Spoon House Bakery & Restaurant

I grew up eating Spoon House and still do. There is usually a long line, so you should try to come at the off hours. The bolognese and seafood spaghetti are the best here. The food here melts in your mouth. You should also try the $ 1 dollar salad and ice cream soda. You will not regret this place!

Ordered the napolitana with sausage and the seafood gratin. The Napolitana was okay with its huge chunks of Ralph’s sausage cut into it but the gratin was really creamy and delicious. If you like seafood chowder then I highly recommend the gratin. The service is very nice and my small cup of coffee never went dry. They also have complimentary bread and butter which is also pretty good. The shop itself is pretty cute and feels homey.
Food 1.5÷2
Service ²⁄₂
Venue ¹⁄₁
4.5 stars

Spoon House is a Japanese style spaghetti house. This is my first time trying Japanese spaghetti so I didn’t know what to expect. The spaghetti house is a small corner shop. It doesn’t seem much is going on from the outside, but when you walk in, you’ll be greeted with the warm aromas of fresh baked breads and spaghetti. The restaurant itself isn’t too big and with limited seating. We came on a late weeknight, so lines for us.
I liked seating at the bar counter as we got front row seats to watch the chefs in action. I ordered a squid and uni pasta in a light roe sauce. I loved my dish. It was light and didn’t make you feel narcoleptic after a typical pasta dinner, although I wish they added more uni (there was a tiny piece here and there if you search for it). My boyfriend ordered the California pasta, which was a cold, deconstructed pasta dish of the sushi «California roll». It included crab meat (imitation), cream sauce, avocado, tomatoes, and microgreens.
Overall, this place hits the spot! Will be back for more J-​pasta!

I’ve been wanting to try this place for a while since I had heard so much about it.
Summary: meh.
1. Bread and butter (complimentary) — soft, not very crusty bread at all.
2. Famous $ 1 salad — definitely worth $ 1. It was a reasonably large sized salad for $ 1. Lettuce, tomato and cucumber.
3. Bolognese — definitely better than my carbonara. I only had a bite of it to try since my friend ordered it.
4. Carbonara — oh gosh, it didn’t taste like traditional carbonara at all! I know this is Japanese/​Italian fusion and all but it tasted like spaghetti in milk with pepper. My dish was literally drowning in a pool of sauce. If there was no bacon there would pretty much be no taste to it.
I don’t think I’d come back here for Japanese Italian fusion. I prefer the place inside Mitsuwa.

Bolognase = awesome | Cabanera = not too bad at all
I never thought I’d come to a Japanese and Italian fusion lol. I didn’t even know that kind of mix existed. Well I went here for the first time today and the service was really good. They’re super polite and fast. The interior is pretty cute too.
I ordered the bolognase (the first listed entrée). It was really good for what I could expect from spaghetti. Their sauce was really tasty with a hint of acidity (as expected from this kind of sauce). I love protein so I instantly noticed the hearty, beefy, awesome smell of the sauce. In fact I thought I smelled a hint of A1 sauce in there… Whatever. It was good. I would have given it an even better rating if I didn’t like my own personal recipe for spaghetti over this lol
The cabanera was alright. I only had a taste since my friend ordered it. I like pasta in general so I would probably order it for myself. She had a different opinion of the dish’s flavor and felt that it may have lacked the full flavor of cabanera. In the end, I thought it was good! The flavor may be a little different from the original because of the Japanese and Italian fusion… I’m no expert, but I liked it :)
I would come back!

Best Japanese spaghetti in the South Bay. Period. Uni & seaweed of course is my fave. What’s yours?

Small Japanese/​Italian Restaurant that serves Japanese-​style spaghetti. I would give it five stars because the food is absolutely delicious, but the servers are a bit slow and unaware of their surroundings.
**Their noodles are always on point — cooked and served al dente, firm to the bite.**
+ Japanese-​style Cod Roe and Butter Sauce: It’s a more light and bland taste. I don’t usually like sauces like that, but I really like this one! You can also add seaweed, squid, and/​or sea urchin for additional cost. (I usually get the seaweed and squid)
+ Spicy Tomato: It’s basically tomato sauce spaghetti with spicy peppers. If you like red sauce and if you like spicy foods, then you’ll love it!
+ Dollar Salad: Ask for the Dollar Salad. It’s literally one dollar! Comes with lettuce, tomato, and cucumbers topped with their house dressing. Simple, cheap, and delicious!
+ French Bread: Their bread is SO GOOD! It free so eat as much as you want. Quite difficult to resist, but don’t stuff yourself with it because you still have to eat your main entrée. (You can always purchase a whole loaf on the way out! $ 3)
+ Iced Tea: Their teas are unsweetened, but there’s sugar syrup on each table to sweeten your teas. It’s very refreshing AND it’s refillable!

