star choices
2 stars — Do not really like it but will only eat here if I have to (eating group overruled my veto)
1 star — Avoid. Save your money, time, and stomach
First dedicated udon shop I’ve been to, but I’ve had plenty of udon over the years from other Japanese restaurants. This is by far the best udon I’ve ever had.
I loved the tofu amuse bouche. Nice touch to get you ready to eat some noodles.
Based on reviews, we decided to try the Curry Udon with Shrimp & Mochi Tempura and the Shrimp & Mochi Tempura Udon.
Curry — The flavor of the soup itself was not my cup of tea. Honestly, I think that if curry is used in a soup, it needs to be cut with some fat (like how the Thai use coconut milk in their curry soups) to really round out the curry flavor. Otherwise, it tastes like curry powder and broth, which is what this tasted like. Some people may like it, but if curry powder in broth doesn’t sound appetizing to you, you may not like it.
Regular — Delicious. As soon as I smelled the smoky bonito, I knew this had to be legit. The broth is beef based I think (could have other meats mixed in) but not heavy beef like phở. There is however, a heavy dose of bonito (smoked fish flakes) which I love and really adds depth and flavor to the broth. I loved it.
Shrimp & Mochi Tempura — Perfectly fried. The shrimp were large, plump, and juicy. The mochi, which was new to me as I’ve only eaten sweet mochi, was a pleasant surprise. Mochi in its fried form is kinda like a hot mozzarella stick.
Noodles — Firm and chewy, just the way I like it.
I’m definitely going back to this place again when I’m visiting family. I might try their other soups like the duck, but the tempura udon was so good I’m not sure I want to deviate from the tried and true!

My favorite udon place! It’s a moms pops kind of place and it’s pretty authentic compare with the other udon places I’ve been to. Pretty much everything is good on the menu. Hehe
The noodles is just the right amount of chewiness and the broths are all really good. The portion is pretty big and the price is good.
No reservations, it’s putting your name on the list when you get there. Sometimes it can get pretty crowded for lunch. They provide free coffee while you wait and the wait is not too long. At most 30 mins from my experience.

Delicious and authentic udon noodles. This place is a traditional Japanese restaurant where you can truly see the authenticity through the food, ambiance, and service.
Once seated, you are given a complimentary dish of tofu. Not your generic type of tofu here! It is served slightly warm and it was so good. The perfect bite size piece of tofu to start a divine meal.
Of course, I ordered their famous curry udon noodles with mochi and shrimp tempura. I can honestly tell you, I fell in love with the broth. You would expect the curry broth to be really rich, salty, and heavy but that wasn’t necessarily the case. You can definitely taste the curry flavor strongly but it was still light and went wonderfully with the delicate udon noodles. The shrimp tempura isn’t your ordinary tempura batter — a little thicker and crunchier but once it got all soaked in the curry broth, it was softer and even flavorful! Overall, this dish is just simplicity at its finest. Not a whole lot goes into this bowl but it was extremely satisfying and filling. ⁵⁄₅ For the price that you pay, you get hooked up with whole lot of noodles and yummy pieces of high quality thinly sliced beef.
What I also really liked about this place was all their plates! lol They were all unique and actually really large. It went perfectly with their huge portions of food.
I highly suggest you try this place out! It does get packed but it is so worth the wait. Parking is a bit inconvenient just because their lots aren’t that large. If you can’t find anything, I recommend you park on the street.

I’ve been to Oumi sasaya dozens of times living in the South Bay. I will cry if this place ever closes.
The udon is fresh and delicious, slightly thinner than regular udon but handmade and perfectly chewy.
The broth is very delicate… I taste beef and fish undertones? It’s savory and has a great unami flavor.
My usual order is the beef bowl with soft boiled egg and hot soup udon combo (no ginger (~$ 11). It’s a great taste and value for the price. I love breaking the soft yolk into the rice and beef and mixing everything together. They always get ther soft boiled egg done perfectly.
The most popular order there is the shrimp tempura and fried mochi udon… I’ve had it before and it is delicious!
They also do special hot pots where they have the hot soup udon and give you extra additions like veggies, seafood, meats, etc. The most special one only gets served 5 times at dinner so come early if you want to snag it!
A+++++ establishment… probably one of my top 5 restaurants in the South Bay. If you want to go to a genuine handmade udon places… one of those places that does one thing and does it well, go to Oumi Sasaya.

