Okayama Japanese

">Okayama Japanese has, for as long as I can remember, been great. The restaurant has been around for some 44 years, attracting a large following of South Bay foodies. It is so steeped in Japantown history that three generations of my family have dined at the restaurant. Now, as of Friday, August 19th, the ownership of the shop has changed. The old owner and his mother were the original creators of the dynasty. It's really a terrible loss for Japantown (with the selling of the restaurant), but many of the family's secret recipes have been passed down to the new restaurant's ownership. Hopefully, that symbolizes little change on the horizon. One can only hope. If that isn't the case, hopefully they'll at least retain the Chicken Udon and Beef Teriyaki, two of my favorite dishes. The Chicken Udon has a savory, delicious broth and pieces of tasty chicken packed together with noodles in a giant bowl of drool-worthy soup. The beef teriyaki has a magical sauce and a nice cooking technique, as it seems to come out perfectly done every time I order it. Another change I would despise would be a departure from the current decorations. A move of this sort would choke out much of the restaurant's immeasurable amount of charm. This restaurant has always felt like a home away from home to me, and hopefully that feeling's presence will be extended even without some of the kind people that worked there previously.