This place holds a very special place in my heart. The service is always friendly, the space is cozy, and of course the food is always on point.
Before, I always ordered the Bolognese which is a basic tomato and meat sauce. I occasionally would add the egg and bacon garnish which would taste amazing! The sauce itself is rich, flavorful, and fresh. Their noodles are incredible. It’s always served al dente and have the perfect bite to them. I’ve also tried many other specialty dishes which have always had rich and unique flavors. There’s plenty of creative dishes here so don’t be afraid to ask the servers for their recommendations!
Now, after going vegan I was nervous that they wouldn’t have any plant based options, but to my surprise they did! I came here a few days ago on a random day date and ordered the Spoon House Napolitano which is a pan fried pasta with tomato sauce, eggplant, onion, and carrots. It was super delicious– even better than what I used to order. The sauce tasted super fresh and healthy but still hearty and filling. Even more delicious with tabasco sauce~ My new go to dish here! All the dishes are super affordable for the amount of food and quality you’re getting. Also, don’t forget to get the $ 1 salad!
If you’re ever planning to make a visit here make sure not to come with a party over 4. The space is quite small so it’s perfect for a date, not a large group. A place you must visit if you’re in the Torrance/​Gardena area!

Not sure what everyone is raving about. The pasta is your run of the mill store bought brand. The giant menu is okay but they are stingy with what they add to the pasta. I got the carbonara and barely got any bacon and no egg on top, which is advertised on the menu. My friend got the uni pasta and dug around for a few seconds to uncover a measly morsel of uni.

Absolutely delicious. It’s gonna be my favorite pasta restaurant. Too bad I can’t finish it, but I brought it to go and addition to it I also buy another plate for take home for my lunch box the next day.
This is not typical Italian style, it is modified to Japanese style.

Their pasta is on point.
I usually get the spicy cod roe spaghetti with uni and seaweed, it’s amaaaazing. Their noodles are always al dente and the sauce isn’t overpowering. I cleared my plate in ten minutes (not exaggerating). It’s not one chunk of uni like EMC, but there’s bits here and there. I love that they use regular and dried seaweed. Don’t forget to check yo teef.
They serve bread and butter in the beginning, yumz!
We ordered the seafood gratin (takes 20 mins), and it was soooo good. Admittedly there isn’t that much seafood in it (one scallop, maybe a few shrimps), mushrooms, broccoli, and macaroni pasta. I like that it wasn’t overpoweringly cheesy even though it looks like it.
We got there about 6pm tonight (Friday) and didn’t wait, but about 40 mins later, it was packed. Service was friendly and efficient. Did wait a little bit to get my card back, but it was the usual Japanese service: super sweet, super polite. Waters constantly refilled right when it got low, I’m gonna need to put this into rotation for our Fridate nights.
Also like how you can see the cooks in the kitchen!

I came here for dinner on a Saturday night and this is such a cute place for some delicious Japanese spaghetti dishes!
I got the Japanese spaghetti with butter sauce and it was oh-​so-​delicious! Just slurp slurp slurp! All that goodness was just yummy! There are other selections where you can add squid and what not, but this simple choice is just as good! The noodles were cooked perfectly and the butter sauce complemented it well.
Service is friendly, credit cards accepted, and there’s plenty of parking behind the restaurant. I would definitely come here again. I’m still dreaming of those noodles :)

If you’ve never had Japanese-​style spaghetti, you are missing out!
The pasta is Italian styled, while the ingredients and seafood make it Japanese. The spaghetti in Japan is amazing, and I knew finding something equivalent in the U.S. would be difficult, but Spoon House is on point!
This place is so good; I ate here twice in a 36 hour period.
Food:
I’ve tried the Bolognese, Bolognese with Weiner, Japanese-​Style Clam Sauce, and Barca D’Oro.
Everything is really, really good; the seafood is fresh and the food comes out quick and hot!
Side Notes
Ambiance:
There’s minimal table seating and some seating at the bar.
If you have a large group, good luck getting seats together!
Service:
The service is exceptional. Staff is very polite and patient.
Overall:
I highly recommend this restaurant!

Unilocal challenge 2016 (⁸⁄₁₀₀)
Spoon house is the place to go if you want to try Japanese spaghetti! Seriously, this place is super cheap and you get A LOT of noodles! Especially for the seafood spaghetti, you won’t get it as cheap as $ 10 for spaghetti and clams. Usually it’s about $ 14-​$ 15 at other places.
The pasta is cooked al dente! I used to come here as a kid and haven’t been here in years until today. I always see this place crowded on weekends, and probably a bit slower during the week. Service was good as well.
OH, and I forgot about the «one dollar salad»! I’m not kidding… A plate of salad, cucumbers, and tomatoes with dressing is only one dolla. ONE DOLLA. Thats a freakin deal!

