In the corner of a tiny strip of shops on Las Tunas in San Gabriel district, almost overshadowed by a popular seafood restaurant and another equally popular Vietnamese restaurant lies a gem of a Japanese noodle place. It is small, unassuming and clean. We were introduced to the place by a Japanese couple and have ate here on several occasions. A glass cabinet near the door displays several dishes in fully colored plastic models, like those you find in many Japanese restaurants. The menu is simple but extensive enough for a good eat. The spread ranges from ramen, or noodles in soup to rice bowls, sushi and appetizers. The ramen comes in many choices of soup base from the basic shoyu (soy sauce) to thick savory broth from hours of stewing pork bones or broth seasoned with miso (fermented soy bean.) A Japanese waiter brought us warm mugs of Japanese tea while we try to decide on the soup base or choose to have the noodles stir-fried (yakisoba) or as cold noodles (like a noodle salad with lots of vegetables and a sauce, great in the summer.)

Finally we decided on ramen with a basic shio (salt) soup base ($6.25) and servings of gyozas (pan fried meat dumplings, $3.75 for 6.) I usually like the thicker miso broth but have decided that a simple soup base will enable me to discern the taste of the noodles better.

We were each served a delicate dish of pickled cabbage as an appetizer. You might not get the same appetizer every time as it depends on the chef and on the vegetable available for the season. The noodle came nicely arranged with a few slices of chashyu (braised pork), scallions, braised bamboo shoot and some green vegetables.

Please excuse the picture of a partially demised bowl of noodles as I dug in very quickly with much enthusiasm before I remembered that I have to take a picture. The noodle was springy and cooked just right, a perfect al dente. The braised pork was tender and has a delicate flavor which must be the result of a long period of seasoning. The garnishes worked very well with the light broth which has a slight peculiar taste of yellow noodles.

The cabbage and minced pork gyoza was plumb, juicy and divine when dipped into a sauce made up of soy sauce, rice vinegar and a few drops of chili oil. They were not the most delicate gyoza I've encountered but were certainly handmade and one of the best I had.

A table near the door displayed local tabloids both in English and Japanese -- typical of Japanese restaurants except that it does not hold Japanese manga, or comic books. This is a little joint favored by the locals and those who seek authentic Japanese ramen with no frills.

Price $

Quality ****