Oumi Sasaya primarily focuses on udon. It’s located in a small strip mall by Island Hut. The curry udon with vegetable tempura was rich in flavor. It was also large in portion.
The shrimp ten don was equally flavorful. The avocado salad was petite and crisp for $ 2.50.

Oh my goodness fresh udon! I’ve never had udon this good before. Yes to having fresh udon before but this definitely was an exceptional experience.
Located right next to Gaja which I’ve been to many many times before, I’ve noticed the big crowd that usually ends up standing in front of Oumi Sasaya. Thus I’ve bookmarked it and then of course forgot about it. Well I really shouldn’t have done the latter. My bad, and I can only blame myself for missing out on this deliciously made fresh udon until tonight.
It’s a pretty small space and they’ve fit as many tables and counter seating as possible. Decently busy on a Sunday night even! Didn’t have to wait long and I was glad it wasn’t as busy as other times I’ve seen it. The menu has all sorts of preparations of udon available. As soup, as noodles, as a dip and there are combos too. Service is quick and efficient like most Japanese places.
BEEF UDON SOUP
I almost went for the curry udon but I knew that I should try a staple to test my first try here. So beef udon it was. I was very surprised by how good it was!!! The broth is excellent done with great flavor and depth. The udon is amazingly soft to the point where I had to be careful with my chopsticks to not go right through them. And the beef they use is high quality thinly sliced fatty beef. A huge pile of slivered raw green onions is piled on top of everything. It’s so simple but yet it was delicious. I was extremely satisfied and at the end of my meal wished I had a larger stomach to eat it all.
BEEF BOWL AND MINI UDON
My hubs got a combo and I of course sampled the beef bowl. The mini udon looked pretty basic and I was so enamored with mine that I didn’t really bother to try that. But the beef bowl I thought was very well done also. Great flavor and the egg and beef were cooked really nicely to be this nice soft fluffy topping on top of the rice.
Okay I’ll be back to order the curry udon next time!

I’ve been here a couple times, and it’s been consistently good.
Highly recommend:
CURRY UDON WITH SHRIMP AND MOCHI TEMPURA– They’re known for their udon which was soft and chewy. The broth was thick and delicious without being too salty. The shrimp tempura were perfectly fried, however I didn’t really care for the mochi tempura (I guess I prefer my mochi sweet rather than savory).
BEEF BOWL– The beef was melt-​in-​your-​mouth tender and flavorful.
Service is always friendly, and food comes out quickly.
FYI they don’t do to-​go orders :(
There is ample parking in the lot.
Will definitely be returning!

This place has unique food compared to a typical udon restaurants.
You should definitely try curry mochi tempura udon. It can get a little too heavy/​thick but it’s a good dish to try. The tempura mochi is awesome– it’s chewy and soft at the same time.
There’s also a variety of meat in the udon and there’s plenty of it in the dish. It’s very filling.
Food comes out very fast. It takes around 5 minutes so it’s a quick meal if there isn’t a big wait. The servers were very friendly and helpful. I would recommend this place for anybody in the area.

My mom and I love Japanese food and we are fans of udon. This place therefore seemed to be the perfect place to celebrate Mother’s Day!
Their menu is all about udon. They have udon plates, udon soup and udon hot pots. They have hot udon and cold udon. The udon types vary from curry udon to seaweed udon.
My mom and I both chose to get combos. I got the simmer chicken tempura and egg bowl and mini udon ($ 12.90) and my mom got the shrimp tempura and egg bowl and mini udon ($ 15.50). For the mini udons, you have a choice of either hot or cold.
These combos are a great deal and very fulfilling. The bowl is filled with rice, lots of egg and crispy pieces of tempura. The mini udons is filled with lots of their homemade udon.
Tastewise everything was delcious. I like the udon noodles. They hae great texture and cooked perfectly soft. I was also a fan of the tempura. The chicken tempura that was served hot and crispy. I was impressed with the good quality of every thing.
This restaurant gets packed quickly but the service is great. They bring the food quickly and the waitresses are attentive. Overall atmosphere, this place is nice and neat.
I enjoyed eating at Oumi Sasaya very much and it meant the world to me to see that my mom enjoyed this place to on this Mother’s Day.