I’m so fortunate the Spoonhouse is right down the street from my house! It’s a small, cute Italian/​Japanese fusion restaurant that I’ve been coming for years. I mean, who can’t say no to fresh, yummy pasta/​spaghetti!
This post will be my most recent visit since I’ve been here several other times before (and don’t remember what I exactly ordered). I went with my sister for lunch on NYE and surprisingly, there weren’t a lot of people that day. We were seated right away. My sister ordered the Japanese seaweed and clam pasta and I was craaaaving their spaghetti omelette with bacon. We also got complementary bread and one order of the $ 1 salad.
The $ 1 is super garlicky if you aren’t a big fan of garlic! It was alright nothing to particularly special about it. When our food arrived, damn it was sooooo good! it may not seem a lot but actually, it’s quite a lot of food in one single plate. I like that the food is not super drenched in sauce so there is a perfect ratio between the sauce and pasta. I would use the bread to dip into the remaining sauce that I have in my plate. Every time I invited someone over for lunch date here, I’ve never got a single complaint!
I probably will come back here since it’s so close to my house. Giving it 4 instead of 5 because I do believe they need to renovate some of the tables and bathroom because it does seem to be a little dated. Other than that, I’ll be back!

Spoon House combines Japanese flavors with Italian pasta dishes, and I must say it is truly delightful. Being a Torrance local, I come here with my wife to eat whenever we feel like heading toward Gardena. When I come, I come hungry!
If you come here after 5 PM, you can order their steak dinner option, which comes with a salad, steamed rice, coffee/​tea, steak with grilled vegetables, choice of a small pasta selection, and a dessert (vanilla ice cream). $ 25 for a meal that could be 2 – 3 people is a steal in my opinion!
Spoon House is a local favorite and I would highly recommend it to anyone passing by!

Japanese/​Italian fusion. You can’t go wrong with that. The only thing you’ll be eating here is spaghetti, but it’s some pretty good spaghetti.
The restaurant is small and usually always packed so this is a place for smaller parties, or duos (dates if you wanna call it that), or solos (no shame in eating alone, I enjoy it at times). Service is pretty attentive since the place is so small.
There’s a fairly large selection to choose from, but if you’re like me, I go in feeling a certain kind of sauce: tomato based, white sauce, creamy, and so on. Based on my mood I then pick my type of spaghetti. I wish I could give a favorite but clam sauce, cod roe, bolognese, and barco d’oro are only few of many selections that I enjoy. I’m positive that anything you order will be delicious so don’t be afraid to close your eyes and point or ask the waiter for suggestions.
Did I mention they’re quite generous with the amount of bread they provide you with?

Witchcraft! That is my formal accusation for Spoon House! For if it is not witchcraft, how can a single spaghetti be so impossibly addictive?
I get it, butter is like crack. But the Japanese Style Cod Roe and Butter Sauce is like crack on crack. You can practically taste the ocean waves breaking when you bite into this sauce. The uni version is simply amazing, and the squid is differently delicious.
The butter sauce is the best but the Tuna, Daikon & Lemon Soy Sauce is also really good. This had the potential to taste like cat food, but don’t worry, it’s far from fishy. The sauce smooths it out and the lemon adds a touch of class.
Spoon House can be gotten to go, but it’s better-​served as a sit-​down. The noodles are made-​to-​order, and they’re great both microwaved and fresh!

Heard through another Unilocal friend about this place and decided I’d give it a try. A very popular place for pasta with a Japanese flare. The only other location is in Japan. So unless you’re planning a trip to Japan anytime soon, consider visiting this location first.
Slightly busy Sunday, I meet up with an old friend to welcomed me into the neighborhood. We get seated at the bar where you can see all the action. It’s a small place, so rethink about coming here if you have more than 4 people in your party.
The Japanese style cod roe pasta: a bit on the salty side for me. It was okay, but not something I would order again.
Barca d’oro: I was planning on ordering this but my friend decided to order that, which made me change my order. I enjoyed the tomato sauce and the seafood. I’d probably get my own dish next time.
Dollar salad: many reviews raved about this salad. I didn’t think it was that great. I’ve had many just like this, but that dressing didn’t do it for me.
The food took awhile. There’s only one chef, a «sous chef,» and dish washer in the kitchen, so I understand why it took so long for our meals. Service was okay.
Overall, I liked Spoon House, not sure where the bakery in that was. But I’d come here again for my pasta fix.
Enjoy!

Who knew the japanese could do pasta, and do it right!!!
With any spaghetti dish you order, you’ll notice that the pasta is consistently cooked to al dente perfection. I mean, they literally have the timing down to a science! I do enjoy watching the cooks prepare the dishes!
I usually come here just before the after work dinner rush and have never had a problem finding street parking right in front of the restaurant. There is also a lot in the back that accomodates for more cars. It is a rather small restaurant, so if you do come during peak hours (lunch, dinner, weekends) you may find yourself having to wait some time. Also, while they were able to accomodate me and a group of 8 friends, I suggest that you probably call ahead to see whether they’d be able to accomodate a larger group.
While its not the best pasta, it definitely is consistent. And I find consistency important, especially when one is trying to fulfill a craving of a dish from here and has to make a rather lengthy commute.
My favorites are:
— Uni and Cod Roe
— Carbonara
— Bolognese with Fried Egg and Bacon
*** Also, if you’re coming here primarily for anything with Uni, I highly suggest calling to make sure Uni is available — especially if you’re driving here and dont live locally. (There was a time last year that felt like they didnt have Uni for over 6 months).