Despite only earning 4 stars, I still consider Oumi Sasaya among the best restaurants in Torrance (well, Lomita, actually).
Although Unilocal simply categorizes them as «Japanese», Oumi Sasaya specializes in udon, and if this were Japan, it’d be called an «udon-ya”(-shop). Udon is the flour-​based cousin of soba, together forming the two main noodle types originating in Japan. (Ramen originated in China, though it was the Japanese who transformed it into an culinary art and, in my opinion, perfected it.)
Passing through the noren (the wavy banners) and entering, you step into an intimate shop with 8 small tables and a counter. Torrance has a high Asian population, and most know that this is THE place to get udon in town. For this reason, the place is aways filled with locals, typically with a wait of between 10 – 30 minutes.
When ordering, you will first choose a style: Plate (Hot or Cold), Soup, or Dipping.
Plate (in Japanese, Bukkake – and probably not what you’re picturing) means the noodles and toppings come on a plate, and you pour tsuyu (a light broth sauce) over it. They also offer «sesame» as a special variety for Plate. This just means the tsuyu is replaced with a slightly sweet sesame sauce. (A great dish to try first, in addition to my favorites mentioned below.)
Soup Udon is eaten much like ramen, with the noodles served in a hot broth. They also offer «curry» as a special variety for Soup. This replaces the homey tasting broth with thick Japanese curry.
Dipping is akin to tsukemen for ramen: noodles are served on a plate with a separate bowl of thick, flavorful broth for dipping. They have beef and duck flavored broth, each with liberal chunks of meat.
What to get? Their best dish is their Shrimp & Mochi Tempura Udon (Plate or Curry). If this is your first time here, I consider this a must. If you are used to light-​tasting Japanese food, go for the Plate; if you like stronger tasting food, aren’t sure if you are, or otherwise already are a fan of Japanese curry, go for the curry. Plus, the Shrimp and Mochi Curry still comes with lots of beef!
My second favorite dish of theirs is their Kitsune (sweetened deep-​fried tofu) Plate Udon. Kitsune has a slightly sweetened, almost tart flavor. Despite being deep-​fried, it still manages to be light. Theirs is very thinly cut and delicate, and I just love the ingredient combination it is served with.
* * *
Whereas soba noodles can be refined ad infinitum into a delicacy, udon noodles are simply made from flour, so there isn’t really much refining to be had. For this reason, udon is generally considered a cheap comfort food in Japan. In places like Kagawa and Ise, the areas most well-​known for udon, even the best places average at around $ 4 – 5 a bowl. Oumi Sasaya’s udon runs around $ 10 – 12; while not as cheap as Japan, it is nevertheless masterfully executed, making the prices very justifiable.

Came here for lunch with my sister today around 1. We put our name down and was seated within 15 – 20 minutes. This place is pretty small so recommend coming here for smaller groups.
They give you complimentary tofu as a starter, yay! I only ordered the curry udon with shrimp and mochi tempura and my sister got the beef bowl with mini udon set. The food came really quickly after we had ordered, which is a plus. I don’t like my tempuras soggy so I had asked for them on the side. They were nice and crispy and complemented the curry udon really well. I loved the mochi tempura! Soo chewy! The beef bowl was also quite good, very flavorful and lots of juices. The only downside about this place is that in the soup noodles the udon noodles aren’t very chewy. The cold ones are a little better but I like my udon extra chewy. Although each dish is around 10 bucks the portion sizes are great. I had trouble finishing my udon!